American Legion Mall

Indianapolis devotes more public space to honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans of the armed forces than any other U.S. city. Only Washington, D.C., includes more veterans' monuments. Many of Indianapolis most significant memorials stand within the Indiana War Memorial Plaza Historic District, the portfolio of museums and monuments entrusted to the Indiana War Memorial Commission (IWMC). These include the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Monument Circle, the Indiana War Memorial, Indiana War Memorial Museum, Veterans Memorial Plaza, American Legion Mall and its Legion headquarters buildings, University Park, and Cenotaph Garden. Although the IWMC receives its funding from the State of Indiana, the extraordinary needs of some of its most important structures, collections, and artifacts exceed the IWMC's operating resources, especially with budgets slashed by 40% over the allocations of just a few years ago. For that reason, the IWMC established the Indiana War Memorials Foundation (IWMF), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization incorporated on November 22, 2000, and charged with the upkeep of these historic treasures.