By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — As a staple landmark of East 38th St., the Indiana State Fair’s Normandy Barn took a monumental step, literally, as it was transported to the north side of the fairgrounds in an effort to tap into year round educational programs.
“It’s a great final piece of the puzzle – bringing the Barn to the north side, because it works in perfectly with our existing ag education programs such as Pioneer Village and the Pathways to Water Quality exhibit,” said Andy Klotz, media relations manager for the Indiana State Fair (ISF).
He said the large, green-roofed barn was loaded-up on remote-controlled dollies, and moved across the street to its new home inside the State Fairgrounds on the morning of Monday, March 24. As its first-ever dollie-transport, the Barn traveled through Gate 19 on the fairgrounds’ southwest corner, proceeded north along the west end of the grounds, traveled out Gate 16 onto East 42nd St. and trucked east before reentering the fairgrounds nearing its final destination west of the Pioneer Village area.
“This was truly an amazing site to see,” Klotz said. “Something I know we’ll always remember as a very special day.”
The move took approximately four hours, he said, adding that the Barn will be newly positioned in between Pioneer Village and the machinery field as soon as the pouring of the new foundation is complete.
“Essentially, the Barn is parked next to the foundation right now,” Klotz mentioned. “As soon as it’s dry enough, we’ll just have to nudge it over a little bit, but it will be nothing compared to the trek it made on Monday.”
Klotz mentioned the roughly $600,000 cost to transport the Barn was fronted by a private firm last year.
The Indiana State Fair Commission decided to move the barn after it was gifted to the Indiana State Fair Commission by the Center for Agricultural Science and Heritage (CASH – the original owners of the barn) last fall. In its new home, the Barn will be used in conjunction with the other facilities that are part of the fairgrounds’ new agriculture education program, “The State’s Largest Classroom.”
“As we move the Barn to the north side we are further realizing our vision to develop a year round educational plaza where visitors can learn about agriculture, not unlike they might take a Saturday to go to the zoo or the Children’s Museum,” said Justin Armstrong, executive director of the Barn, now operated by the State Fair Commission.
Armstrong said the Barn will serve as a welcome center and centerpiece for the Fair’s year round ag education programs. He also said the Barn will feature an exhibition center in the downstairs area, focusing on contemporary agriculture.
Although a permanent display for the north side, the new exhibition center “will be designed as a flexible exhibit, so that we can alter it, so it’s always
relevant,” Armstrong noted.
“We’ve never lost site of our core mission to share the joy of agriculture with Hoosiers, particularly youth, but we just needed to tweak a couple things a little bit and moving the Barn was one of them.”
For more information on the Barn’s agricultural education initiative, visit www.in.gov/statefair/barn/ed or www.in.gov/statefair