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Indianapolis Attractions
The center of downtown Indianapolis is Monument Circle, with the 284-foot-tall Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at its core, crowned by a statue of Victory, known as Miss Indiana. An observation deck offers a panoramic view. Lights strung from the top of the monument during the holidays make it the "world's largest Christmas tree."
About a half-mile north of Monument Circle, bordered by Meridian Street on the west and Pennsylvania Street on the east, is the 24-acre Indiana War Memorial Plaza Historic District (www.in.gov/iwm), composed of sculptures, landscaped open spaces, and the neoclassical War Memorial Museum.
The beautifully restored Lockerbie Square area, about a mile northeast of Monument Circle, is Indianapolis's oldest surviving neighborhood, and the first district in the city to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visit the website of the Lockerbie Square People's Club (www.lockerbiesquare.org) for more information and to download a walking tour of the neighborhood.
Eagle Creek Park, 7840 W. 56th St. (tel. 317/327-7110; www.indyparks.org), is one of the largest municipal parks in the country, with 4,000 acres of wooded terrain for hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing, and a 1,300-acre reservoir. The main attraction of the 128-acre Garfield Park Conservatory, 2450 Shelby St. (tel. 317/327-7184; www.garfieldgardensconservatory.org), is a tropical greenhouse -- complete with parrots and macaws, and waterfall-fed pools -- planted with flora from around the world. Admission to the conservatory is free (donations welcome), though entrance to the park is $5 per vehicle; open daily from 10am to 5pm.
6 Results
- Museum
Children's Museum of Indianapolis
This is one of the largest children's museums in the world, with interactive exhibits covering everything from archaeology to world cultures to biotechnology, plus extensive toy displays, a working antique carousel, and a planetarium. It may be most famous for its Dinosphere… - Museum
Conner Prairie
Located 30 miles northeast of downtown, this restored 19th-century village faithfully reproduces pioneer life between 1820 and 1840, as well as recreating life during the Civil War (in a separate section). There's a working farm, with animal encounters, a tethered balloon ride (for… - Museum
Eiteljorg Museum
The odd name here is for its founder, local businessman Harrison Eiteljorg, who took his obsession with all things Western and created this impressive museum. Not only does it have one of the best Western Art collections in the country (second only to the Amon Carter Museum in Fort…Downtown
- Sports Venue
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Built in 1909, this is one of the most celebrated auto raceways in the world. Each May, more than 400,000 spectators throng to the 2.5-mile oval course to watch the Indianapolis 500, the largest single-day sporting event in the world, boasting the largest purse in motor racing.The… - Museum
Newfields: A Place for Nature and the Arts
Is this the future of the art world? The curators of the former Indianapolis Art Museum are betting big it is. In 2017, the world-class museum radically rebranded itself, changing its name, adding an admission’s charge, and attempting to get those who aren’t jazzed by art to ante up… - Cultural complex
White River State Park
White River State Park (and the adjacent Central Canal area), located in the heart of downtown, has something for just about everyone. Like many parks, it contains trails, greenery, and waterways, but it's also home to a number of museums and attractions , as well as an open-air…
Indianapolis Shopping
The cornerstone of Indy's downtown shopping scene is Circle Centre, 49 W. Maryland St. (tel. 317/681-8000; www.circlecentre.com), with anchor stores Nordstrom and Carson Pirie Scott, 100 specialty shops, restaurants, nightclubs, a cinema, and the Artsgarden (a performance space suspended over a busy intersection and covered by a glass dome).
The Fashion Mall at Keystone, 86th Street and Keystone Avenue (tel. 317/574-4000; www.fashionmallatkeystone.com), is the city's other leading mall, with anchor stores Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, a number of national chain stores, and numerous specialty and designer boutiques. The mall also features the Keystone Art Cinema and Indie Lounge (tel. 317/577-3009), with a full-service bar (and live music on weekends) where you can stop before or after taking in the latest indie flick.
The Castleton Square Mall, 82nd Street just east of Allisonville Road (tel. 317/849-9993; www.shopcastletonsquare.com), is larger than Keystone and has more choices for shoppers on a budget (such as JCPenney and Sears). Other department stores include Von Maur, plus plenty of national chain stores, as well as a new multiplex movie theater.
For something different, head to Broad Ripple, a charming neighborhood 15 minutes north of downtown filled with unique shops such as Girly Chic Boutique, 841 E. Westfield Blvd. (tel. 317/217-1525; www.girlychicboutique.com), and local independent chain LUNA music, 5202 N. College Ave. (tel. 317/283-5862; www.lunamusic.net), which sells CDs, vinyl, and posters, and hosts in-store live performances. (LUNA also has a store downtown at 431 Massachusetts Ave.) For a directory of Broad Ripple's shops, galleries, and restaurants, visit www.discoverbroadripplevillage.com.
