9 Labyrinths to Visit in Indiana

Indiana is the home to almost 100 labyrinths. I have selected 9 of the best worth a visit that are publicly accessible, focusing on the state’s large population areas. If you want a full list of labyrinths in the state check out the Worldwide Labyrinth Finder. When writing this post I had trouble finding photos I was allowed to use (so if you have any to share please reach out to me).

Before we get to my recommendations for Indiana I want to tell you about some statistics about labyrinths in the USA from some research I did. If you are interested in knowing things like what the largest labyrinth is in the US, where the Northernmost, Southernmost labyrinths are in the US, and similar questions, it is worth a read: Questions about US Labyrinths Answered. All of these Indiana answers and statistics were part of that research. We start with a chart summarizing the data from Indiana:

Indiana Labyrinth Chart

Here is how Indiana compares to the rest of the US. Notably Indiana ranks 5th in the US in terms of average labyrinth size, coming in at 51.3 feet in diameter.

Indiana vs USA labyrinth table

Indiana Labyrinth Questions:

What is the largest labyrinth in Indiana ? The largest labyrinth in Indiana is the 9 circuit classical Harmonist Labyrinth in New Harmony, Indiana with a 165 foot diameter. (learn more below - #9)

What city has the most labyrinths in Indiana ? Indianapolis has the most labyrinths in Indiana with 16 !

Why visit a Labyrinth ?

Labyrinths are ancient and mysterious symbols that have been used for centuries for meditation, contemplation, and spiritual renewal. They are also a lot of fun to explore! If you're looking for a unique and challenging experience, walk a labyrinth with intention - it often leads to self-discovery. Personally, I like to walk labyrinths between dawn and sunrise or at sunset until dusk, but any time of day works. You may not realize it, but there is probably a labyrinth near where you live. Today we explore…


9 Labyrinths to Visit in INDIANA

 

1. Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis Labyrinth

This classical 7 circuit labyrinth is open to the public during daylight hours.

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Address:
615 West 43rd St.
Indianapolis, Indiana 46208

 

2. Cumberland First Baptist Church Labyrinth

An 11 circuit Chartres style labyrinth in the grass that is featured on the church home page.

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Address:

116 South Muessing Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46229

 

3. Resurrection Lutheran Church Labyrinth

 

This labyrinth is located in the churches park, was built in 2015 and you can read about it on the church website. “This space is a gift to the community with love from Resurrection Lutheran Church.”. You can find it in the above satellite image at the far left edge - I suggest zooming in for a better view.

Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana

Address:

14318 Lima Road
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46818

 

4. University of Southern Indiana Labyrinth

If you follow this link you can watch a one minute video showing the opening ceremony of this labyrinth, a beautiful 60 foot diameter labyrinth in the Chartres style. It is a large campus, so this labyrinth can be found in front of the Liberal Arts Building.

Location: Evansville, Indiana

Address:
8600 University Blvd
Evansville, Indiana 47712

 

5. Clay Church Labyrinth

 

This 40ft diameter labyrinth is medieval style and made of bricks/pavers. It can be seen above off of the parking lot of the church near the treeline.

Location: South Bend, Indiana

Address:
52866 Ironwood Road
South Bend, Indiana 46635

 

6. St. Peter's UCC Labyrinth

 

A Chartres style 8 circuit labyrinth outlined in pavers in the grass on the right side of the church. It can be hard to see in the grass at 5 o’clock above..

Location: Carmel, Indiana

Address:

3106 East Carmel Dr.
Carmel, Indiana 46033

 

7. Valparaiso University Chapel of the Resurrection Labyrinth

 

I had to include this labyrinth because it has such a unique shape. It is also well made, has a 64 foot diameter and features a cross in the center. Check out the labyrinth page on the University website.

Location: Valparaiso, Indiana

Address:

1600 Chapel Drive
Valparaiso, Indiana 46383

 

8. Cathedral Labyrinth and Sacred Garden Labyrinth

This Chartres style labyrinth made from granite is located in a park near the visitors centre.

Location: New Harmony, Indiana

Address:

309 North Street
New Harmony, Indiana 47631

 

9. Harmonist Labyrinth

I had to end with this tourist attraction, which is a replica of the original hedge labyrinth from the 1800’s. Yu can plan your trip to see the labyrinth on the labyrinth’s website. As noted above, this is the largest labyrinth in the state with a 165 foot diameter.

Location: New Harmony, Indiana

Address:

1239 Main Street
New Harmony, Indiana 47631

5 TIPS FOR VISITING A LABYRINTH

  1. Set an intention for your walk so you can walk with purpose. It could be prayer, reflection, meditation, contemplation, or openness.

  2. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, as you will be doing a lot of walking.

