From the first visit to the end of the event, there was never a doubt that this venue was the right…read morechoice. Everyone I worked with was amazing! The communication and helpfulness is everything you'd expect and want from working with a venue and they were so open and welcoming. I hosted a conference for the non profit I volunteer for and it was such a beautiful space. I would book another event in a heartbeat! It was an all women event and they even have a sign to put over the men's restroom sign to have more restrooms for women! They have thought of everything!!

Allison Mansion is, at least in my opinion, deceptively ordinary on the outside. Oh sure, it's a…read moremansion and you can tell it's a mansion. However, looking on the outside can't begin to prepare you for the wonder of what's on the inside of this former residence that now serves as the Office of the President for Indy's Marian University. The mansion was first built by James Allison, co-founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. The ceiling's Tiffany stained glass windows allow the sun to shine brightly inside. The mansion's most impressive room was, in fact, originally designed as a marble aviary by Allison to contain his wife's exotic bird collection. The 2-story, red-brick arts and craft style home continues to have an expensive chandelier imported from Germany, a sunken conservatory, and a 2-story pipe organ. Seriously. The property itself is remarkable. Atop a cliff that overlooks a wetland, the property includes greenhouses, ponds, and orchards. Seriously, I would become Marian University's president just to spend time in the office. Allison passed away in 1928 and the property remained unsettled until it was acquired by the Sisters of St. Francis - the founders of Marian University. At one point, public tours were offered but this is no longer the case. You can, however, rent it for events (which is how I've been inside, though it's definitely not wheelchair friendly in any real sense).

Circle City Tours took a roll through private Catholic Marian University and my eyes feasted upon…read morethe beautiful Craftsman Allison Mansion. One reviewer stated "The Allison Mansion remains perfectly restored and beautiful to an almost eerie degree." Eerie alright--there is a disquiet about the Mansion: it is said to be haunted! Builder James Allison was a wealthy man and founder of the Indianapolis Speedway and Allison Engineering Company. The mansion was built between 1911 and 1914 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Allison died young from pneumonia at age 56. The mansion was later sold to what is now Marian University,. However, many locals and visitors feel that Allison never really left the building! Most stories claim Allison still haunts the mansion, rearranging books in the library and furniture as he sees fit. But there are other ghostly goings-on here: the spirit of a little girl who drowned in the basement pool still lingers around the mansion. "Visitors claim to have seen the ghost of a little girl and even heard shrill screams and heartbreaking cries from the basement. Voices in the attic have also been reported," said www.onlyinyourstate.com. I can understand the ghost of Allison hanging around: this place is plush! No expense was spared while building the two-story, red-brick, arts-and-crafts-style Mansion. The exquisite marble aviary was built for Allison's first wife's exotic bird collection, Also impressive: the expensive chandelier imported from Germany, a sunken conservatory, and a magnificent music room with a two-story pipe organ. Outdoors, enjoy lush gardens, manicured lawns, greenhouses, ponds, and orchards that overlook a wetland now restored and maintained by Marian University. Upon Allison's death, there was some concern about the historic property's fate. Bless the Catholics: Allison Mansion was eventually acquired by the Sisters of Saint Francis, who also founded Marian University. Allison Mansion is still part of the university. It is open for public tours and can also be rented for private events. The Mansion is a feature on annual Halloween Ghost Tours. 5 YELP STARS for spooky spectacular!

I was lucky enough to attend a beautiful wedding here over the weekend. Both the ceremony and the…read morereception were hosted in the space. Upon arrival, parking was widely available and easily marked. The venue itself is comparable to a greenhouse overlooking a wooded landscape with a pond and large deck overlooking the water. You couldn't ask for a better space. Natural light pours in and there were tons of plants making it a cozy and natural atmosphere. With the lighting features and design of the space, you can easily customize it to make it your own with flowers, color additions, bars in different spaces and a variety of table layouts. All of the staff that we encountered were friendly and on top of it. I can only speak for the space as an attendee versus the actual event planner. In summary, this place is a beaut and probably one of my favorite venues I've encountered in the Circle City.

Great Venue! Quiet Location! Amazing Building! Spectacular Deck! I was an event planner for a…read morewedding here and it was a gorgeous venue! The glass and black beams at night make you feel like you're amongst the stars. I figured I would let the pictures I took speak for my review!

