Hinkle Fieldhouse

The view from the Cheap Seats today looks upon one of the greatest -- if not THE greatest -- buildings in all of basketball thanks to a wonderful photo gallery posted by the Indianapolis Star (indystar.com). Hinkle Fieldhouse, the original home of Hoosier Hysteria. Built during the Roaring Twenties, this is one of the oldest barns to still host the game, and that nostalgia drips from every corner of the building. The hanging floodlights, the exposed steel arches and, most importantly, the frosted glass windows that allow natural light to bathe the court all make this one of the greatest experiences for any fan of the game. When you sit in the Fieldhouse, you can almost see Bobby Plump hitting his last-minute shot to push Milan past Muncie Central, or a young Steve Alford tossing long-distance baskets for the New Castle Trojans, or even Gene Hackman patrolling the sidelines for fictional Hickory High School in the movie "Hoosiers" (based on Bobby Plump and Milan HS). Though the IHSAA basketball finals have moved on to the retro-modern Conseco Fieldhouse, the spirit lives on in the bricks and steel of Hinkle.

The Butler Fieldhouse under construction.


March 1, 1947: Lawrence Central defeats Manual to win the Indianapolis Sectional of the Indiana State Basketball Tournament


Hinkle Fieldhouse as it is today...much the same as it was in the days of old.


Full gallery available here (scroll down to "Hinkle Fieldhouse" under the "Photo Galleries" list)