Columbus, Indiana, is an architectural gem just four hours from St. Louis

With more than 70 buildings designed by famous architects, including the likes of Eero Saarinen, the city was ranked sixth in the nation for architectural innovation and design.

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When you think about cities that are best known for modern architecture, Columbus, Indiana, might not come to mind. The American Institute of Architects, however, ranked the city sixth in the nation for architectural innovation and design, only behind Chicago, New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Washington DC. 

Located less than an hour from Indianapolis, the city of 48,000 boasts more than 70 buildings designed by famous architects, including Eero Saarinen (the architect behind the Gateway Arch), I.M. Pei, Harry Weese, Deborah Berke, Robert Venturi, Eliel Saarinen, and Richard Meier.

It wasn’t by chance that Columbus became an architectural gem. It was the vision of former Cummins Corporation CEO J. Irwin Miller for his hometown. “Every one of us lives and moves all his life within the limitations, sight, and influence of architecture—at home, at school, at church and at work," he once noted. "The influence of architecture with which we are surrounded in our youth affects our lives, our standards, our tastes when we are grown, just as the influence of the parents and teachers with which we are surrounded in our youth affects us as adults.”

As New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger noted, “Columbus, Indiana, and J. Irwin Miller are almost holy words in architectural circles.”

Miller’s former home, now named The Miller House, is considered to be one of the most important mid-century modern residences in the nation. The home was masterminded by Eero Saarinen, the interiors by Alexander Girard, and the landscape by Dan Kiley. An open-plan living room with a large sunken sofa in the shape of a square created a “conversation pit” trend. 

After Miller died in 2004, at age 95, the house was donated to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and it opened its doors to the public in 2011. Today, you can take a 90-minute tour of the house and its gardens. 

In addition to the Miller House and Gardens tour, there are a number of architectural tours of the city, including a highlights tour, a walking tour, and a self-guided tour using an app on your phone. You can also pick up a map with 82 suggested stops for $3 at the Visitors Center, adorned with a Chihuly chandelier.

Here are just five architectural gems you won’t want to miss:

North Christian Church: Designed by Eero Saarinen and a National Historic Landmark, it's best known for its hexagon shape and the incorporation of the pipe organ as a key element in the sanctuary design.

Cleo Rogers Memorial Library: Also known as the Bartholomew County Public Library, it was designed by I.M. Pei to be not only a library but “the first civic space in downtown.” 

The Commons: Designed by Koetter Kim, the community center is used for performances, lectures, and gala events. It also offers a large indoor playground.

First Christian Church: The first contemporary building in Columbus, it was designed by Eliel Saarinen. The building, which has a geometric shape and free-standing bell tower, is also a National Historic landmark.

Republic Building: The building that Indiana University’s J. Irwin Miller Architecture program now calls home was originally designed by Myron Goldsmith to house The Republic newspaper. The glass facade originally allowed onlookers to watch the printing presses.

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