Remember This Indiana Department Store? One of Its Most Iconic Traditions Is Back

A Classic Indiana Holiday Tradition Is Coming Back This Year

If you remember shopping at L.S. Ayres in Evansville, this might bring back a few memories.

I may not have been around for the heyday of L.S. Ayres, but I know there are plenty of people around Evansville who probably remember it.

And if that’s you, there’s a little bit of nostalgia coming back for the holidays this year.

The L.S. Ayres Tea Room at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis is bringing back its popular holiday lunches for the 2026 season, giving Hoosiers a chance to experience a tradition that goes back more than a century.

Yes, Evansville Had an L.S. Ayres

Before we get to the food, there’s actually an Evansville connection here.

L.S. Ayres wasn’t just an Indianapolis thing. The company eventually had stores throughout Indiana, including right here in Evansville.

The former Stewart’s department store at Washington Square Mall became an L.S. Ayres in the 1980s. That store remained at the mall until it closed in 1992.

So, if you remember shopping at L.S. Ayres in Evansville, this holiday experience might be worth a road trip up I-69.

The L.S. Ayres Tea Room Is Back for the Holidays

The original L.S. Ayres Tea Room opened inside the company’s massive downtown Indianapolis department store in 1905. It became so popular that it was moved and expanded in 1929.

Today, the Indiana State Museum keeps that piece of Indiana history alive with its own recreation of the Tea Room.

It’s much smaller than the original the museum version seats 64 people but it was designed with reproductions of the original columns, wallpaper, carpet, chandeliers and window treatments.

And during the holidays, they bring back the food, too.

What's on the Menu?

The Indiana State Museum says its holiday lunch buffet will include Tea Room favorites such as Chicken Velvet Soup, chicken salad, tea-time sandwiches and miniature desserts.

If Chicken Velvet Soup sounds familiar, that’s because it became one of the foods most associated with the original L.S. Ayres Tea Room.

The museum says the recipes are inspired by the originals, so this is about as close as you can get to stepping back into the L.S. Ayres days.

When Can You Go?

Holiday lunches will be offered from November 27, 2026, through January 3, 2027 at the Indiana State Museum in downtown Indianapolis.

Current seating times are 11 and 11:15 a.m., 12:30 and 12:45 p.m., and 2 and 2:15 p.m.

Reservations are strongly encouraged, especially considering the Tea Room only has 64 seats.

And honestly, I think this could make for a pretty fun holiday day trip from Evansville. You get a little Indiana history, some Christmas nostalgia and, most importantly, an excuse to try that famous Chicken Velvet Soup.