This site is dedicated to American history enthusiasts that live in Bloomington and Monroe County, Indiana. There are so many great history programs from so many great places in town that it is hard to keep up with them all. This site will do it’s best to list upcoming programs, events, and newly published materials. Don’t forget, if you are on a computer, you can push “CTRL” and “F” to search the page for specific words.
Do you have an event, exhibit, or publication to submit? Scroll to the bottom!
UPCOMING TALKS AND EVENTS
All events are free and no ticket is needed unless stated otherwise.
To save space/scrolling, full event descriptions are not provided if there is a link to the event. Please follow the link for more information.
June 7-12, 2026, All Day
Though Mini U includes more than history it has a lot of great history programs! Follow the link to learn more about this week-long experience.
Various IU Campus Locations (mostly the IMU)
June 11, 2026, 5:30-6:30pm
America250 with Hoosier Character
Celebrate America250, the 250th anniversary of the United States, by sleuthing historical county and city maps to find out who lived and worked on the plotted land in Monroe County. Age 12 and up.
Monroe County Library, Downtown, Meeting Room 2C
June 12-13, 2026, 8am-4pm
Monroe County History Center Garage Sale
4015 Profile Parkway
June 13, 2026, All Day
Declaration of Independence Curator Talks
See the Lilly Library’s rare original copy of the Declaration of Independence and learn all about it from Erika Dowell, curator of the library’s 2026 exhibition about the nation’s founding document.
Registration is required. See link for info.
IU Lilly Library
Also happening on July 18
June 23, 2026, 12:15pm
The Mill Murders: A tale of race, sex and murder
In one of the most gripping and notorious criminal cases in Bloomington history, a shocking series of events unfolded in 1946 that captured attention far beyond Monroe County. Newspapers in every state in the nation carried accounts of the case, while local residents followed every gruesome development as it dominated Bloomington’s headlines.
In his fascinating presentation, The Mill Murders: A Tale of Race, Sex and Murder, Dr. Clay Stuckey will re-visit this sensational crime, exploring the people involved, the circumstances surrounding the murders, and the dramatic impact the case had on the community. Although the events occurred eighty years ago, they remain among the most talked-about crimes in Bloomington’s history.
Monroe County History Club Meeting
American Legion Post 18, 1800 W 3rd St.
June 25, 2026, 9am-3pm
48 State Tour: Gravestone Preservation
Join the Monroe County History Center Cemetery Committee and Jonathan Appell (CEO of Atlas Preservation) for an interactive tour, resetting stones, hand-on training, carving demonstration, cleaning demos, repairing fractures, safety standards, information booth, and even a food truck!
Clear Creek Cemetery, 5405 South Rogers St.
June 26, 2pm-5pm
America 250: Family Day at the Museum
Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, IU campus
Optional RSVP for more info (follow link)
June 27, 2026, 1-2:30pm
History Book Club: Rise to Rebellion: A Novel of the American Revolution by Jeff Shaara
Everyone is welcome – you don’t have to attend regularly and you don’t have to read the books in order to join a discussion.
Monroe County History Center, 202 E. 6th St.
July 11, 2026, 11am
Installation of Plaque honoring Revolutionary War Patriots Buried in Monroe County
Daughters of the American Revolution – Bloomington Chapter
Monroe County Courthouse
(followed by America 250 Block Party – see below)
July 11, 2026, Noon
America 250 Block Party
Sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution – Bloomington Chapter with support from the Monroe County History Center and Monroe County
Monroe County History Center, 202 E. 6th St.
July 16, 2026, 5:30-6:30pm
America250 with Hoosier Character
Celebrate America250, the 250th anniversary of the United States, by sleuthing historical county and city maps to find out who lived and worked on the plotted land in Monroe County. Age 12 and up.
Monroe County Library, Downtown, Meeting Room 2C
July 18, 2026, All Day
Declaration of Independence Curator Talks
See the Lilly Library’s rare original copy of the Declaration of Independence and learn all about it from Erika Dowell, curator of the library’s 2026 exhibition about the nation’s founding document.
Registration is required. See link for info.
IU Lilly Library
July 25th, 1-2:30
History Book Club: Declaration: The Nine Tumultuous Weeks When American Became Independent by William Hogeland
Monroe County History Center, 202 E. 6th
July 28, 2026, 12:15pm
Become an IU (History) Insider
a presentation by Dina Kellams, IU Archives
Monroe County History Club Meeting
American Legion Post 18, 1800 W 3rd St.
August 25, 2026, 12:15pm
Indiana University + T.C. Steele
a presentation by Jessica Stephens
Monroe County History Club
American Legion Post 18, 1800 W. 3rd St.
September 5, 2026, 10am-2pm
Headstone Restoration Workshop
Join the Monroe County History Center Cemetery Committee & the Prospect Hill Neighborhood Association to learn the basics of headstone cleaning and repair. Wear outdoor work clothes, bring work gloves and knee pads if you’d like. Please bring your own water and snacks.
Rose Hill Cemetery
Also happening October 3
September 26th, 1-2:30
History Book Club: The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana Chambers
Monroe County History Center, 202 E. 6th
September 29, 2026, 12:15pm
The Lay of the Land: Geography and the Development of Manufacturing in Monroe County, 1820-1880
a presentation by Dr. David Nord, Monroe County Historian
Monroe County History Club
American Legion Post 18, 1800 W. 3rd St.
October 3, 2026, 10am-2pm
Headstone Restoration Workshop
Join the Monroe County History Center Cemetery Committee & the Prospect Hill Neighborhood Association to learn the basics of headstone cleaning and repair. Wear outdoor work clothes, bring work gloves and knee pads if you’d like. Please bring your own water and snacks.
Rose Hill Cemetery
October 27, 2026, 12:15pm
Lewis and Clark in Indiana
a presentation by Craig Fehrman
Monroe County History Club
American Legion Post 18, 1800 W. 3rd St.
October 31st, 1-2:30
History Book Club: A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon
Monroe County History Center, 202 E. 6th
November 28th, 1-2:30
History Book Club: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhhon
Monroe County History Center, 202 E. 6th
RECENT BOOKS, VIDEOS, EXHIBITS, AND OTHER LINKS
Book: Making Indiana University: History, Landscape, and a Sense of Place
James Capshew, Ph.D.
Article: Omne Mali Avertam O Deus: The Civil War Diary of Theophilus A. Wylie, 1861-1862
Edited by Dawn E. Bakken, Justin Hawkins, and David A. Nichols
(This is a two part-series and the second one will be out in the next issue of IMH.)
Video recording of the latest Monroe County History Club presentation:
Over the Backyard Fence: Our Historic Communities – Focus on Bryan Park
presented by Susan Salmon
Exhibit: Returning to the World: Vietnam Veterans’ Journeys
Cook Center, Maxwell Hall, IU Campus
Through July 3rd
Exhibit: The Declaration of Independence: The Motives, the Moment
Lilly Library
Through July 24th
Exhibit: Revolution & Reflection: Campus Experiences in Art, History, and Ideas
Lilly Library, Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, and IU Auditorium
Through July 31st
Exhibit: By Their Own Hands: The Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame Exhibit
University Collections, McCalla School
Through July 31st
Exhibit: Louisa’s Garden Tour
Wylie House Museum
Friday and Saturdays (with some exceptions, see link) through August 15th
Exhibit: A Stitch in Time: Home Sewing of the 1960s and 1970s
University Collections at McCalla
525 E. 9th St
See link for hours. Exhibit is through August 21st.
Not local, but it was a really great presentation:
Monroe County History Talk 