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Last updated on Thursday, June 9, 2016
(UNDATED) - Visit Bloomington and the Lawrence County Tourism Commission have teamed up this year to celebrate Limestone Month, a designated 30 days in which residents across Monroe and Lawrence counties will be encouraged to celebrate local resources.
According to a press release, Limestone Month will be celebrated throughout June and will include events that highlight the rock's history, industry, artistry and architecture.
Residents can explore working quarries through guided tours, including tours of the Elliot Stone Mill June 16 and the Maple Hill Quarry on June 25. Access to these areas are extremely restricted throughout the year.
The tours of each working mill will cost $10 per person and are led by professionals in the limestone industry. At the Elliot Stone Mill, visitors will be able to watch limestone slabs be cut, while at the Maple Hill Quarry, guests will be provided with more of an education on the industry and the geological makeup of the stone itself.
There will be other opportunities to legally explore quarries this month, including guided tours of the State House Quarry in McCormick's Creek State Park, the abandoned Furst Quarry and the Indiana Stone Works Mill.
Guided architectural tours of the IU campus and prominent cemeteries in Lawrence and Monroe County will also be available throughout the month, each tour providing different information about the history of limestone and its importance in Indiana.
The annual Indiana Limestone Symposium will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year. Participants are invited to carving workshops, which will be open to anyone, no matter their artistic level or experience.
Limestone Month was created, according to the release, to bring awareness to the Indiana Limestone Heritage Trail - a 35-mile stretch of Indiana limestone also known as the Salem Belt.
Famous structures that have been built with south-central Indiana limestone include the Pentagon, the Lincoln Memorial, Rockefeller Center, Monument Circle in Indianapolis and Ellis Island in New York, according to the Visit Bloomington website.
More information on Limestone Month can be found at www.limestonemonth.com.
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