Brown County Playhouse

The Little 500 is the biggest intramural event on the IU campus and the largest collegiate bicycle race in the United States. Riders compete in four-person teams in separate races for men and women around a quarter-mile track. More than 25,000 people attend the races every year, with the proceeds used for working student scholarships at IU. The race was founded in 1951 by Howdy Wilcox Jr., Executive Director of the Indiana University Student Foundation, who modeled the race after the Indianapolis 500, which his father had won in 1919. "Little Five Weekend" is a landmark event at IU and the race is somewhat secondary to the parties. Students from all over the country flood Bloomington to attend both public and private parties and usually a large concert with nationally touring acts sponsored by the college. The climax of the 1979 film Breaking Away is set at the Little 500.

No matter what your perspective, you can experience art from all angles at the Indiana University Art Museum. From world-renowned architect I.M. Pei's soaring triangular atrium, to galleries filled with extraordinary works of art from all corners of the globe, the IU Art Museum will engage, stimulate, and satisfy your curiosity about the worlds of art. Since its establishment in 1941, the IU Art Museum has grown from a small university teaching collection into one of the foremost university art museums in the country. Today, the IU Art Museum's internationally acclaimed collections, ranging from ancient gold jewelry and African masks to paintings by Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso, include over 40,000 objects representing nearly every art-producing culture throughout history. Partially Accessible.

Be sure to see what's playing at this 3,200-seat theatre, home to a wide range of events including touring Broadways productions, (often free) lectures, student events, conferences, church services, university ceremonies, and popular music concerts. While you're there, check out the Hall of Murals, home to the priceless and newly-restored Thomas Hart Benton murals, also a regal setting for wedding ceremonies and intimate receptions. Accessible.

The Musical Arts Center, known as the MAC, is Indiana University and the Jacob's School of Music's premier performance facility. It features acoustical design and technical capabilities that are among the best in the nation. The backstage area occupies more than half of the building and provides state-of-the-art technical space for producing eight fully staged operas a year. The MAC is also home to the School of Music Department of Ballet. The main stage, which is often compared to that of the Metropolitan Opera, has European-style seating for 1,460. Opera and concert goers at the MAC enjoy intermissions in the Hoagy Carmichael Foyer, named for the Indiana native who enjoyed an illustrious career as a composer/songwriter. Concerts are also held in the lobby area.

Lake Monroe is a reservoir located about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Bloomington. The lake is the largest in Indiana with 10,750 acres (44 km²) of water spread over the counties of Monroe and Brown. It is also home to 13,202 acres (53 km²) of protected forest and three recreational areas (Fairfax, Hardin Ridge, and Paynetown). Rock musician John Mellencamp is a native of the area, and resides on the shore of the lake. The largest marina situated on the lake is the Fourwinds Resort and Marina with over 800 boats. The reservoir provides abundant fishing throughout the year, and recreational opportunities such as boating and water skiing attract visitors from throughout Indiana and the Midwest.

This internationally known rare book library contains more than 400,000 books, more than seven million manuscripts and 100,000 pieces of sheet music. Exhibits vary throughout the year. On permanent exhibit is the Gutenberg Bible (printed before 1456) and John James Audubon's Birds of America prints. Public tours are available every Friday at 2PM or by appointment.