Are you looking for some fun activities or attractions in Indianapolis? Even if you’ve lived in Indianapolis your entire life, it’s nearly impossible to know everything available to do in this historic city. Besides being home to the Indy 500 and Wonder Bread, the city is packed full of great restaurants, museums, sports centers, and niche attractions. Even the fact that Indianapolis has more memorials and monuments than any other state besides Washington, D.C. is so cool. We put together a list of 15 best things to do in Indianapolis that you should check out. Let’s discover what your city has to offer; maybe you’ll find a few things you didn’t already know about.
We’re aware that these uncertain times limit many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’ve featured destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to immediately check them out. We believe that supporting local attractions is essential now more than ever, and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures!
What You Can Do When In Indianapolis, Indiana
Best Things To Do In Indianapolis:
- The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
This fantastic interactive children’s museum is the biggest in the world and certainly worth a family visit! For example, the five-level playground has a 43-foot vibrant Dale Chihuly’ Fireworks of Glass’ sculpture that hangs in the middle of the atrium and a usable 1917 carousel on the top floor! You and your kids will love exploring the impressive collection of dinosaur fossils, learn all about Take Me There®: Greece, and enjoy the sight of an international space station in the beyond spaceship earth exhibit. Together with the Earth’s Treasures and so much more to see and learn about, this will be a fun day out full of exploration and wonder!
Website: The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Besides being known for being the “Greatest Race Course in the World,” the motor speedway has quite a history. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was constructed in 1909 and has a permanent seating capacity for 257,325 guests, making it the world’s highest-capacity sports venue. It is also home to the world’s largest and second-largest single-day sporting events. The venue is so large that it is said you can fit the Roman Coliseum, Vatican City, Rose Bowl, Yankee Stadium, and Churchill Downs inside the 2.5-mile oval, which is a downsize from the original planned 3-mile oval. There are several available track tours, a behind-the-scenes tour, and an IMS museum basement tour for a limited time. You and your family will have a fantastic time visiting the Hall of Fame Museum, which houses memorabilia, trophies, and actual winning cars from the past century of open-wheel racing!
Website: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
- Indianapolis Zoo
This terrific 64-acre attraction, which includes a zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden, is home to many animals and plants. The grounds consist of approximately 250 species of animals and over 2,000 varieties of plants. The zoo’s White River Gardens is a 3.3-acre landmark attraction with beautifully landscaped garden rooms and a 5,000 sq ft conservatory. Bring the family and immerse yourself in the savannah, the desert, forest, and ocean with animals native to those areas. Don’t forget to visit the flight of fancy exhibits, which is home to beautiful birds from Africa, South America, Asia, and Australia. You can also swim with dolphins, feed animals, touch sharks, and take a 10-minute “zoo behind the zoo” train ride. There are also plenty of on-site restaurants with a variety of food options.
Website: Indianapolis Zoo
- Eiteljorg Museum
What a great museum for the whole family to enjoy! At this hands-on venue, experience all the excitement of escaping to the West; your kids can hop into a stagecoach, dress in authentic costumes, and pretend to play in the General Store while learning about how life once was. The recreational part also has an outstanding collection of Native American history and art, together with a nice gift shop selling fascinating, attractive handcrafted tools, purses, and clothing.
Website: Eiteljorg Museum
- Dallara IndyCar Factory
A day out at the Dallara IndyCar Factory is a must for any family’s petrol heads! The 20,000 sq ft venue is made up of interactive and hands-on exhibits. You can get behind the wheel of a full car simulator or box cart simulator equipped with iRacing. Or if you feel advantageous, take a ride in a street-legal two-seater Indy Car which is fully equipped with headlights, taillights, turn signals, and is also plated by the state of Indiana. And don’t forget to take a factory tour and watch skillful technicians handcraft a Dallara Indycar chassis. For a cool souvenir of the day, have your picture taken with the awesome, fast-paced DW12.
Website: Dallara IndyCar Factory
- Indiana State Museum
The Indiana State Museum showcases the Hoosier State’s story in a rich and fascinating way from prehistoric times until today. Within three floors of Core Galleries, the exhibits’ wealth includes Indiana art, culture, and science. The exterior artwork represents the 92 counties making up the state in a colorful, vibrant way. Your children will especially enjoy the many hands-on areas throughout the museum that allow them to dig into real-life history! At the end of your visit, enjoy a delicious meal at the Farmers Market Café, serving some of Indiana’s local produce.
Website: Indiana State Museum
- NCAA Hall of Champions
For the college sporting fans, take a trip to the NCAA Hall of Champions for a fun day exploring what it takes to make the grade. Within the building’s two levels, you will see all 24 NCAA sports represented on the first floor, including current team rankings, trivia challenges, video highlights, and artifacts donated from colleges around the nation. The second level features a 1930’s retro gymnasium, ski simulator, and a fully interactive area to compete virtually and hands-on through sports simulators.
Website: NCAA Hall of Champions
- Duckpin Bowling
Duckpins is a fun site that offers a twist on traditional bowling! Both kids and adults will have a fantastic time in this out of the ordinary bowling venue featuring eight duckpin lanes and a billiard table, surrounded by 1930s decor. Duckpin bowling is different from traditional bowling; the bowling balls are smaller without holes for your fingers, and each player is allowed three rolls per frame, but don’t worry, the game is easy for everyone to pick up. While you’re there, make a point to enjoy a meal and take a historic building tour.