  3. Bring water with you, especially if you are visiting on a hot day.

  4. Take your time and enjoy the experience. There is no need to rush through a labyrinth.

  5. Be respectful of other visitors. This includes not making noise and being respectful if walking with other people.


5 BOOKS TO READ ABOUT LABYRINTH WALKING

I wrote a blog post reviewing the following 5 books, each that deals with walking labyrinths. You can check them out yourself at the Amazon links below or read this blog post: 5 Books about the Spiritual Aspect of Labyrinths to learn a little about what each book teaches.

  1. Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool by Dr. Lauren Artress 201 pages. AMZN

  2. Labyrinth : Your Path to Self-Discovery by Tony Christie 312 pages. AMZN

  3. Exploring the Labyrinth: A Guide For Healing and Spiritual Growth by Melissa Gayle West 209 pages AMZN

  4. Walking the Labyrinth: A Place to Pray and Seek God by Travis Scholl 240 pages AMZN

  5. Labyrinths from the Outside In: Walking to Spiritual Insight by Rev Dr Donna Schaper and Rev Dr Carole Ann Camp 187 pages AMZN

If you are interested in more spiritual labyrinth aspects I suggest the following websites:

  1. Lauren Artress website - For coaching, workshops and classes.

  2. Veriditas - The nonprofit labyrinth group founded by Lauren Artress

  3. Worldwide Labyrinth Finder - Find a labyrinth to walk near you, or while on vacation

I am a maze artist and have made a maze of one location in Indiana:

George Rogers Clark Memorial - Vincennes, Indiana

Weekly Hard Maze #26

Each Saturday I post a new hard maze with all of them sitting in the Hard Maze Archive. I will try to post a variety of maze types to keep things interesting.

Weekly Hard Maze #26 - Mega Dot Maze

Solution will be in the archive. Download is below.

Weekly Hard Maze #26 - Mega Dot Maze
download the mega dot maze

If you solved that maze quickly and want to try some of my archival hard mazes, these posts should do the trick:

One Maze - Many designs - experiment #25

This is a continuation of my maze design experiments. Read about it in post #1, One Maze - Many designs, and so on with a new post every Friday. This will be the last official maze compilation after 25 weeks I am running out of time and ideas. I will wrap this up with one final blog post to talk about what I learned.

The original maze:

Simple Maze

I did a few variations of previous themes as a last gasp of inspiration.

  • The first maze was a leftover I never used from Bing image generator. I uploaded my original maze and used the preset button to create a sketch version of it. Not sure why it included people.

  • The second maze I used stacked rainbow boxes in the background. As I learned before - the distraction actually makes the maze more difficult to solve because it tricks your eyes.

  • The third maze uses an Inkscape filter called growing cells.

  • The fourth maze is the black maze on a dark charcoal background.

  • The fifth maze has a background of a large red dot.

Another hodge-podge of mazes.

7 Labyrinths to Visit in Illinois

Did you know that Illinois is home to over 100 labyrinths ? I have selected 7 of the best that are accessible to the public, focusing on large population areas. If you are near one, stop by and take a meditative walk. If you want a full list of labyrinths in the state check out the Worldwide Labyrinth Finder.


Before we get to my recommendations for Illinois I want to tell you about some statistics about labyrinths in the USA from some research I did. If you are interested in knowing things like what the largest labyrinth is in the US, where the Northernmost, Southernmost labyrinths are in the US, and similar questions, it is worth a read: Questions about US Labyrinths Answered. All of these Illinois answers and statistics were part of that research. We start with a chart summarizing the data from Illinois:

Illinois Labyrinth Chart

Here is how Illinois compares to the rest of the US. With 117 labyrinths the state ranks 18th in the US, while the per capita amount ranks only 41st. It has a lot of indoor labyrinths and is 9th in the US in terms of average labyrinth size.

Illinois vs USA table

Illinois Labyrinth Questions:

What is the largest labyrinth in Illinois ? 210 foot diameter. The Centralia Foundation Park labyrinth in Centralia, Illinois. This is an 11 circuit Chartres style labyrinth cut into the grass. I believe it is the largest Chartres style labyrinth in the US. Here is a link to find it on Google Maps.

What city has the most labyrinths in Illinois ? Chicago has the most labyrinths in Illinois with 14.

Why visit a Labyrinth ?

Labyrinths are ancient and mysterious symbols that have been used for centuries for meditation, contemplation, and spiritual renewal. They are also a lot of fun to explore! If you're looking for a unique and challenging experience, walk a labyrinth with intention - it often leads to self-discovery. Personally, I like to walk labyrinths between dawn and sunrise or at sunset until dusk. You may not realize it, but there is probably a labyrinth near where you live. Today we explore…


7 Labyrinths to Visit in ILLINOIS

 

1. St. James Cathedral Labyrinth

I choose this 7 circuit Chartres style labyrinth because of it’s location in downtown Chicago. Located off of Huron St if you are in town for sightseeing you will be near this location at some point ! While you cannot see it on satellite view, there is a Google Maps entry to easily find it and see some great pictures.

