Athenaeum Foundation to reopen historic historic downtown gym shortly after YMCA exit
The YMCA is hours away from the end of its 33-year run in the Athenaeum Building, but the historic downtown gym isn't going anywhere for long.
The Athenaeum Foundation announced Thursday that it will take over the three-story fitness center at 401 E. Michigan St. — which the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis has occupied since 1992 — with plans to reopen the space May 1 as the Athenaeum Turner Gymnasium.
The news comes two months after the YMCA announced it would close the Athenaeum branch March 28.
Per the Athenaeum's website, the new gym will "feature a full assortment of cardio, strength, and weight training equipment." The website does not specify what equipment the new gym will retain or add from the YMCA or whether any YMCA employees would join its staff.
Memberships for adults at Turner Gymnasium will cost $45 per month, then an additional $30 for adults in the same household. Senior (65+) memberships will cost $40. Members can also purchase access to the Block 20 parking garage at 423 E. Michigan St. for an extra $20 per month.
You can sign up for a membership on the Athenaeum's website or at https://bit.ly/3QMZRzU.
The name Turner Gymnasium pays homage to the Athenaeum's early days as a German social club and turnverein, or gymnastics club. "Turner" is the German word for gymnast.
YMCA members of the YMCA at the Athenaeum are well-acquainted with the black and white photos adorning the fitness center's walls, depicting scenes of young men and women in the early 1900s performing gymnastic exercises inside the historic building.
The YMCA's last day in the Athenaeum is Friday. A spokesperson for the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis in January said the organization hopes to transfer as many staff members as possible to nearby locations. The YMCA has encouraged Athenaeum gymgoers to visit the Irsay Family YMCA at CityWay (430 S. Alabama St.), the lone remaining YMCA branch downtown.
Tonight, the Athenaeum branch will hold an evening of reflection from 5-8 p.m. for members to share memories and say good-bye to the gym — though, for some, that good-bye may be more of a "see you soon."
Contact IndyStar reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: YMCA is out, but Athenaeum Foundation will operate gym in same space
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
African prisoners made sound recordings in German camps in WW1: this is what they had to say
During the first world war (1914-1918) thousands of African men enlisted to fight for France and Britain were captured and held as prisoners in Germany. Their stories and songs were recorded and archived by German linguists, who often didn't understand a thing they were saying. Now a recent book called Knowing by Ear listens to these recordings alongside written sources, photographs and artworks to reveal the lives and political views of these colonised Africans from present-day Senegal, Somalia, Togo and Congo. Anette Hoffmann is a historian whose research and curatorial work engages with historical sound archives. We asked her about her book. About 450 recordings with African speakers were made with linguists of the so-called Royal Prussian Phonographic Commission. Their project was opportunistic. They made use of the presence of prisoners of war to further their research. In many cases these researchers didn't understand what was being said. The recordings were archived as language samples, yet most were never used, translated, or even listened to for decades. The many wonderful translators I have worked with over the years are often the first listeners who actually understood what was being said by these men a century before. The European prisoners the linguists recorded were often asked to tell the same Bible story (the parable of the prodigal son). But because of language barriers, African prisoners were often simply asked to speak, tell a story or sing a song. We can hear some men repeating monotonous word lists or counting, but mostly they spoke of the war, of imprisonment and of the families they hadn't seen for years. Abdoulaye Niang from Senegal sings in Wolof. Courtesy Lautarchiv, Berlin275 KB (download) In the process we hear speakers offer commentary. Senegalese prisoner Abdoulaye Niang, for example, calls Europe's battlefields an abattoir for the soldiers from Africa. Others sang of the war of the whites, or speak of other forms of colonial exploitation. When I began working on colonial-era sound archives about 20 years ago, I was stunned by what I heard from African speakers, especially the critique and the alternative versions of colonial history. Often aired during times of duress, such accounts seldom surface in written sources. Joseph Ntwanumbi from South Africa speaks in isiXhosa. Courtesy Lautarchiv, Berlin673 KB (download) Clearly, many speakers felt safe to say things because they knew that researchers couldn't understand them. The words and songs have travelled decades through time yet still sound fresh and provocative. The book is arranged around the speakers. Many of them fought in the French army in Europe after being conscripted or recruited in former French colonies, like Abdoulaye Niang. Other African men got caught up in the war and were interned as civilian prisoners, like Mohamed Nur from Somalia, who had lived in Germany from 1911. Joseph Ntwanumbi from South Africa was a stoker on a ship that had docked in Hamburg soon after the war started. In chapter one Niang sings a song about the French army's recruitment campaign in Dakar and also informs the linguists that