The Best Things to do in Indy
Considering a trip to the Midwest but not sure what to do? Indianapolis has quite a bit to offer! After my recent trip, I have compiled the best things to do in Indy!
Monument Circle
You can’t come to Indy without visiting Monument Circle! It is located at the center of downtown and and has become an icon of the state of Indiana. The Soldiers & Sailors Monument (Monument Circle) was constructed between 1887 and 1902 and even has a Civil War Museum and an observation deck that is an elevator ride or 330 steps up! This area is a nice place to take in the beauty of the monument and listen to the music that is always playing in this area. Many people come to visit this icon and many locals hang out and do photo shoots here. Around the circle and nearby are many restaurants and businesses. Every night at Monument Circle is “Shining a Light” light show that is seasonally themed. The light show begins at dusk and plays through the night 365 days a year. On weekends you can also find horse drawn carriages which you can ride for a fee. This was only steps away from my hotel downtown and I visited every day! I definitely recommend checking out Monument Circle during the day and visiting the museum and observation deck, as well as experiencing the light show at night.
Canal Walk
The canal walk is a beautiful 3-mile loop located in downtown Indy and is great for walking and site seeing! It is a part of the Indiana Central Canal that was dug in the early 1800s for commerce. From this walk you can see Indianapolis city views and walk by Military Park, NCAA Hall of Champions, White River State Park, and numerous museums. This was one of my parts of the city just because it was nice to walk along the water and see downtown Indy. Pedal boats and gondola rides are available during the warmer months, and this would be fun to do as well! The canal walk is open 24-hours a day, but I’d recommend going in the morning for the best weather and least amount of crowds.
Museums
Indianapolis has many museums that are worth the visit! Here is a list of the most popular museums and what they have to offer:
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
Open 10am-5pm daily, Admission varies $12-$35
With 5 floors of fun and interactive learning exhibits, families learn about art, world culture, science, and humanities. This museum has a 4.5 star review on Yelp and is voted number 1 in the nation on many outlets. I’ve also heard great things about this museum from locals so it’s definitely a must do if you have children!
Indiana State Museum
Open 10am-5pm Wed-Sun, Admission $17 adult/$12 children
This museum tells the story of Indiana’s past and present with 3 floors of exhibits. This is a great way to learn all about the Hoosier state, and is highly rated.
Indianapolis Museum of Art
Open 11am-5pm Sun & Tues-Wed and 11am-8pm Thurs-Sat, Admission $18 adult/$10 children
One of the nation’s largest and oldest general art museums, it offers more than 50,000 works of art from many eras and cultures. It is also surrounded by 52 acres of gardens which is great to visit right now in the springtime!
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art
Open 10am-5pm Mon-Sat & 12-5pm Sun, Admission $13 adults/$7 children
This museum is one of only two museums east of the Mississippi that features Native American and Western Art. Also highly rated and recommended by locals.
Indiana Historical Society
Open 10am-5pm Tues-Sat, Admission $13 adults/$5 children
The Historical Society is home to the Indiana Experience which immerses guests in stories of the state’s past using new technology!
Indianapolis Zoo
Hours vary based on the time of year
Not a museum, but their Zoo has 64 acres of indoor and outdoor animal attractions and 3 additional acres of outdoor gardens. Just the gardens alone are amazing and great to visit in the spring and summer.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Can’t go to Indy without visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500! As long as no races or events are happening, you are able to see the speedway for free from inside the middle of the track. For a more educational and interactive experience, be sure to visit the Museum which is one of the world’s largest collection of racing cars as well as antique and classic cars. The museum includes a wide variety of cars including 30 that won the Indy 500. If you want to actually see the speedway be on it, there is a VIP Grounds Tour ($30), “Kiss the Bricks” tour (as winning drivers do, $20), and a Behind-the-Scenes Tour ($20). All the tours include Museum access. Just Museum admission is $10 adults/$5 children and the museum is open daily Nov-Feb 10am-4pm (except holidays) and 9am-5pm Mar-Oct.
Food
Indy has some great local eats as well as some staple chain restaurants. Most of the big chain restaurants are located right downtown near Mile Square and Circle Centre Mall, but for some good local eats venture out further downtown, Mass Ave., or The Garage Food Hall! Here were my faves and suggestions:
Brunch:
Gallery Pastry – Nice ambiance and community style dinning. Very unique twist on brunch and beautiful and delicious pastries.
The Garden Table – Such a cute restaurant, food is great and this place stays busy! A popular spot for Birthday’s and Bachelorette Parties.
P.S. Brunch is my favorite meal!
Lunch/Dinner:
The Eagle – Modern Southern Comfort food. Everything we had here was delicious! Their chicken sandwiches, french fries and grilled cheese are all so good. The grilled cheese had apples and jam inside! (Sorry, my husband and I eat like children).
The Garage Food Hall – This food hall has many local food vendors that are all delicious. This is perfect for when no one can decide where to eat since there are so many great options in one place! Open 10:30am-9pm (10pm on weekends).
Drinks
Like any city, there are many coffee shops and of course you can find Starbucks everywhere. There are also so many bars and breweries downtown all within walking distance. The breweries are great to visit during the day to hang out and rest in between site seeing, and for nightlife check out Mass Ave. or near the center of downtown. Here’s my recommendations:
South Bend Chocolate Company Chocolate Cafe – Their mocha is soooo chocolatey and comes with a chocolate dipped spoon! It’s also located in Monument Circle so it has a great location and is a must stop. Their cheesecakes are amazing too!
Taxman Brewing Co. – Great brews and food (since it’s a Gastropub). They have a great variety including ales, sours, porters, IPAs and whiskey barrel brews. If the weather is warm, their patio is really nice and dog friendly. It is right next to the train tracks so it can get a little loud, but there was still a nice ambiance.
The Exchange – This bar had speakeasy vibes with a dark and intimate ambiance and amazing cocktails. The outside is pretty dark and doesn’t make it look like its open, but it was busy inside. This was my favorite cocktail bar find of the trip!
Brothers Bar and Grill – Cheap drinks and eats and stays busy.
Bitbar Arcade – Arcade bar that is very popular. Although I didn’t go inside, it’s highly rated and was very packed when I walked by.
Mural Walls
I love finding mural walls while traveling! They are great backgrounds for pictures and you can see a piece of local street art in the process. There are many mural walls in downtown Indy, you just have to walk around to find them! Here are some that I found!
Also, Indianapolis has Indy signs all around the city and in the airport. These are fun to take a picture with as the “I” and definitely a touristy thing to do!
Just For Fun
Ride Electric Scooters
Yes these scooters are in most major cities, but they are a great way to get around and have fun doing it! Plus they were a fun activity that is cheap and readily available everywhere! We rode Bird scooters in Indy on multiple occasions!
Mass Ave.
Not only great for night life, Mass Ave. has many shops and restaurants to explore during the day! This is a great street to stroll during the day for shopping and brunch or lunch!
Fountain Square & Duckpin Bowling
Fountain Square was the first commercial historic district in Indiana and is home to a theater, game room, rooftop garden and bar, and Duckpin Bowling. Action Duckpin was originally opened in 1928 and has been restored to its former glory. Duckpin is similar to bowling as we know today, with some differences. It consists of 10 pins that are smaller in size and a small ball that you throw much like skee-ball. Since it is harder to knock down all the pins with the small ball, there are 3 bowls to a frame. I played duckpin for the first time in Cincinnati and I loved it!