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Address:

65 E Huron St
Chicago, Illinois 60611

2. Garfield Park Conservatory Labyrinth

Garfield Park Conservatory Labyrinth

Garfield Park Labyrinth - J E Koonce - flickr

This outdoor 7 circuit grass labyrinth is open from 9AM-5PM. Plan your visit on their website, including this helpful map of the grounds so you know where the labyrinth is located.

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Address:

300 North Central Park Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60624

 

3. Aurora University Labyrinth

Made of brown and red concrete pavers, this 7 circuit labyrinth is 40 feet in diameter and was a gift from the class of 1967. You can learn more about the labyrinth here (short video in addition to a blog post).

Location: Aurora, Illinois

Address:

347 S. Gladstone Ave.
Aurora, Illinois 60506-4892

4. Naperville Riverwalk Labyrinth

This Chartres style labyrinth has been entertaining locals since it was built in 1998. It was built by the company Labyrinths in Stone which has some great designs if you are looking to install your own labyrinth.

Location: Naperville, Illinois

Address:

Eagle and Jackson Streets, on the Riverwalk
Naperville, Illinois 60563

 

5. Womanspace Labyrinth

 

This 72 ft diameter Chartres-style labyrinth is made from limestone rock & aglime, and is open from dusk til dawn. The labyrinth was built in 2002 and they often have events for the labyrinth: here is an example from their website with a great picture of the labyrinth. You can also see it at 3 o’clock above.

Location: Rockford, Illinois

Address:

3333 Maria Linden Drive
Rockford, Illinois 61114

 

6. Unitarian Universalist Church of Elgin Earth Wisdom Labyrinth

 

This 11 circuit Chartres style labyrinth was first built in 1997. It is open during daylight hours. From the website: “It is the largest permanent outdoor labyrinth in Illinois, spanning more than 94 feet in diameter, and winding inward for 1/3 a mile, and then outward again for 1/3 a mile. It is made up of more than 165 tons of stone and crushed limestone, and was moved by hand by the congregation from its original location. The labyrinth was dedicated in a ceremony during the Summer Solstice of 1997.”

Location: Elgin, Illinois

Address:

39W830 Highland Avenue
Elgin, Illinois 60123

 

7. Friends of Lakeview Prairie Labyrinth

This is one or the largest labyrinths you will find at 210 feet in diameter. It has it’s own website where you can see the labyrinth in different seasons and obviously you can watch it be made/cut into the grass in the video above.

Location: Macomb, Illinois

Address:

Lakeview Nature Center
Macomb, Illinois 61455

 

5 TIPS FOR VISITING A LABYRINTH

  1. Set an intention for your walk so you can walk with purpose. It could be prayer, reflection, meditation, contemplation, or openness.

  2. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, as you will be doing a lot of walking.

  3. Bring water with you, especially if you are visiting on a hot day.

  4. Take your time and enjoy the experience. There is no need to rush through a labyrinth.

  5. Be respectful of other visitors. This includes not making noise and being respectful if walking with other people.



5 BOOKS TO READ ABOUT LABYRINTH WALKING

I wrote a blog post reviewing the following 5 books, each that deals with walking labyrinths. You can check them out yourself at the Amazon links below or read this blog post: 5 Books about the Spiritual Aspect of Labyrinths to learn a little about what each book teaches.

  1. Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool by Dr. Lauren Artress 201 pages. AMZN

  2. Labyrinth : Your Path to Self-Discovery by Tony Christie 312 pages. AMZN

  3. Exploring the Labyrinth: A Guide For Healing and Spiritual Growth by Melissa Gayle West 209 pages AMZN

  4. Walking the Labyrinth: A Place to Pray and Seek God by Travis Scholl 240 pages AMZN

  5. Labyrinths from the Outside In: Walking to Spiritual Insight by Rev Dr Donna Schaper and Rev Dr Carole Ann Camp 187 pages AMZN

If you are interested in more spiritual labyrinth aspects I suggest the following websites:

  1. Lauren Artress website - For coaching, workshops and classes.

  2. Veriditas - The nonprofit labyrinth group founded by Lauren Artress

  3. Worldwide Labyrinth Finder - Find a labyrinth to walk near you, or while on vacation


I am a maze artist and have made a few mazes of places in Illinois:

Cloud Gate Maze - Chicago

Wrigley Field Sign Maze - Chicago

Chicago Theatre Sign Maze - Chicago

Spillway Lanes Sign Maze - Springfield

Don Carter Lanes Sign Maze - Rockford

Emo’s Dairy Mart Sign Maze - Peoria