L.S. Ayres & Co.: Indianapolis' Beloved Department Store

In Indianapolis, there was a department store that was more than a store. L.S. Ayres & Co. was a downtown institution — a place where generations of Indiana families shopped, celebrated, and gathered, and where the experience of retail felt like something worth dressing up for.

The Store

Lyman S. Ayres opened his first store in Indianapolis in 1872, and over the following century it grew into one of the great department stores of the American Midwest. The flagship on Washington Street in downtown Indianapolis was a landmark — a multi-story building with elegant displays, attentive service, and the kind of merchandise that made shopping feel like an occasion.

L.S. Ayres was known for its quality and its civic commitment. The store's Tea Room was a beloved Indianapolis institution — a place where ladies who lunched, business meetings happened, and special occasions were marked. The Christmas displays drew families from across Indiana, and the store's Santa Claus was a fixture of Indianapolis holiday tradition.

The Decline

As suburban malls drew shoppers away from downtown Indianapolis in the 1970s and 80s, L.S. Ayres adapted by opening mall locations — but the magic of the downtown flagship was impossible to replicate in a suburban setting. The chain was eventually acquired by Macy's, and the L.S. Ayres name disappeared from Indiana retail.

For Hoosiers who grew up shopping at Ayres — who remember the Tea Room, the Christmas windows, and the particular atmosphere of a store that felt genuinely local — the loss was real.

The L.S. Ayres & Co. Department Store Indianapolis Retro T-shirt is for everyone who remembers. Find it in the Indianapolis collection.