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+1
It was a beautiful day to wander the grounds da to see all of the gardens and landscaping surrounding the Lilly House. We love seeing old houses and this was no exception. We had a great tour guide that was very detailed in each room. We also ate at the Beer Garden and the food was excellent. We truly enjoyed our day there!…
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Date of experience: September 2020
1 Helpful vote
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+1
We went here when we were viewing the Christmas lights in the grounds. The house was decorate with paper chains, paper ornaments, etc. Beautiful!! We used to take our 3 girls to the grounds around the house on a regular basis. They loved running around the grounds and we had picnics in the grass around the Lilly pond. Highly recommend!!…
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Date of experience: December 2019
1 Helpful vote
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My wife and I love to visit old homes, especially antebellum mansions in the Old South. So we were pleasantly surprised to discover Oldfields, better known today as the Lilly House and Gardens, in Indianapolis. Located at 4000 Michigan Road in the Newfields campus, adjacent to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park, it is a 26-acre historic estate and house museum, an extraordinary example of the American country house movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Built between 1909 and 1913 by architect Lewis Ketcham Davis for the family of Hugh McKennan Landon, it was sold in 1932 to Josiah K. Lilly Jr., the late Indianapolis businessman, collector and philanthropist, who renovated and expanded the estate throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Today, the 22-room mansion is open to the public. It reflects the 1930s era when the Lilly family occupied the house. It includes a service wing, pavilions on the east and west sides with access to balconies from the second floor and a large terrace atop a garage and service area. Today, the house features eight furnished historic rooms on the main level, including the stair hall, great hall, game room, library, drawing room, loggia, dining room and kitchen. Nearly 90 percent of the furnishings and objects are original to the house and were used by the Lilly family. The upper level features historical and interactive exhibits detailing the American Country Place era, the development of a country estate and Indianapolis in the early 20th century. It also includes a sampling of Lilly's collections of books, gold coins, military miniatures and nautical items. The gardens and grounds, which featured a tennis court and greenhouse, are rare examples of a preserved estate landscape designed by Percival Gallagher. The estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003.…
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Date of experience: January 2020
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We come here to walk around multiple times a year with the kids. The house is neat to walk around in and the garden is beautiful.
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Date of experience: December 2019
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Very nicely preserved and a lot more access than at some historical sites. Great family history. Nice decorations change throughout the year. Christmas is really special!
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Date of experience: March 2019
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