Wow!! What a transformation!! I haven't seen this building since it was Jonathan Byrd's restaurant…read more The exterior is now black and white which is very classic and understated. The Nest Event Center is located in Greenwood just off I-65 at Main Street. The parking lot is quite large and will accommodate a large event. The interior is amazing and you'd never know it was a former restaurant. The lobby area is very attractive, decorated in beiges and cream, and I could see using this for cocktails, a reception line plus so much more. It worked well tonight for purchasing tickets plus an area to sit and relax while enjoying the fireplace. The versatile ballroom is quite large and can handle everything from a wedding, conference to special events. One of those special events is the Holiday Craft Show tonight. The Event Center has a neutral color scheme and can accomadate most bridal or conference color schemes. This proved to be true with all the colors associated with the Holiday Craft Show. Tonight all different color schemes were used and all the crafts looked wonderful. With this neutral backdrop any decor theme would work nicely allowing brides or companies a great deal of flexibility and creativity. The Holiday Craft Show was a huge draw. Many different types of vendors filled the ballroom carrying Christmas decor, wreaths, jewelry, clothing, wool mittens, woodworking projects, signs, candles, crocheted items, lap blankets, floral arrangements and much more. There truly was something for most anyone's interest and many gift ideas. In the future I would like to take an official tour and checkout pricing for a yearly event I'm involved with. This is a beautiful venue with endless potential.

This is an absolutely amazing event center. It is an absolutely stunning location and the staff are…read moresecond to none! They are so helpful and nice and go above and beyond in making your event absolutely perfect! The location is absolutely perfect for any event you might have, weddings, birthdays, anniversary's, literally anything. There is only one issue that I have with the nest. I had never believed in the supernatural before... but this place is indisputably haunted. There is absolutely no question about it! But don't let that deter you! The haunting spirits just add to the charm and fun of this event center. I hope you have an amazing event!

Excellent day. Staff were constantly willing to help pull boats on shore at the landing sites. We…read morehope to go back!

Jameson Camp is a hidden gem located off of Bridgeport Road just north of West Washington Street…read more First I'd like to take a moment to tell you of the wonderful work Jameson Camp does and how your rental fees help with that mission. The Camp is a beautiful venue for events while the affordable rental fees help support the children and youth programs for at-risk youths. The Camp began in 1928 and you or your grandparents may be familiar with their history of serving ill children. Jameson Camps' focus is on children's social, behavioral and emotional challenges and equipping them for productive and responsible lives. Responding to an increasing concern for childhood obesity a Wellness Camp was launched in 2006, a creative program that utilizes camp to teach healthy choices in fitness and nutrition. Last, but certainly not least, is their Camp Tataya Mato for children affected by HIV/AIDS which is the only residential camp to these special children in Indiana. As you can see your rental fees support the outstanding work Jameson Camp does serving children with health needs in the Indianapolis area. In 2006 they replaced the original headquarter with a beautiful new center, lodge, health center and a nature and arts and crafts center. No only providing enhanced program facilities for the children, these buildings provide new opportunities to serve as a community partner and provide funding from the rental fees. This is a wonderful venue for events as small as a corporate business meeting to an elegant wedding. Several sizes of venues are available or even rent the entire camp for the ideal wedding or family reunion where your event along with family and friends are residing at one location. The Lodge and Cabins are so affordable compared to the cost of hotel rooms and transportation for your wedding guests, business associates or family traveling. The Lodge is its own large facility and sleeps 24 for $450. What a savings compared to a Hotel!! There are four meeting areas of various sizes and prices along with 6 cabins for lodging that accommodates 24 in each plus don't forget The Lodge. The Challenge Course is available to incorporate into your event with low and high ropes plus a climbing wall. Other amenities include a basketball court, swimming pool, open game fields and a campfire circle. The Jameson Center is picturesque with a majestic-pine-framed dining room with a striking two sided fireplace that accommodates 140 persons for dinner. If that's too large select the smaller dining room with fireplace and seats 30. The Jameson Center rental includes the use of their FULL commercial kitchen including the walk-in refrigerator and walk-in freezer. A Chefs' dream whether you use a preferred caterer or you personally prepare the meals. Vanessa, the Office Manager, was telling me of recent large wedding with a beautiful large tent adjacent to the Jameson Center where the guests stepped directly into the tent from the dining room. You can have your wedding and dinner inside and dancing outside. So many options here! Leadership training, Corporate Team Meeting, Weddings, Reunions, endless uses for this venue. Be sure to check out this scenic facility and grounds. Give Vanessa Fry a call for a tour or e-mail her at Vanessa@jamesoncamp.org for additional information.

