A $9,240,000 grant will be used to restore Indianapolis’ Thomas Taggart Memorial and turn the space into an outdoor amphitheater.

The grant is part of Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Strengthening Indianapolis Through Arts and Cultural Innovation initiative.

The amphitheater will be home to the Indianapolis Shakespeare Company’s free Shakespeare performances and will also feature Indy Parks’ free summer concert and movie series, as well as other arts and culture performances and events throughout the year.

The following conceptual design was presented to the Indy Shakes Group and utilizes canopies to shade theater goers in the form of autumn leaves.

The memorial, named after former Mayor Thomas Taggart (1895-1901), is located in Riverside Park and was built in 1931. The following images show the current condition of the memorial as of 2018.