National Historic Landmark

Butler Fieldhouse

Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
Listed
December 22, 1983
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
83003573

About this property

Hinkle Fieldhouse (originally Butler Fieldhouse) is a basketball arena in the midwestern United States, located on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Completed in early 1928, it was the largest basketball arena in the U.S. until 1950. The facility was renamed in 1966 in honor of Butler's longtime coach and athletic director, Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle. The sixth-oldest college basketball arena still in use, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1987. Hinkle Fieldhouse is sometimes referred to as "Indiana's Basketball Cathedral." Hinkle Fieldhouse has served as the home court for the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team since 1928 (with the exception of 1943 to 1945, when it was converted to a military barracks during World War II) and as the site of the annual Indiana High School Boys Basketball Tournament's championship games from 1928 to 1971. In addition to amateur and professional basketball games, it has hosted visits from U.S. presidents, indoor track events and bicycle races, professional tennis matches, circuses, and other civic and religious gatherings. The Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team won the Horizon League conference title at Hinkle in 2010. Several memorable high school basketball championship games were played at the Butler arena, including the 1954 title game, when tiny Milan High School's basketball team defeated a larger Muncie Central High School team. Milan's team served as the inspiration for the movie Hoosiers (1986), and the final scenes of the film's championship game were filmed at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Location

Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
39.84357, -86.16735

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Butler Fieldhouse

This page lists Butler Fieldhouse. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Butler Fieldhouse report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Jordan, Arthur, Memorial Hall
Industrial
0.4 mi
Cole, Joseph J., Jr., House
Industrial
0.6 mi
North Meridian Street Historic District
Listed
0.6 mi
Thompson, William N., House
Industrial
0.8 mi
Mattison, Donald M., House
Industrial
0.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Butler Fieldhouse listed on the National Register?

Butler Fieldhouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Butler Fieldhouse?

Butler Fieldhouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Butler Fieldhouse a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Butler Fieldhouse has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Butler Fieldhouse?

The period of significance for Butler Fieldhouse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Butler Fieldhouse?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Butler Fieldhouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Marion County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Marion County.

Explore MarionCounty ›

More historic places in Indiana

Browse all historic places in Indiana.

View Indianahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Indiana history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Indianahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Butler Fieldhouse will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report