1230 North Delaware Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 631-1888
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2008 Events

ROMANCE AND REMEMBRANCE ~ A VALENTINE'S DAY EVENT!
  Date: Thursday, February 14, 2008
Time: 6:00pm program at PBHH, followed by dinner at The Propylaeum
Cost: $130.00 per couple
; $120 per member couple

  Description: A romantic evening of Victorian love letters, poetry and readings at the President Benjamin Harrison Home, followed by dinner at the Indianapolis Propylaeum.  The evening is a re-creation of an actual occasion that took place in May of 1902.  For two nights, English's Opera House boasted a line-up of the richest literary talent in the country and a spectacular audience.  The Indianapolis newspapers described it as the greatest audience ever assembled in the English Opera House.  The occasion was a benefit for a memorial to Benjamin Harrison. The result of the two evenings of public readings by renowned authors is the statue of Harrison~a fitting tribute~that stands in University Park.  The talent for the evening:

WTHR's ANGELA CAIN presents BOOTH TARKINGTON works

Author RALPH GRAY presents MEREDITH NICHOLSON readings

Resident Playwright JAMES TROFATTER as BENJAMIN HARRISON

Victorian Theatre Creative Director DONNA WING as CAROLINE HARRISONAll of the readings you will hear during the “Romance and Remembrance” event are by authors who participated on the 1902 occasion.  In some cases, the same material will be read.  In the master bedroom of the Harrison Home, guests will be treated to a glimpse of the love and devotion shared by Benjamin and Caroline Harrison.  Please call for more details and/or to reserve: 317-631-1888.

 

PRESIDENT'S DAY: LIVE FROM DELAWARE STREET
 

Date: Monday, February 18, 2008
PRESIDENT'S DAY! NEW EXHIBIT OPENS!
Time: 10:00am to 3:00pm (Tours on the hour and half-hour.)
Cost: $9.00 adults $4.00 children (ages 5 to 17)

  Description: Visit the President Benjamin Harrison Home and listen to the conversations and gossip of the day as you enter each room and meet and speak with family members and household staff, whose roles are recreated by exceptional actors.  The year is 1898, and the past comes alive with accurate portrayals of Harrison and his household staff!  As visitors tour the three-story 1875 Italianate Victorian home, they meet members and friends of the Harrison family–Josie, the family seamstress; Delia, the cook; Charles, the butler; visiting relatives; and of course Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States.

 

 

BENJAMIN HARRISON DAY
 

Date: Monday, March 4, 2008
Time: 10:00am to 1:00pm
Cost: State House - free. Museum Tour - please refer to daily tour prices.

 


Description: The Indiana Supreme Court and the Capitol Tour Office will, in conjunction with the Harrison Home, celebrate "Benjamin Harrison Day."  In 2003, Chief Justice Randall T. Shepherd "pardoned" Benjamin Harrison in absentia for abandoning the post of Supreme Court Reporter.  Mr. Harrison "abandoned" his post to fight in the Civil War, but the issue was never resolved until March 4, 2003.  The entire court proceeding was archived and is available to watch at the Supreme Court web site.  Just follow the link to find the information about Harrison Day.

Until Franklin Delano Roosevelt, inauguration was held on March 4th.  This date allows us to celebrate the anniversary of Benjamin Harrison’s inauguration as Indiana’s only United States president.  This year 4th-12th grade students across the state are given the charge of creating their own Indiana State Seal, using Benjamin Harrison's life and ideals as inspiration.  All student work for the contest will be posted in the State House for visitors to see.  There will be a first-person enactment of the Harrison court case, Ex-Parte Milligan, done in the Supreme Court that will be webcasted and archived.  This event will take place at 10:00am and again at 11:30am on March 4 at the Indiana State House.  If you are interested in attending the event at the State House, please contact Sarah at the Indiana Supreme Court at (317) 233-8682 due to limited seating.  If you are interested in a tour of the Harrison Home museum that day, please contact the education staff at (317) 631-2717. 

