Entry No. 13 — the Indianapolis file — filed under: speakeasy
The Commodore
Hidden inside Fountain Square's historic Murphy Arts Center building behind an unmarked door near the elevators, The Commodore is a dark, plush speakeasy serving meticulously crafted cocktails.
The story
Walk into Fountain Square’s historic Murphy Arts Center and bypass whatever is happening in the main corridors. You’re looking for the elevators, or more accurately, the completely blank, unmarked door sitting right beside them. Push through it and you drop straight out of a quiet arts building hallway into a dark, plush cocktail vault hidden entirely from Prospect Street.
The Commodore exists because Indianapolis was long missing a secluded, fully committed speakeasy that didn't rely on neon signage or street-level visibility. Instead, it stays tucked behind the Murphy's walls, operating quietly every night of the week as a low-lit refuge where the bartenders take their cocktail craft with absolute seriousness.
What it's like
Finding the door is the first hurdle: head into 1107 Prospect Street, locate the elevator bank, and open the blank door that looks like it belongs to maintenance. Inside, expect heavy shadows, plush booth seating, and a quiet room where conversation stays low. Order from the seasonal cocktail menu and give the bartenders time to do their work. When you're ready to clear your tab, don't look for a standard leather presenter—your bill arrives tucked inside the pages of a vintage children's book.
The move: Sip custom seasonal craft cocktails in a dimly lit corner booth and look for your bill tucked inside a vintage children's book at the end of the night.
- 📍 Fountain Square
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1107 Prospect St, Indianapolis, IN 46203
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- The Inferno Room — Follow up a dark, hidden cocktail session at The Commodore with an immersive tiki detour just two blocks down Prospect Street.
- The Vault Indy — Keep the secret bar crawl going by heading west into Bates-Hendricks to punch a passcode into a keypad door.
- Chatham Passage — Swap subterranean drinking for an open-air sensory secret on Mass Ave, where a street grate wafts the scent of fresh roses from below.
Good to know
Where is the entrance to The Commodore hidden?
It sits inside the Murphy Arts Center building at 1107 Prospect Street, tucked behind an unmarked door right next to the elevators.
Do you need a password or secret code to get in?
No password or special knock is required—you just need to know which door to open.
What is the deal with the check at the end of the night?
Instead of a standard receipt booklet, your bill is delivered inside a vintage children's book.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: visitindy.com · do317.com
last checked: 2026-07-21