Two conformational isomers of 5-indanol have been identified in a supersonic jet expansion and their S-0 <-> S-1 vibronic spectra have been investigated using laser induced fluorescence excitation, dispersed fluorescence and UV-UV hole-burning spectroscopy. Two conformational isomers appear due to the orientation of the -OH group at the 5-position of the benzene ring. The puckering (CH2)-H-(1) frequency has been assigned with the aid of theoretical calculations. The experimental observations have been interpreted by the predicts of ab initio electronic structure calculations performed at the HF/6-31+G and MP2/6-31G level of theories. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.