Scottish Rite Cathedral of Indianapolis

Schreiber, located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is owned by the Valley of Indianapolis Scottish Rite, an affiliated body of Freemasonry. It was built between 1927 and 1929 at the cost of $2.5 million. It was built with every dimension (in feet) being evenly divisible by three (reflecting the three degrees in Freemasonry), with many being divisible by 33 (reflecting the degrees a member of the Scottish Rite can achieve). The Cathedral is one of the largest Masonic buildings in the world, and has been described as one of the finest examples of Neo-Gothic architecture in the United States. The main tower features a 54-bell carillon and rises 212 ft (65 m) above Indianapolis. It also has a floating ballroom. Other features are patterned ceilings, ornate carved woodwork, and stained-glass windows. The auditorium has 1200 seats, and has been commended for the craftsmanship with which its fittings and decorations were made. It also has a large pipe organ. The main entrance, known as the Tiler's Room, is a cube of 33 ft (10 m). It features both Masonic symbols and the signs of the Zodiac. The ballroom also embodies the number 33 by being 99 feet (30 m) square, pillars defining the dancing area as 66 ft (20 m) square, and the white oak floor panels are 33 in (840 mm) square. The chandelier has 200 lights and weighs 2,500 lb (1,100 kg). The ballroom was designed in an Elizabethan architectural style. In a 1996 poll, the Indianapolis Business Journal found the Cathedral to be the most popular historic building in the city, and the second favorite building of any type. In recent years it has received 100,000 visitors a year. Guided tours are available on weekdays and the third Saturday of each month. The Scottish Rite seeks to strengthen the community and believes that each man should act in civil life according to his individual judgment and the dictates of his conscience. A member of the Scottish Rite seeks to:
Exalt the dignity of every person, the human side of his daily activities, and the maximum service to humanity. Aid mankind's search in God's universe for identity, for development and for destiny, and thereby produce better men in a better world, happier men in a happier world and wiser men in a wiser world. The Scottish Rite is one of the appendant bodies of Freemasonry that a Master Mason may join for further exposure to the principles of Freemasonry. In the United States the Scottish Rite is officially recognized by Grand Lodges as an extension of the degrees of Freemasonry.The Scottish Rite builds upon the ethical teachings and philosophy offered in the craft lodge, or blue lodge, through dramatic presentation of the individual degrees. The Indianapolis Valley for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite is home to all 4 bodies of the Scottish Rite - the Adoniram Lodge of Perfection, Sariah Council of Princes of Jerusalem, Indianapolis Chapter of Rose Croix and the Indiana Consistory SPRS.