Indiana Historical Society

What Indiana Historical Society does

The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1830 and headquartered at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in Indianapolis. It operates a Smithsonian-affiliated museum complex combining physical exhibits (the Indiana Experience), the William H. Smith Memorial Library (Indiana's premier research library for state and Old Northwest history, serving 9,000+ people annually), and an archive of over 2 million items including 1.7 million photographs, 5,450 manuscript collections, and 100,000+ digitally accessible items. IHS publishes award-winning periodicals and books through IHS Press, produces podcasts (Unbound, How We Do History), and operates the Destination Indiana online portal, online exhibits, and conservation services that are also offered to other nonprofits.

The organization's revenue model is a diversified nonprofit mix spanning museum admissions ($5-$15 per ticket with free categories for members, educators, military, and children under 5), individual and sustaining memberships ($75-$125 annually), retail through the Basile History Market, food service at the Stardust Terrace Café (operated by Jonathan Byrd's), facility rentals including the 290-seat Frank and Katrina Basile Theater, and donations plus grants. A distinct program — Heritage Support Grants, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. — channels pass-through funding to local history organizations across all Indiana counties, with the Local History Services team traveling 24,000 miles per year for statewide outreach. IHS Press and IHS periodicals (Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History, The Hoosier Genealogist: Connections) provide additional publishing revenue, while partnerships with The Remnant Trust, the Smithsonian Institution, and CLIR/Mellon-funded digitization projects extend the organization's reach.

IHS serves general visitors (140,000+ annually), K-12 schools (25,000+ students engaged, including via the now-discontinued National History Day program), genealogists and researchers, local history organizations, and event renters. In July 2026, following Governor Mike Braun's termination of its state lease, the organization eliminated 11 staff members and discontinued the National History Day competition it had sponsored for nearly 50 years, materially compressing its educational programming footprint at the same time it is investing in a slate of new exhibits and the Of the People concert series tied to the United States' 250th anniversary.

Name

Indiana Historical Society

Legal name

Indiana Historical Society

Website

https://indianahistory.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1830

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Indiana Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1830 that operates a Smithsonian-affiliated museum, research library, and publishing program in Indianapolis, serving 140,000+ annual visitors, K-12 schools, researchers, and local history organizations across Indiana with exhibits, archives, grants administration, and educational programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural and Historical Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Historical Sites (712120), Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Historical society services
• Museum exhibits
• Archival research library
• History education programs
• Heritage preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Museum Admissions: Revenue from ticket sales for museum admission to the Indiana Experience exhibits, with discounted rates for online purchase, groups, seniors, youth, and free admission for members, educators, and military personnel.
2. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees ranging from $75 for Individual to $125 for Sustaining Plus, with benefits including free admission, discounts at café and shop, free subscriptions to Traces and THG: Connections magazines.
3. Retail Sales: Revenue from Basile History Market gift shop and independent bookstore sales, including Indiana-themed merchandise, books, jewelry, and music. Also includes IHS Press book sales.
4. Facility Rentals: Revenue from renting event spaces including corporate meeting rooms, the 290-seat Frank and Katrina Basile Theater for weddings, social events, and performances.
5. Donations and Grants: Private donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. The organization relies on these contributions as a private non-profit. Heritage Support Grants funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.
6. Heritage Support Grants Administration: IHS administers Heritage Support Grants to local history organizations, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., with funding priorities in collections stewardship, capacity building, sustainability, and planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Indiana Historical Society operates a museum and cultural complex at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in Indianapolis, offering interactive exhibits, a research library, family history services, educational programs for schools, and a publishing arm. The organization also administers Heritage Support Grants statewide for local history organizations and runs a gift shop, café, and event venue.

Product overview

The Indiana Historical Society offers a multi-faceted portfolio centered on its core Indiana Experience at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in Indianapolis. The offering combines physical exhibits (Freedom's Framework, Hoosier Voices from Vietnam, The Electric Railway: Indiana's Interurbans), research services through the William H. Smith Memorial Library, IHS Press publications, podcasts (Unbound, How We Do History), education programs, and the Heritage Support Grants program for statewide organizations. Supporting services include the Basile History Market retail store, Stardust Terrace Café food service, Facility Rentals for events, Conservation Services, and the Remnant Trust partnership. Digital offerings include Online Exhibits, Destination Indiana portal, and Virtual Resources. The organization serves visitors, researchers, educators, students, and local history organizations across Indiana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IHS Press: The publishing arm of Indiana Historical Society, publishing books including academic tomes, coffee-table books, historical fiction for children, youth biographies, and family history books.
• The Indiana Experience
• William H. Smith Memorial Library

