The Catacombs: Indianapolis’ Underground Tunnels

Deep under the Midwest city of Indianapolis, lies the historical tunnel system known as the ‘Indianapolis Catacombs’. The catacombs are located underneath Market, and Delaware St., in the downtown core. Initially, the tunnel system was the basement of ‘Tomlinson Hall’, which was built in 1886. It was a large multi-story building connected to the Indianapolis City Market.

The catacombs in Indy are not like the ones in Paris, which holds more than six million people’s remains. The ‘Indianapolis catacombs’ were never used for human remains. The naturally cool basement area had been used as a storage area, to keep meat, milk, eggs, and other perishable items cool, which would be sold in the market above ground.

The expansive tunnels stretch on for a grand total of twenty-thousand feet. It has dirt floors, and contains 140 limestone columns, and brick archways. There are still large meat hooks in the archways, which were used to store meat. There are also brick-lined pits that had once stored ice, as the building didn’t have refrigeration. It was built for practicality, instead of aesthetic, and has a rough-hewn look.

The building got its name from druggist Stephen D. Tomlinson, who had bequeathed the money that funded the building. He’d died on November 14, 1870, and his will stated that when his wife (Mary Todd…