I guess this used to be called Dallara IndyCar Factory, and you could do tours and simulated…read moreracing. But as of this writing, that is no longer the case. Now, this space is called Dallara Experience Hub, and it mostly serves as a venue for events. That's how I ended up here! I visited Dallara for a media event. One of the things that initially struck me about the space is that it's so open and airy. There is a lot of natural light coming through the huge windows that face Main Street. That's definitely nice. The second thing that struck me is that it was incredibly loud in there! The floors are concrete and the ceilings are high, so the sound of people talking bounces all around. I had a hard time hearing the people right next to me. But the space itself is nice and minimalist. There was lots of room to move around, and there were even Indy cars displayed here and there. Plus, the location is nice and relatively central. (Well, more on the west side of Indianapolis, but still.)

Now closed to the public, you need an "open house" to be able to tour the facility. Today and…read moretomorrow are just that, an open house event with racing simulators available too. Plus they are selling "spare" parts. For example, you can buy the bottom of an IndyCar and make a table or buy a seat and make a video chair. These same chairs are used for their theater seating. I paid $15 for a tour. I saw a short film on the history of Mr. Dallara, from his start with Enzo Ferrari in Italy, to Lamborghini, then Maserati and F1, and eventually IRL and IndyCar. Everything in an IndyCar and IndyCar Lights except the engine and electronics is manufactured by them. The carbon fiber "tub" that the drivers sit in is so light you can pick it up with one hand. Did you know they are developing an autonomous car (driverless) for the IndyCar Lights? It is to be used for R & D purposes to test tires for instance and it goes 180 mph. It is planned to be showcased in Las Vegas soon. They have also worked with Raytheon Missile systems in Tucson to adapt their quick release system to missiles on planes and other military vehicles. Something else I learned was that paint is no longer used on today's race cars because it is too heavy. What you see on cars is basically a giant decal provided by a graphics company that also works inside this facility. And I did not know A.J. Foyt racing is located directly across the street. The tour was short but highly interesting for an IndyCar fan such as myself. Even some of the houses in Speedway near here are decorated with racing memorabilia and Indy 500 signs. See you this weekend at this year's 2nd IndyCar Road Course race along with the NASCAR double header.

The pictures tell it all. I know I have reviewed this before but for some reason the pictures fell…read moreoff so I wanted to add them back. I would have to say that service is the number 1 one thing you can expect from this place besides location and the jaw dropping beauty of it. All the brides I have talked to for referrals say: Bill will find a way to make your wedding dreams come true.

High end gallery some very interesting pieces. If you want to look around or are looking for…read moresomething for you our a gift. Art is of course very subjective ... what one person loves .. another might dislike but I saw a lot here that I thought was interesting.

Thank you Kaela, Andrea, Matthew, Melissa, Elliot and the whole team! We planned a last minute…read moreevent at the industry that had some irregular moving parts and the whole staff were kind and accommodating. We can't thank you enough! My team has also coordinated/managed weddings at INDUSTRY which resulted in very happy couples. The space has a lot of natural light which is great for photos. The venue includes a bridal suite, groom's suite, metal cafe chairs, farm wood tables, and you are able to move the reception furniture to suite your needs.

I had a fundraising event for my nonprofit organization and the venue flooded just before the event…read morestarted. I had to cancel the event and they would not issue a refund for the rental, food, dress ( ruined from dirty standing water), flight, and hotel costs. Their authorized representative that was at the event said they would issue a refund for everything but 2 days later the manager said they are using a force majeure clause in the contract. The venue flooded due to improper drainage. These people should be ashamed of themselves and obviously do the right thing. When I reserved this place I paid full price not a deposit and they were far from transparent. I told them I did not want to pay for alcohol and that I wanted a cashbar, the manager JoAnna said I could talk to the beverage manager at a later date. She did not mention the $1200 price tag that came with having a cashbar for 150 people and guests of course still had to pay for their drinks. I was supposed to have a "concierge" person communicate throughout the process which would have been from 5/1 to 8/1, that didn't happen. I heard from them 2 days before the event. I was raising money for my nonprofit organization that offers free vacation lodging to individuals with life limiting illnesses and/or their unpaid caregivers but now I am at a loss of $6000.