Products and services

• Indiana Experience The primary visitor experience at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center featuring immersive time-travel exhibits, hands-on exploration, and interactive technology for all ages. Open Tuesday–Saturday with tiered admission pricing.
• William H. Smith Memorial Library The premier research library for Indiana history and the Old Northwest, offering access to manuscripts, photographs, printed materials, and on-site databases including AncestryLibrary and American Civil War Database. Assists 9,000+ researchers per year.
• Family History Services Genealogy research assistance including manuscripts, visual materials, maps, on-site genealogy databases, Civil War diaries, and personal papers to help trace Hoosier ancestors.
• IHS Press Publishing division producing academic tomes (History of Indiana series), coffee-table books, historical fiction for children, youth biographies, family history books, and periodicals including Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History and The Hoosier Genealogist: Connections.
• Heritage Support Grants Grant program made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc. supporting Indiana's local history organizations with funding for collections stewardship, capacity building, sustainability, and planning. Offers Mini Grants ($500–$4,999), Project Grants ($5,000–$50,000), and Impact Grants ($50,000–$100,000).
• Local History Services Statewide support for local historical societies, museums, libraries, archives, genealogy groups, and preservation groups including consulting, site visits, collection assessments, preservation workshops, and traveling exhibits.
• Basile History Market Downtown Indy's museum store and independent bookstore featuring Indiana art, jewelry, literature, music, and history-inspired gifts, plus IHS Press publications.
• Facility Rentals Event venue rentals at the History Center including corporate meetings, weddings, social events, and performances in the 290-seat Frank and Katrina Basile Theater. Features free 135-space parking lot.
• Conservation Services IHS Conservation Lab provides specialized treatments for paper-based collections including books, maps, manuscripts, scrapbooks, artworks, and photographic materials, with outreach services to other nonprofits.
• Education Programs Interactive field trips, curriculum resources, student resources, Living the Legacy program on housing equity, and National History Day in Indiana competition engaging over 25,000 Indiana students annually.
• The Electric Railway: Indiana's Interurbans Exhibit Interactive exhibit exploring Indiana's interurban railway history with a re-created interurban car experience and immersive video presentation.
• Hoosier Voices from Vietnam Exhibit Exhibit featuring newly recorded and archival interviews, artifacts, and materials from Vietnam War participants, including Hoosier veterans.
• Freedom's Framework Exhibit Exhibit exploring how the ideals of the Declaration of Independence were tested as the nation expanded into the Old Northwest, featuring stories of Native leaders, frontier settlers, abolitionists, and national figures like Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.
• Snapshots of Saigon Exhibit Photography exhibit featuring Mark A. Kurtz's photography from his time serving in Vietnam, offering a Hoosier veteran's view of daily life in Saigon.
• Stardust Terrace Café Café operated by Jonathan Byrd's offering eclectic menu including Boar's Head deli sandwiches, pizza, and home-cooked entrees. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 140,000+ visitors annually through Indiana Experience exhibits
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Remnant TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIHS announced a groundbreaking partnership with The Remnant Trust and the Columbia Club to bring rare, printed materials back to Indiana. IHS houses The Remnant Trust's collection materials and makes them accessible to the public through IHS archives and library. The Remnant Trust is a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 1997 that shares manuscripts, first editions, and early works dealing with individual liberty and human dignity dating as early as 2500 B.C.
• Jonathan Byrd'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJonathan Byrd's manages the Stardust Terrace Café at the History Center, featuring an eclectic menu by Café manager Will Krystek including Boar's Head deli-style sandwiches, pizza specials, and home-cooked entrees. Café open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Smithsonian InstitutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndiana Historical Society is a Smithsonian Affiliate, providing national recognition and potential collaboration opportunities in historical preservation and educational programming.
• The Columbia ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Columbia Club hosts The Remnant Trust's offices and display of materials as part of the partnership with IHS to make rare historical documents accessible to the public.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wisconsin Historical Society: State-affiliated historical society running museums, archives, and educational programming across Wisconsin — directly comparable in scope and operations.
• Ohio History Connection: Ohio's statewide private nonprofit historical organization operating museums, a research library, education programs, and statewide local-history services — a near-perfect structural match to IHS.
• Minnesota Historical Society: Operates a statewide network of historic sites, museums, and a research library; comparable in scale, mission, and blended revenue model (admissions, membership, grants, retail).
• Connecticut Historical Society: State-level private historical society operating a museum, library, and education programs — directly comparable to IHS in mission, structure, and revenue model. IHS's current CEO Jody Blankenship previously led this organization, making the operational comparison direct.
• Indiana State Museum: Direct Indiana-based competitor operating state-focused history exhibits, education programs, and facility rentals within the same Indianapolis tourism market as IHS.

Broad incumbents

• Library of Congress: National-scale library/archives institution that shares IHS's archival and digital-collection mission at much larger scale; relevant benchmark for digital infrastructure and researcher services.
• Smithsonian Institution: National museum and research complex of which IHS is an Affiliate; provides the national brand, traveling exhibitions, and curatorial benchmarks that frame IHS's positioning.

Regional players

• Michigan History Center: Operates historic sites, museums, and archives across Michigan with education programs — comparable offerings in a neighboring Midwest state, but government-operated.
• Conner Prairie: Indiana-based interactive history museum (living-history focus) that competes with IHS for Indiana school field trips and family visitation within the same geography.
• Illinois State Museum: Midwest state museum system offering exhibits, collections, and education — comparable activities but operates under state government rather than as an independent nonprofit like IHS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IndianaHistory
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/indianahistoricalsoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/IndianaHistory
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/75068
• Instagraminstagram.com/indianahistory
• Pinterestpinterest.com/indianahistory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Indiana Historical Society