Downtown, IU Campus, and the Cultural Center
My recent trip to Bloomington led to several amazing places to photograph, despite my main goal being to acquire a food coma from international cuisine as quickly as possible. Let me share with you the three places I recommend exploring while you are in town!
Read about my favorite (and least favorite) restaurants here!
Let’s just jump into it!
Downtown Square
Without a doubt, there are plenty of amazing spots to photograph (and shop/eat) right in the heart of the city. The Square features the stunning Courthouse, the beautiful exterior of the Fountain Square Mall, and the awesome Indiana Theater sign outside of Buskirk-Chumley Theater.
Aerial of Courthouse and The Square
Iconic Indiana Theater Sign
Ceiling of Courthouse
Mandatory Telephone Pole shot
Wide Angle of Courthouse Interior
Stunning Fountain Square Mall Exterior
View of Courthouse from sidewalk
Indiana University Campus
Bloomington is known for its stunning IU Campus, which is a pretty large area of forest and campus buildings to explore and photograph. Sample Gates is its iconic entrance and a great place to start! It is on the far western side and leads into the entire campus. I also had fun checking out the Kirkwood Observatory, Dunn’s Woods, and walking over to the Metz Bicentennial Grand Carillon, which had plenty of great places to see along the way.
Sample Gates
Franklin Hall
I'll just leaf this here
Metz Bicentennial Grand Carillon
Indiana University Bookstore
Stunning tree on campus
Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center
This is last on my list here, but literally the OPPOSITE of my least favorite. A stunning place to explore and relax, and did I mention it's FREE? It is a great experience for all ages! I enjoyed going here alone and had a wonderful time in the refreshing, early morning air as I took a peaceful walk around the entire property. The monk there was extremely kind and let me go into the shrine before they opened. Their gift shop is worth a visit as well!
See my Tiktok on the Cultural Center
Resting Buddhist Statue
Statue among gardens
Pink flowers surround statue
Mani Korlo
Chorten II
Inside Chamtse Ling Temple
Orchids in Temple
Prayer Flags
Statue in the woods with offerings
View over Lotus Pond
Lotus Flowers
Beautiful potted plants
Bonsai tree with geodes
Tree stump covered in tiny fungi
Detail of fungi covering tree log
In Summary
That’s that! Between this blog and my previous one about food in Bloomington, you’ve got an excellent trip ready to go! If you’ve been to Bloomington or are from Bloomington, what is one of your favorite places to see? Let me know in the comments below, especially if it's somewhere I haven’t mentioned yet!
About the Author
Founder and visual artist, specializing in all aspects of a businesses presence from imagery and video to graphics and web. A graduate of IPFW with a Bachelor in Fine Arts, Concentration Photography as well as an Associates Degree in Business. His personal photography works are focused on landscape, travel, and aerial photography.