Indianapolis Nightlife
The Performing Arts
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (tel. 800/366-8457 or 317/639-4300; www.indyorch.org) has its home in the Hilbert Circle Theater, a vintage 1916 film palace on Monument Circle. Clowes Memorial Hall, 4600 Sunset Ave. (tel. 800/732-0804, 317/940-6444, or 940-9696; www.cloweshall.org), a performing arts center on the campus of Butler University, is home to the Indianapolis Opera, Butler Ballet, and Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. The professional Indiana Repertory Theatre, 140 W. Washington St. (tel. 317/635-5277; www.indianarep.com), offers a September-to-May season, including classics such as A Christmas Carol. Theatre on the Square, 627 Massachusetts Ave. (tel. 317/685-8687; www.tots.org), and the Phoenix Theatre, 749 N. Park Ave. (tel. 317/635-7529; www.phoenixtheatre.org), tend to produce more irreverent and cutting-edge shows.
The Madame Walker Theatre Center, 617 Indiana Ave. (tel. 317/236-2099 for information and tickets; www.walkertheatre.com), is an ornate 1927 Art Deco theater offering jazz, gospel, drama, and dance performances. Every other Friday from 6 to 10pm, "Jazz on the Avenue" showcases local, regional, and national talent.
The Club & Bar Scene
Indianapolis's nightlife is primarily located in the downtown area and in Broad Ripple Village, an artsy enclave of boutiques, bistros, and bungalows 15 minutes north of downtown.
For live jazz every night except Sunday, downtowners head to the cozy Chatterbox Tavern, 435 Massachusetts Ave. (tel. 317/636-0584; www.chatterboxjazz.com), where big-name acts playing in town sometimes stop by. (Mick Jagger once dropped in after a Stones concert.) Another downtown top spot for live music is the Slippery Noodle Inn, 372 S. Meridian St. (tel. 317/631-6974; www.slipperynoodle.com), Indiana's oldest standing bar (established 1850; rumor has it that Hoosier hoodlum John Dillinger used the club's back wall for target practice) and the place in the city for blues. You can also check out the local scene at the friendly Old Point Tavern, 401 Massachusetts Ave. (tel. 317/634-8943); in warm weather, the action spills onto an outside patio. To hear talented DJs (local and touring) spinning the latest techno/trance beats, head to Therapy, 605 E. Market St. (tel. 317/632-0325).
For dancing (or cruising), gay travelers shoot for Greg's Indianapolis, 231 E. 16th St. (tel. 317/638-8138; www.gregsindiana.com); the Metro Nightclub, 707 Massachusetts Ave. (tel. 317/639-6022; www-metro-indy.com); or Talbott Street, 2145 N. Talbott St. (tel. 317/931-1343; www.talbottstreet.com). Lesbians can hop over to mostly female dance club the Ten, 1218 N. Pennsylvania (tel. 317/638-5802); the neighborhood is on the dodgy side, but the crowd inside is generally welcoming and very diverse.
If you're not sure what you're in the mood for, check out Jillian's, 141 S. Meridian St. (tel. 317/822-9300), a multistory complex that includes two restaurants, a game room, billiards, a dance club, and "multimedia" bowling (neon lanes, glow-in-the dark balls, and video walls).
Broad Ripple Village, an easy drive north of downtown straight up Meridian Street, is where the local yuppies, college students, and high school cool kids go for weekend fun. At the Vogue, 6259 N. College Ave. (tel. 317/259-7029; www.thevogue.ws), local bands and big names perform in a renovated movie theater; when nobody's playing, it's a hot dance club. Other good bets are the casual Broad Ripple Brew Pub, 840 E. 65th St. (tel. 317/253-2739; www.broadripplebrewpub.com); the cigar/martini bar on the second floor of the Broad Ripple Steak House, 929 E. Westfield Blvd. (tel. 317/253-8101; www.broadripplesteakhouse.com); and the Alley Cat Lounge, 6267 Carrollton Ave. (tel. 317/257-4036), considered by most locals to be the best dive bar in town. For a DJ and dancing with a younger crowd, head to Rock Lobster, 820 Broad Ripple Ave. (tel. 317/253-5844; www.rocklobster.ws). Mature audiences head to the Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N. College Ave. (tel. 317/253-4900; www.thejazzkitchen.com), for live jazz Friday and Saturday.
