Facility Rental

Currently housing the Office of the President and Marian University’s Alumni House, Allison Mansion was built in 1914 to serve as the residence of James Allison, one of four founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1936, the Sisters of Saint Francis of Oldenburg, Indiana purchased the Allison estate, moving then Marian College to Indianapolis.

The exterior of the mansion is an eclectic blend of early Prairie School and Lombardy Villa architecture. The interior is lavishly designed in a traditional European aesthetic. The grounds of the 64-acre Riverdale estate were designed by master landscape architect Jens Jensen.

After a year of renovations* and improvements, including an elevator lift and first floor bathrooms, Alumni House at Allison Mansion was made ADA accessible. These enhancements, along with over 8,000 square feet of elegant space overlooking the gardens of Riverdale and the Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab, make the mansion an ideal and unique venue for events for not only Marian Alumni, but also the 

community at large. Consider Alumni House at Allison Mansion for your wedding reception, rehearsal dinner, anniversary celebration, corporate holiday party or retreat!

*Restoration of the stained glass ceiling in the Aviary was supported by The Lockerbie Square Questers #333.

Allison Mansion Features and Rental Packages

• Dinner seating for 120 with separate room for reception and/or dance floor
• Optional outdoor patio for cocktail hour
• Access to mansion and adjacent gardens for photo backdrop
• Event host and security
• Use of house tables and chairs
• Facility set up, break down, and clean-up
• Free on-site parking during designated times
• Access to two monitors, podium, and in-house sound system
• Option to add tent (at additional rental cost) to the outdoor gardens
• ADA Accessible

Alumni Hall has an 18,500 square feet interior with a total combined interior and exterior square footage of 25,000 square feet.

It includes an open-concept great room with a soaring ceiling that's 20 feet high with a wall of windows to the north.

• A variety of seating options in the great room are available.
• The main gathering area can be converted into a large banquet hall with a seating capacity of 300 or it can be divided into two smaller rooms with capacities of 225 and 100 guests each. 

Alumni Hall’s front, side, and back exterior terraces and patios provide scenic options for additional seating or cocktail receptions.

This building is also home to Marian University's bookstore, a Starbucks cafe, and a campus grill offering grab-and-go pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads, and beverages.

The Marian University Theatre is a multi-use facility is conveniently located 10 minutes from downtown Indianapolis. Dedicated to learning and creative expression in the liberal arts and Franciscan traditions, it is a hub for Marian students taking courses and earning degrees in the performing arts, local performing arts groups, and national acts. It is a place for music, dance, theatrical performances, panel discussions, town hall meetings, and guest speakers.

• Capacity: 487
• Wheelchair accessible: Yes
• Box office available: Yes
• Stage dimensions: 30’ x 40’

The Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences is  a 140,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility featuring the latest in teaching and learning technologies. It houses both the Leighton School of Nursing and the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The Evans Center atrium, lined with a curved wall of windows on the northwest, is a spacious location for receptions or seated luncheons and dinners. 

In addition to classrooms, the Evans Center  includes two large lecture halls with seating capacities of 190 guests each. It also include several conference rooms.

Unique spaces in this building include anatomy and osteopathic manipulative medicine labs, both available for daily rentals with approval and supervision from College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) faculty.

The Nina Mason Pulliam Ecolab is a 55-acre wetland and lowland forest located on the north end of the Marian University campus. It is a natural jewel containing a wide variety of habitats, flora, and fauna, those native to central Indiana.

There are more than a mile and a half of winding trails used by walkers, joggers, and nature enthusiasts and the EcoLab is open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. 

Designed by master  landscape architect Jens Jensen in the early 1900s, the EcoLab includes two facilities dedicated to for environmental education—the Nina Mason Pulliam Nature Center and the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust Outdoor Classroom.

EcoLab and Nature Center are available to rent for private events including birthday parties, retreats and team building activities.

The Fitness Center
Marian's Fitness Center hosts a number of events on the John Grimes Court. The center provides students with several training facilities as well, including a dance/aerobic studio, two racquetball courts, a cardiovascular fitness room, and the John and Mary Beth Adams Fitness Center. The Department of Athletics offices are also located here.

St. Vincent Field
A state of the art athletic complex finished in 2009, the St. Vincent Field is the home of the Marian University men’s and women’s soccer, track and field, and football teams. The complex hosts 2,500 home fans and 500 visiting, has an artificially synthetic turf, and an eight-lane, regulation track. 

Indy Cycloplex
The Indy Cycloplex is a unique property: a community space, operated by Marian University for Indy Parks, featuring a collection of first-class facilities in multiple cycling disciplines. The Cycloplex is an Indianapolis city park that includes the historic Major Taylor Velodrome (built in 1982 for the Pan-Am games and one of less than 30 operating Velodromes in the United States), a newly-renovated BMX track, a dynamic cyclocross course, single track MTB trails, and more. The Cycloplex grounds have long been the home of the Marian University Cycling Team since 1992, consistently one of the top collegiate cycling programs in the country, one of and their home turf has been a supporting factor in their 43 USA Cycling collegiate national team championships in four disciplines and many individual national titles.

The Marian University ballpark, softball field, and tennis courts are also available to rent on a daily basis.