Courthouse Learning Center Opens in Indianapolis

The new Federal Court Learning Center in Indianapolis is now open and ready to welcome students and adults to learn about the important role the Judiciary plays in daily life.

“The new learning center provides visitors with the opportunity to explore and understand the judicial branch of our government and the role of citizens in the federal courts,” said Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt, of the Southern District of Indiana. “We hope the new facility and our other civics education exhibits help to build trust and confidence within the community we serve.”

The center, which is geared to middle school and high school students and teachers, is one of a growing number of civics education centers, museums, and exhibits in federal court buildings across the country. Educational materials at the facilities include information and activities about the Constitution, landmark Supreme Court cases, federal court basics, jury service, and careers in the U.S. justice system.

At the new learning center at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, visitors learn about the building’s art and architecture and view exhibits about the role of the federal courts, the types of cases heard by the federal Judiciary, and careers in the federal court system.

The center was funded by the Historical Society of the Southern District of Indiana and is expected to attract about 5,000 visitors this year. The Indianapolis center is open to the public for self-guided tours on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information on scheduling a guided tour or class field trip, contact tours@insd.uscourts.gov.

Courthouse learning centers are expected to open in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota over the next two years.

Learning centers and educational exhibits across the country include:

California

• Justice Anthony M. Kennedy Library and Learning Center, Robert T. Matsui U.S. Courthouse in Sacramento

Illinois

• Court History Museum, Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago

Missouri

• The Judicial Learning Center, Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis
• Judicial Education and History Center, Rush H. Limbaugh, Sr., U.S. Courthouse in Cape Girardeau

New York

• Justice for All: Courts and the Community Learning Center, Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse in New York City

Oklahoma

• Federal Judicial Learning Center & Museum, U.S. Bankruptcy Courthouse in Oklahoma City

To find educational court programs at the nearest federal courthouse, contact the federal courts’ national educational outreach manager Rebecca Fanning. Visit the educational resources section for additional programs and activities.