Circle Tower
An Art Deco commercial tower that stands on the most ceremonial address in Indianapolis — Monument Circle, the symbolic centre of the state capital.
At a glance
Completed in 1930 at 55 Monument Circle, the Circle Tower occupies one of the most prominent addresses in Indiana. Monument Circle is the geographic and ceremonial heart of Indianapolis, anchored by the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at its centre and ringed by some of the city’s most important civic and commercial buildings. The Circle Tower’s Art Deco design — stepped setbacks, geometric surface ornament, and a restrained palette of stone and brick — gave the 1920s commercial tower a dignified modern character suited to its ceremonial address. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains an active commercial and office address.
Key facts
- Location: 55 Monument Circle, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Completed: 1930
- Style: Art Deco
- Address significance: on Monument Circle, the civic centre of Indianapolis
- Function: commercial and office building
- Status: National Register of Historic Places
History
Monument Circle has been the centre of Indianapolis since the city was laid out in the 1820s. The Indiana General Assembly designated the circle as the site of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, which was completed in 1902, and the surrounding blocks developed as the city’s premier commercial address. By the late 1920s, Indianapolis was a substantial midwestern city — the state capital, the seat of the Indiana legislature, and an important hub for the automobile and pharmaceutical industries. The commission for a building on Monument Circle was correspondingly significant, and the resulting design balanced the circle’s ceremonial character with the functional requirements of a modern office building.
The Circle Tower opened in 1930, adding a confident Art Deco presence to the circle’s mix of Victorian commercial buildings and civic monuments. Over the following decades the building served a succession of financial and commercial tenants, maintaining its position as one of the most prestigious addresses in the city centre. Its National Register listing recognises both the quality of its Art Deco design and its role in the development of Indianapolis’s civic core.
What you see
The Circle Tower’s profile is defined by its stepped setbacks — a characteristic Art Deco formal device that satisfies zoning requirements for light and air while producing the stepped silhouette associated with the commercial skyscraper of the period. The base presents a formal composition of polished stone framing large display windows, while the tower above steps back at regular intervals, the surface ornament concentrated at cornice lines and setback edges. The building’s relationship to Monument Circle is its most striking feature: standing on the circle, the Circle Tower reads as part of an urban ensemble rather than an isolated object, its scale calibrated to the civic street it faces.
The interior lobby retains period-appropriate marble and metalwork. The building continues to operate as office space, and the lobby is accessible during business hours. From the circle, the Tower reads clearly as a product of its era — a 1930 commercial building that understood its ceremonial address and designed accordingly.
Practical information
- Hours: lobby accessible during business hours (active commercial building)
- Time needed: 20–30 minutes for exterior and circle walk
- Note: combine with a visit to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at the circle’s centre; the observation deck of the Monument offers a direct view of the Tower and the surrounding streetscape
Getting there
Circle Tower is at 55 Monument Circle in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. IndyGo bus service connects Monument Circle to the broader city network. From Indianapolis International Airport, the trip downtown by taxi or rideshare takes approximately twenty minutes; the airport is connected to downtown Indianapolis by IndyGo bus service. Parking garages are available on the surrounding streets.
Nearby
- Soldiers and Sailors Monument (1902) — the civic centrepiece of Monument Circle, with public observation deck
- Indiana Statehouse (1888) — the state capitol building, three blocks west
- Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art — ten minutes on foot northwest
Sources
- National Register of Historic Places nomination file, Circle Tower, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Indiana Landmarks, building documentation and historic designation records
- Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission survey files
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