 

THE PRESIDENT'S THEATRE PRESENTS:
VICTORIAN THEATRE by CANDLELIGHT: DECEIVED, DOOMED, and DEPARTED

 

Dates: Fridays and Saturdays, April 18, 19,25,26, May 2, 3, and Sunday, May 4, 2008
Time: Curtain at 8:00pm; Sunday Matinee Curtain at 2:00pm
Cost: $18.00 per person $15.00 members and seniors (Call for group rates!)

Featured Plays:"IN MEMORIAM" by Marlene Remingon
"SORRY, WRONG NUMBER" by Lucille Fletcher
"THE DOOR" by John Murray

 

ABUNDANT THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS AND PARTNERS:  WING ARTS AND HUMANITIES FUND ~ BKD, LLP ~ ARTS COUNCIL OF INDIANAPOLIS and THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS ~ INDIANA ARTS COMMISSION, A STATE AGENCY, and THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, A FEDERAL AGENCY ~ KAREN AND TOM FERRARA ~ RYAN WING (photographer) 

Description: Three groups of people trapped in isolated areas; three mysteries that need to be solved; and three episodes mounting in terror.  This is what awaits theatregoers at Victorian Theatre by Candlelight's spring production of "Deceived, Doomed, and Departed."  Three one-act mysteries will be performed in three different rooms of the President Benjamin Harrison Home.  Small audiences will rotate through each of the three rooms, and will experience suspense and intrigue while sitting within the four walls of the stage.  Candlelight and other ambient lighting provide a unique atmosphere that draws the audience into the mystery; they are more than spectators.

A story of deception unfolds in the dining room in Marlene Remington's "In Memoriam."  This adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians" has a surprise ending that even Ms. Christie would have found shocking.  Five people, each with a dark past, are invited to a party on a remote island in the St. Lawrence Seaway.  The guests soon find that they have been abandoned with no means of escape.  As their numbers start declining, they desperately try to deduce who among them is the murderer.

Doom abounds in the master bedroom in Lucille Fletcher's acclaimed "Sorry, Wrong Number."  An invalid woman isolated in her New York City apartment overhears a telephone conversation about a murder plot.  Evidently, the wires have crossed.  As she tries frantically to solicit help for the intended victim, she pieces together a chilling puzzle.

The departed awaits us in the back parlor in John Murray's "The Door."  On an isolated cliff on the Maine coast, a private duty nurse arrives at the home of her patient, a man injured in an accident.  She is not permitted to see her patient, who is kept behind a locked door by his wife.  Is she to become a prisoner in this desolate mansion?  And what lies behind the door?

Reservations are required and can be made by calling 317-631-1888 or e-mailing public_affairs@pbhh.org.  For more theatre information, please visit www.donnawing.com

PRIMARY DAY: LIVE FROM DELAWARE STREET
 

Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Time: 10:00am to 3:00pm (Tours on the hour and half-hour.)
Cost: $9.00 adults $4.00 children (ages 5 to 17)

 

Description: Visit the President Benjamin Harrison Home and listen to the conversations and gossip of the day as you enter each room and meet and speak with family members and household staff, whose roles are recreated by exceptional actors. The year is 1898, and the past comes alive with accurate portrayals of Harrison and his household staff! As visitors tour the three-story 1875 Italianate Victorian home, they may meet old friends of the Harrison family–Josie, the family seamstress; Delia, the cook; Charles, the butler; and Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States.

 

Stroll into Spring: Progressive Dinner
 

Date: Friday, May 16, 2008
Time: 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Cost: $70.00 per person

 

Description: Enjoy the beauty of the historic Old Northside Neighborhood this spring while participating in a wonderful fundraising event for the President Benjamin Harrison Home and the Morris-Butler House Museum.  As you stroll from site to site, you will be provided with a tour of each location (six in all) and enjoy the ambiance of each setting while being served one of the courses of a six-course meal.  Among the featured locations will be the Morris-Butler House Museum, Dewolf-Allerdice Bed and Breakfast, President Benjamin Harrison Home, Mather House and Garden, Thornton-O'Bannon-Atherton House, and the Indianapolis Propylaeum Club.  The six-course dinner and tours are included with the cost.  Reservations are required and can be made by calling the Morris-Butler House Museum: 317-636-5409.

