Broad Ripple | International Marketplace
The six-mile tour includes several stops inside the cemetery, where bikers will hear speedy, mini-talks about Speedway founders -- Carl Fisher, Arthur Newby, Frank Wheeler and James Allison -- as well as legendary drivers like Charlie Wiggins, four-time champion of the African-American Racing Car Circuit, mechanics, and famous auto makers.
Speedy speakers include Matty Bennett, co-owner of National Moto+Cycle Co, Dan Ripley, local auctioneer and Fisher aficionado, and Indianapolis author Todd Gould. Several vintage examples of Indiana’s auto and motorcycle heritage will be displayed along the bike tour route.
The ride begins and ends at the Crown Hill Mausoleum and includes stops at the historic Waiting Station and Gothic Chapel. The timed entry tour offers staggered start times every 15 minutes from 1-1:45 pm and will take about 3 hours and 15 minutes.
Pittsburgh designer Frederick W. Chislett planned Crown Hill Cemetery in the pastoral, rural cemetery style, with graceful lawns and curving roads that highlight the topography and views. Founded in 1863 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Crown Hill holds the graves of the famous and the infamous, and architecturally distinguished buildings and monuments—all surrounded by a distinctive brick wall topped by a decorative iron fence.
Crown Hill Heritage Foundation, tour cosponsor with Indiana Landmarks, preserves the architectural, cultural and natural environment of Crown Hill, the nation’s third-largest cemetery.
Tickets: $15 per rider ($12 for Indiana Landmarks members). Bikers must provide their own bikes and helmets.
