Thermally promoted reactions of a range of alkynes with the orthomanganated acetophenone (η2-2-acetylphenyl)Mn(CO)4 generally give 1H-inden-1-ols in good yield; effects of substituents and solvent on these reactions are reported, along with the crystal structure of 1-methyl-2,3-diphenyl-1H-inden-1-ol. The corresponding orthomanganated benzophenone similarly gives the indenol with diphenylacetylene but by exception, orthomanganated 3-acetylthiophene with phenylacetylene reacts via triple alkyne insertion and cyclisation, shown by crystal structure determination of the π-complex product [(1,2,3,4,5-η)-2-(3-acetylthien-2-yl)-1,3,5-triphenylcyclohexadienyl]tricarbonylmanganese. Corresponding orthomanganated derivatives of N,N-dimethylbenzamide, methyl 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate and 4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde all give indenones with diphenylacetylene, but with (excess) acetylene only the aldehyde gives an indenone, the amide and ester giving instead [(1,2,3,4,5-η)-6-arylcyclohexadienyl]Mn(CO)3 complexes. 1H NMR analysis of these complexes shows H at C6 to be on the same face of the cyclohexadienyl ring as Mn(CO)3 (endo-6-H; exo 6-aryl) as expected from three successive syn additions of alkyne at metallated carbon followed by intramolecular syn addition of alkene in the final cyclisation stage.