 

THE WICKET WORLD OF CROQUET® and "FLY THE FLAG DAY
 

Date: Saturday, June 14, 2008
Time: 8:30am to 2:00pm
Cost: $100.00 per team of two (lunch included, reservations required)

FOR A SLIDESHOW OF THE 2007 TOURNAMENT, CLICK HERE:

 

Description: Watch out Colts!  There's a new game in town!  Join us for the 14th annual "Wicket World of Croquet®" hosted by the President Benjamin Harrison Home.  This croquet tournament provides funds for the educational programs and restoration at the museum that served 16,000 of Indiana's youth in 2007.  The tournament offers the Indianapolis community an opportunity to enjoy croquet as it was meant to be played.  Of course, there is no better place to play this game than on the south lawn of "Indiana's Presidential Home."  We hope you will join in the fun and fundraising that has become a celebrated Indianapolis tradition.  The Pledge of Allegiance was written during Harrison's term in office; as well, Benjamin Harrison commissioned the flying of the flag over public buildings during his Presidency (1889-1893), and we hope you'll join us in celebrating Flag Day in conjunction with Croquet by bringing your tattered flags for proper disposal.  A special display of flags from 1889-1893, during which time Harrison added six states to the Union, will be available in the museum on Flag Day.

A special thanks to our 2008 Court Sponsors:

Jane and Andy Paine ~ The National Bank of Indianapolis ~ LDI, LTD. ~ Frank and Nancy Russell ~ Ratio Architects, Inc. ~ Stevens & Stevens LLC ~ The Willkie and Selm Families ~ Marshall & Ilsley Wealth Management ~ Krieg DeVault LLP ~ United Actuarial Services ~ Gregory & Appel Insurance Co. ~ Katz, Sapper & Miller

 

NATURALIZATION CEREMONY
 

Date: Thursday, July 3, 2008
Time: 10:00am to 11:00am
Cost: FREE

 

Description: On July 3, 2008, the south lawn of the President Benjamin Harrison Home will be the site of the summer naturalization ceremony for people who have qualified for United States citizenship.  Families and friends of these celebrants will be present to witness this exciting day. Judge Sarah Evans Barker will preside over the court ceremony.  President Benjamin Harrison Home Foundation Board President, Thomas A. King, will welcome the guests to this site and invite them to tour the President's home after the ceremony.  The ceremony will take place in a tent on the south lawn of the Harrison property with seating available for 300 people. Parking will be available at: the Knights of Columbus Parking Lot (Delaware & 13th Street) and all along Delaware Street (which is free and non-permit).

33nd ANNUAL OLD FASHIONED ICE CREAM SOCIAL
 

Date: Friday, July 4, 2008
Time: 11:30am to 3:30pm (last tour begins at 3:00pm)
Cost: $10.00 adults $4.00 students (Children 4 and under are free.)

 

Description: Cold ice cream on a hot day is always inviting, especially when it is the Fourth of July!  Enactors and live music will fill the President Benjamin Harrison Home with summertime sounds, music and memories.  Silly Safaris, Victorian puppet show (Punch and Judy), Caricaturist, Juggler, Magician, Thomas Jefferson re-enactor, Indianapolis Fire Dept. (with fire truck), Croquet, and a variety of Victorian games will be available on our spacious south lawn.  Special activities will include a scavenger hunt for children and a re-enactment of President Harrison's July 4, 1888, acceptance speech (which he gave from his Delaware Street home) to be the nominee for President of the United States.  Residence to Indiana’s only U.S. President, the Harrison Home is an ideal location to celebrate the Fourth of July.  A wonderful idea for those who want to enjoy a spirited yet relaxed atmosphere before the fireworks.  

Activities throughout the day include:

  • Thomas Jefferson enacted by David Best inviting guests to sign a copy of the Declaration of Independence with a quill feather pen.
  • A historical treasure hunt for children, featuring questions that can be answered by participating in the “LIVE” tour of the President’s home, with a special flag reward from Annin & Co., the nation's oldest flag manufacturing company. 
  • Silly Safaris live animal show, Victorian puppet show (Punch and Judy), Caricaturist, Juggler, Magician, Croquet, and other Victorian games.
  • A team of Indianapolis Fire Department fire fighters providing tours of a fire truck and teaching about fire and fireworks safety
  • Refreshments available for purchase, including ice cream, hot dogs, chips and sodas. 
  • Live music provided by the White River Jazz Band. 
  • Patriotic items available in the Harrison Home gift shop. 

