Begin at the Indiana Memorial Union, or IMU, where you can eat, get a haircut, watch a movie, shop, bank, bowl, study and much more. Hourly parking is available in 2 nearby lots. Enter the IMU from the circle drive off 7th street. Inside the revolving doors is the lobby for the Biddle Hotel, adjacent to the IU Credit Union branch and UPS store. Stairs from the hotel lobby (and the elevator behind the stairs) lead to the Mezzanine level’s large relaxing East Lounge. Just beyond the lounge is a directory of the IMU’s offerings.
SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOUR - Seventh Street: Indiana Memorial Union to IU Art Museum
Continue past the directory down the hall toward the 2-floor IU Bookstore, which offers textbooks, supplies, IU-themed clothing and gifts. Across from the Bookstore is Sugar & Spice, a popular spot for snacks and coffee. Walking further down the hall brings you to more options for eating: The Market (hot entrees and sides, subs, Pizza Hut and more) and Burger King on this level and Kiva (healthy offerings including a salad bar and sandwiches) downstairs from Burger King. There is plentiful seating for eating, meeting and studying during the building’s hours of 6am-2am (when school is in session).
Walking further brings you to a row of computers for quickly checking e-mail and a few different bank ATMs. Nearby, the Back Alley provides bowling, billiards and arcade games. At the end of the building are the Union Studios (dark room, ceramics studio and art classes). Back by the row of computers, IU Outdoor Adventures rents camping and other outdoor equipment. Ask them about their discounted group getaways like whitewater rafting!
Walk up the stairs near the row of computers to the 1st Floor. Alumni Hall, a space for large events like lectures, is on your left. Smell the Starbucks coffee brewing in the IMU Gallery, another large space to study and meet, along with the adjacent South Lounge. Continue through the lounge (past the 2nd floor of the Bookstore and the escalator) to the Whittenberger Auditorium, where lectures and the popular Union Board “Flicks at the Whitt” free film series are hosted.
Find your way back to where you entered the IMU and exit to continue the tour. Take a right on 7th street. Walk past the parking lot, cross a street and continue past Woodburn Hall, where the Political Science Library offers a quiet, lesser-known place to study. The Lilly Library, containing rare books, manuscripts, and special collections such as the complete original television Star Trek scripts, is the next building on your right. Behind the Lilly Library are walkways leading to the verdant Bryan House (the IU President’s residence) property and the Musical Arts Center or MAC. The world-class Jacobs School of Music hosts performances of its opera, jazz, ballet and other programs there. Most of these events are free.
The IU Auditorium marks the end of 7th Street. High-profile lectures, Broadway musicals, nationally touring bands and myriad other performances happen here. Volunteering as an usher gets you a deal on otherwise expensive admission to the hottest shows. Next door is the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts which offers degrees in Studio Art and History of Art. The SOFA Gallery inside showcases cutting-edge student work. The next building on your right as you walk away from the Auditorium is the IU Art Museum designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei. The museum’s internationally known collections include works by Stuart Davis, Jaune Quick-To-See Smith and Andy Warhol. At night, its 70 foot LED-powered Light Totem emits jewel-toned rays into the dark sky. Admission is free. Angles Café and Gift Shop on the 2nd floor offers coffee and unique gifts.
Continuing down 7th Street from the front of the Art Museum, you will see the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation or HPER on your right. Here, students can play basketball, swim, join aikido or badminton clubs, take a scuba-diving class and much more. You are now across the street from where you began this tour.
If you’re tired at any point along your way, hop on an IU Campus Bus (free for anyone) or a Bloomington Transit bus ($1.00 for the public, free to students) heading down Third Street.