Indiana University Bicentennial

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — A Big Red Bus made a stop in Evansville Sunday, marking the 200th anniversary of Indiana University and highlighting the school's contributions across its home state.

It was parked outside the Evansville Museum to coincide with the opening of a new exhibit at the museum, also part of IU's bicentennial celebrations.

The inside of the bus was lined with exhibits, many of them interactive, which tell the story of the school's 200 years.

They include a case of sports memorabilia, a virtual reality tour of the school's campuses and a touchscreen map which narrates contributions IU faculty have to a host of different academic fields.

A separate touchscreen measures the economic impact of the university on a county-by-county basis. (In case you were wondering, the university paid $1,628,203 in taxable wages to employees in Vanderburgh County in 2017, according to the exhibit.)

"I think it's tremendous," Geoff Hyatt said of the bus. "I think it really provides not only a service to other areas outside of the major campuses, but it helps inform everyone of what IU does to serve in the community, not only throughout Indiana but beyond."

Hyatt, a two-time IU almnus, grew up in Evansville but now lives in Denver. He was in town visiting family when he saw the bus and wanted to peek inside.

"Not only did I go to IU for two degrees, but both of my parents graduated from IU as did all of my siblings," he said. "We're big fans of Indiana University, big supporters."

"It really reinforces that IU permeates the community in so many ways outside of just traditional education so it's a reminder of the service that IU provides throughout the state," he said.