 

BENJAMIN HARRISON'S BIRTHDAY
 

Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tour Times: 12:00pm to 6:00pm (last tour begins at 5:00pm)
Tour Costs: FREE

 

Description: Happy 175th Birthday, Mr. President!  Enjoy a free tour and complimentary birthday cake to celebrate.  Visitors with the last name of "Harrison" will receive a special keepsake on this day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE PRESIDENT'S THEATRE PRESENTS:
VICTORIAN THEATRE by CANDLELIGHT: COLD-BLOODED AT COLD SPRING:
THE THIRD TRIAL by James Trofatter

 

Dates: Fridays and Saturdays, October 17, 18, 24, 25 and Sunday, Oct. 26
Fri. and Sat. Performance Times: 6:00pm, 6:30pm, 7:00pm, 7:30pm, 8:00pm, 8:30pm
Sun. Matinee Performance Times: 3:30pm, 4:00pm, 4:30pm, 5:00pm, 5:30pm, 6:00pm (Note: Each time is the start of a progressive play that lasts approximately 45-60 minutes.)

Cost: $10.00 adults, $6.00 students (ages 6 to 17)

 

Description: It is September 1868, and Jacob and Nancy Jane Young are joining Jacob's business associate for a picnic along the White River.  The day was like a dream; the sun shone brightly, a gentle wind caressed their faces, children played by the river.  But the dream soon turned into a nightmare.  Instead of building memories, the Youngs became memories.  Their violent deaths were made more dramatic by the identity of the fiendish mastermind behind their gruesome murders, Nancy Clem.  The well-spoken city attorney, Benjamin Harrison, was brought in to prosecute Clem, her brother and a third associate in what became a landmark case: the first woman tried for murder in the State of Indiana.  Witness the discrepancies between the testimonies at the trial and the events of that tragic day as they unfold within the rooms of the President Benjamin Harrison Home.  Come and judge the outcome for yourself!  More PBHH theatre information can be found at http://www.donnawing.com/victorian.htm.

 

Third Annual MARY TUCKER JASPER SPEAKER SERIES
 

Date: Thursday, October 23, 2008
Time: Tea at 4:00pm; Speaker at 4:45pm; Wine reception at 5:30pm (tours before and after)
Cost: $60 event ticket includes the event and tour of the house and exhibit;
$90 donor ticket includes the event and tour with exhibit and a special gift from Tiffany & Co. Indianapolis ($85 value);
$120 patron ticket includes the event and tour with exhibit, a copy of the softbound version of "Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall" ($45 value), and a special gift from Tiffany & Co. Indianapolis ($85 value).

 

Description:  Join us for the Third Annual Mary Tucker Jasper Speaker Series this fall featuring the life and original works of Louis Comfort Tiffany.  The museum is pleased to present guest speaker Donna Climenhage, curator at the Morse Museum, which houses the most comprehensive collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany.  Climenhage will discuss a recent Tiffany exhibit at the MET, the life of Louis Comfort Tiffany, as well as the original Tiffany pieces in the President Benjamin Harrison Home collection.  Speaker introduction by Erica Chappell of Tiffany & Co. Indianapolis. The event will include a lovely afternoon tea on the south lawn (tented), a book sale, music, museum tours, Tiffany exhibit, "President Harrison," and a wine reception.  On display in a special year-end exhibition will be the exquisite Tiffany items the museum's permanent collection as well as original Tiffany pieces from the Tiffany & Co Archives.

Limited seating. Reservations required. To reserve or request more information, please call 317-631-1888 or e-mail harrison@pbhh.org.