Website: Duckpin Bowling
- K1 Speed Indianapolis
Seeing that you’re in the heart of American motorsport, it makes sense to add some racing fun of your own! K1 Speed offers high-powered go-karts for both adults and kids to have fun with their high performance and professionally designed bi-level, 900 ft go-kart race tracks. The venue also has a wonderful collection of authentic racing memorabilia, a Pit Café snack bar, and a gaming area and large lounge, so there is something for everyone to enjoy. The staff is very friendly and helpful too. Speeds can reach up to 40 mph, so hold on tight!
Website: K1 Speed Indianapolis
- Lucas Oil Stadium
Whether you and the family are Colts fans or not, this multi-purpose stadium is a great place to attend a concert, have a bite to eat, and walk around the various shops within the stadium’s interior, and of course, watch a football game! The stadium replaced the RCA Dome and had the honor of hosting the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI. The stadium is often referred to as “The House That Manning Built” because of Peyton Manning’s 14 season career with the Indianapolis Colts. The stadium is easy to navigate with plenty of help on hand if you need it.
Website: Lucas Oil Stadium
- Slippery Noodle Inn
The Slippery Noodle, founded in 1850, is the oldest bar in Indiana and has been praised by Rolling Stone magazine to be one of the nation’s top blues bars. Visitors would include Harrison Ford, Dave Matthews, Jimmy Fallon, and many more. The Noodle offers live blues seven days a week and serves a full menu that runs the gamut from sandwiches to full-on dinners. Though the Slippery Noodle has gone through several name changes, it’s history is very interesting, including being a station for the underground railroad. And the building in the back was used for target practice for the Brady & Dillinger gangs with bullet slugs still embedded in the wall.
Website: Slippery Noodle Inn
- Indiana Medical History Museum
This is a fascinating venue to visit for those budding doctors in the family or those simply interested in the country’s historical and medical history. Located on the grounds of the former Central State Hospital, the core of the museum being the Old Pathology Building is the nation’s oldest surviving pathology facility, as well as listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Initially focusing on the physical cause of mental diseases, the hospital operated until the 1960s before becoming a museum. The entire scientifically equipped interior was left intact, enabling visitors to explore the teaching amphitheater, which includes laboratories for clinical chemistry, histology, bacteriology, and the autopsy room and anatomical museum, which has preserved specimens.
Website: Indiana Medical History Museum
- Rhythm! Discovery Center
The Rhythm! Discovery Center is a wonderful interactive venue for those of all ages as a place to bring out your rhythm! The Discovery Center is one of the world’s leading percussion museums, providing educational exhibits and interactive programs that draw from cultures worldwide. It will be of particular interest to everyone who enjoys drumming. As you view room after room of varieties of drums and read all about percussion history, you can then get your musical creativity started in a soundproof room! Your kids will love it – guaranteed!
Website: Rhythm! Discovery Center
- Monument Circle
This 284 ½ ft monument, in neoclassical style, was built in honor of the soldiers and sailors serving this country.m On top of the monument is an observation deck with views of downtown Indianapolis. Around the memorial, events also occur year-round, including The Arts Market, Monument Circle Tours, Original Farmers Market, and The Circle of Lights Tree Lighting during the winter holiday season.
Website: Monument Circle
- The Indianapolis Museum of Art
The Indianapolis Museum of Art nestled on 152 acres of beautifully manicured grounds and gardens, which houses a permanent collection that comprises over 54,000 works of art, including American, African, Asian, and European pieces. The museum is the eighth largest encyclopedia art museum and is worth a visit for all ages. While you’re there, don’t forget to visit the Indianapolis Star Family Studio, which is an interactive space for all the family to explore, create, and share, using art in new ways, and it’s free! Make sure to save some time to explore Oldfield-Lilly House and Gardens within the museum grounds.
Website: The Indianapolis Museum of Art
Conclusion:
Hopefully, this list of best things to do in Indianapolis has given you some great ideas for something to do around town. Exploring new things in the area is a great way to learn more about your city and get you and your family out of the house for a couple of hours. You probably have experienced your fair share of being stuck at home these last few months. Besides being anxious to get out of your house, you may have discovered your home isn’t a good fit for you anymore. If you are considering upsizing or downsizing or ready to be done with consistent home repairs and renovations that eat into any extra money to enjoy activities like the ones listed above, we understand!
If you are considering a housing change or due to unforeseen circumstances, need to move, Time Worthy Property Solutions can be of help! We are a professional home buying company in Indianapolis that purchases properties in as-is condition. Unlike traditional home sales, we work with people facing foreclosure, bankruptcy, liens, major repairs, and many more. Besides purchasing houses in as-is condition, we also pay in cash, which allows us to close quickly. We would save you the trouble of hiring an agent, making costly repairs, and months of uncertainty selling a house on the market. There are no commissions, fees, or closing costs when you work with us.
Don’t be stuck in a house that doesn’t allow you to get out and enjoy life. If you’re ready to take the next step and get a cash offer for your home, give us a call or visit our website. We are excited for you to be able to enjoy the attractions that Indianapolis has to offer its residents.