Conversations 2026
April 24–26
Indianapolis, Indiana
The annual conference of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art is a weekend to engage with a diverse community of railroad photographers, artists, magazine editors, industry leaders, scholars, and fellow railfans. Join us for inspiring conversations and presentations about railroads and their history, culture, and art.
Top: Kit Courter presents at Conversations 2025. Photographs by Elrond Lawrence
Conversations 2026 will take place on the weekend of April 24-26 at The Indiana History Center, home of the Indiana Historical Society, in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The location allows for more capacity in the 290-seat Frank and Katrina Basile Theater; several hotels are within walking distance. Free parking will be provided at the venue during the conference.
Online registrations have closed. If you would still like to attend, please send an email to info [at] railphoto-art.org to inquire about a spot.
The Saturday-Sunday conference is $205 for members, $255 for non-members, and $75 for students (includes lunch and an evening reception on Saturday, plus continental breakfast each morning). A Saturday evening dinner and Friday train ride are also available.
Hotels: The Center is no longer providing a room block due to under utilization in past years. Most hotels in the downtown area will charge additional parking fees. There are many hotels with free parking within a 15-minute radius of the History Center. Several large events are taking place in the downtown area during the conference; please consider booking hotels early.
Cancellation Policy: For a full refund, cancellations must take place no later than April 1, 2026. Due to cut-off dates for catering and other fixed costs, the Center cannot refund cancellations made after April 1.
About the conference
The Indiana History Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the venue for Conversations 2026. Its exhibitions including The Electric Railway: Indiana’s Interurbans will be available for viewing during the conference. Photographs by Scott Lothes
Timing and locations
Friday, April 24
Noblesville, Indiana
Nickel Plate Express
825 Forest Park Drive
Noblesville, IN 46060
4:00 p.m. train ride including onboard drinks and appetizers, with a photo runby. Return at 6:15 p.m.; dinner on your own.
Saturday, April 25
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indiana History Center
450 W. Ohio Street
Indianapolis, Indiana
Doors open at 8:00 a.m. for a full day of presentations including a light breakfast, lunch, and reception, with an optional dinner.
Saturday, April 25
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indiana History Center
450 W. Ohio Street
Indianapolis, Indiana
Doors open at 8:00 a.m. for a half day of presentations including a light breakfast and snacks. Programming will conclude by 12:30 p.m.
Friday reception on the Nickel Plate Express
Our reception on Friday, April 24, will take place aboard a chartered train of the Nickel Plate Express, which departs from Noblesville’s Forest Park at 4:00 p.m. Please plan to arrive by 3:30 for boarding. No tickets will be issued in advance; our staff will check you in from a table on the platform. The trip includes drinks and appetizers as well as a photo runby. The train will return at approximately 6:15 p.m. Dinner is on your own; there are several restaurants in Noblesville.
Saturday and Sunday at the Indiana History Center
The conference venue for Saturday and Sunday is the Indiana Historical Society’s Indiana History Center at 450 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Free parking is available in the lot on the building’s north side; enter from New York Street (which is one-way going east; map courtesy of OpenStreetMap.org).
On both Saturday and Sunday, doors open at 8:00 a.m. and presentations begin at 9:00. Programming on Saturday concludes at 5:00 p.m.; a reception for all attendees will immediately follow. For those who purchased it, the on-site dinner begins at 7:00. On Sunday, programming will conclude at 12:30.
Presenters
- Jennifer Al-Beik
- Darryl Bond
- Jeff Brouws and John Hankey, including their new book, Silent Monoliths: The Coaling Tower Project, which will be available for purchase
- David Busse
- Adrienne Evans, Natalie Krecek, and Jordan Craig
- Zach Halama
- David Oroszi
- Jeff Mast
- Micah Mocnik
- Bill Stewart
- Robert West