 

 

 

THE PRESIDENT'S THEATRE PRESENTS:
ELECTION DAY: LIVE FROM DELAWARE STREET

 

Date: Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Time: 10:00am to 3:00pm (Tours on the hour and half-hour.)
Cost: $9.00 adults $4.00 children (ages 5 to 17)

 

Description: Visit the President Benjamin Harrison Home and listen to the conversations and gossip of the day as you enter each room and meet and speak with family members and household staff, whose roles are recreated by exceptional actors.  The year is 1888, and the past comes alive with accurate portrayals of Harrison and his household staff!  As visitors tour the three-story 1875 Italianate Victorian home, they meet members and friends of the Harrison family–Josie, the family seamstress; Delia, the cook; Charles, the butler; visiting relatives; and of course Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States.

 

 

SIMON EVENING OF GIVING
 

Date: Sunday, November 16, 2008
Locations: Fashion Mall at Keystone, Greenwood Park Mall
Time: 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Cost: $10.00 per person

 

Description: Simon malls creates this occasion to help non-profit organizations like the President Benjamin Harrison Home and the Simon Youth Foundation.  In fact, $7 of every ticket sold by PBHH comes back to us to help with operations and special initiatives.  $3 of every ticket sold goes to the Simon Youth Foundation.  What's different about this night at the mall?  It is a special evening of private shopping specifically for supporters of local charities and will feature door prizes, special entertainment (i.e. Santa!), food sampling, and retailer discounts (call for specifics!) up to 15-30% off your purchase.  The general public will be unable to enter the malls without a ticket purchased from a charitable organization like ours.  Call the museum at (317) 631-1888 for more details or to purchase tickets...ask for Erin!  Tickets are valid at both the Greenwood Park Mall and The Fashion Mall.  Happy shopping!  

 

THE PRESIDENT'S THEATRE PRESENTS:
LIVE: FAMILY CHRISTMAS AT THE PRESIDENT'S HOME

 

Date: Saturday, December 13, 2008
Time: 10:00am to 3:00pm (Tours on the hour and half-hour.)
Cost: $9.00 adults $4.00 children (ages 5 to 17)

 

Description: Bring the family for a unique Christmas tour of the President Benjamin Harrison Home.  The year is 1888.  President Harrison, some of the family from Ohio and the household staff will be "home for the holidays" talking about the excitement of Christmas Day and personally offering their good wishes to you and yours for the holidays.

 

 

 

 

 

A CANDLELIGHT EVENING ON DELAWARE STREET
 

Date: Monday, December 29, 2008
Time: 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Cost: $75.00 per person $70.00 members

 

Description: The President Benjamin Harrison Home is hosting its 9th annual "A Candlelight Evening on Delaware Street" fundraising event.  It is an evening of historic house tours and elegant dining.  Guests will begin their tour at the historic Harrison Home, enjoy verbal histories and brief tours of several other architectural jewels along Delaware Street in the Old Northside.  An exquisite dinner will be served at the Indianapolis Propylaeum Club.  Make plans now for an elegant pre-New Year's evening without the crowds.  Please call the President Benjamin Harrison Home at (317) 631-1888 for details and reservations.

 

 

CIVIL WAR DINNERS
 

Date: RESERVE A FRIDAY OR SATURDAY EVENING!
Time: 6:30pm to 9:30pm
Cost: *  $1,250 to sponsor a dinner OR $125 per couple for approximately 10 couples

 

Description: Are you involved in a civic club, social club, book club, neighborhood group?  Do you have a group of clients to entertain?  Looking for something to enrich your typical dining experience downtown?  The Harrison Home is offering Civil War Dinners!  This is the perfect opportunity for approximately 20 people (per evening) to engage in an unforgettable dinner conversation as interactive guests of "General Benjamin Harrison" and his "Aide-de-Camp."  The evening traditionally begins in our Carriage House for hors d'oeuvres and wine, then the group enters the home from the front door, takes a brief tour of the first floor as a group and then assembles in the historic Library, where the group is greeted by "General Harrison," who invites them to dinner downstairs.  Charge your glass and enjoy an insightful evening of Civil War discussion with General Harrison and his Aid.  The cost is $1,250 to book a dinner, which includes all expenses as well as a one-year membership for all guests/couples who participate.  Civil War Dinners are BY REQUEST!  Call us if you are interested or if you have any questions.  The "General" looks forward to dining with you!

 

 

 

2008 President Benjamin Harrison Foundation