the inmates of the camp in Wünsdorf, near Berlin, do not wish to be deported to another camp. An archive search reveals he was later deported and also that Austrian anthropologists measured his body for racial studies. His recorded voice speaking in Wolof travelled back home in 2024, as a sound installation I created for the Théodore Monod African Art Museum in Dakar. Chapter two listens to Mohamed Nur from Somalia. In 1910 he went to Germany to work as a teacher to the children of performers in a so-called Völkerschau (an ethnic show; sometimes called a human zoo, where 'primitive' cultures were displayed). After refusing to perform on stage, he found himself stranded in Germany without a passport or money. He worked as a model for a German artist and later as a teacher of Somali at the University of Hamburg. Nur left a rich audio-visual trace in Germany, which speaks of the exploitation of men of colour in German academia as well as by artists. One of his songs comments on the poor treatment of travellers and gives a plea for more hospitality to strangers. Stephan Bischoff, who grew up in a German mission station in Togo and was working in a shoe shop in Berlin when the war began, appears in the third chapter. His recordings criticise the practices of the Christian colonial evangelising mission. He recalls the destruction of an indigenous shrine in Ghana by German military in 1913. Also in chapter three is Albert Kudjabo, who fought in the Belgian army before he was imprisoned in Germany. He mainly recorded drum language, a drummed code based on a tonal language from the Democratic Republic of Congo that German linguists were keen to study. He speaks of the massive socio-cultural changes that mining brought to his home region, which may have caused him to migrate. Together these songs, stories and accounts speak of a practice of extracting knowledge in prisoner of war camps. But they offer insights and commentary far beyond the 'example sentences' that the recordings were meant to be. As sources of colonial history, the majority of the collections in European sound archives are still untapped, despite the growing scholarly and artistic interest in them in the last decade. This interest is led by decolonial approaches to archives and knowledge production. Sound collections diversify what's available as historical texts, they increase the variety of languages and genres that speak of the histories of colonisation. They present alternative accounts and interpretations of history to offer a more balanced view of the past. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Anette Hoffmann, University of Cologne Read more: Rashid Lombard: the photographer who documented both resistance and celebration in South Africa 3 things Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o taught me: language matters, stories are universal, Africa can thrive Mbare Art Space: a colonial beer hall in Zimbabwe has become a vibrant arts centre Anette Hoffmann does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nuclear power stations and Robbie Williams
Here's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media. The family of Jack O'Sullivan who went missing in Bristol in March, 2024, have told Bristol Live of the "unimaginable hell" they've been through as they continue their search for answers. Somerset Live shared the latest pictures from Hinkley Point C where work to build the domed roof on the second reactor is under way. And Gloucestershire Live told the story of how a group of women who all suffer with chronic pain have set up a group to support others living with the condition. 'My German family was torn apart hours after VE Day' MP diagnosed with autoimmune condition after illness Travel warning as 11 day Severn Tunnel works start A Weston-super-Mare based funeral home have been offering free prom night limo rides for those who are struggling financially. The leader of North Somerset Council has addressed confusion over the ongoing restoration work at Birnbeck Pier and says every pound spent can be accounted for. Residents in Bath have expressed concern over the potential for a university open day, Ladies Day at Bath Racecourse and a Robbie Williams concert on the Royal Crescent all happening on the same day. Follow BBC West social channels in Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nuclear power stations and Robbie Williams
Here's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media. The family of Jack O'Sullivan who went missing in Bristol in March, 2024, have told Bristol Live of the "unimaginable hell" they've been through as they continue their search for answers. Somerset Live shared the latest pictures from Hinkley Point C where work to build the domed roof on the second reactor is under way. And Gloucestershire Live told the story of how a group of women who all suffer with chronic pain have set up a group to support others living with the condition. 'My German family was torn apart hours after VE Day' MP diagnosed with autoimmune condition after illness Travel warning as 11 day Severn Tunnel works start A Weston-super-Mare based funeral home have been offering free prom night limo rides for those who are struggling financially. The leader of North Somerset Council has addressed confusion over the ongoing restoration work at Birnbeck Pier and says every pound spent can be accounted for. Residents in Bath have expressed concern over the potential for a university open day, Ladies Day at Bath Racecourse and a Robbie Williams concert on the Royal Crescent all happening on the same day. Follow BBC West social channels in Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.
