Recommendations on a Trip to Indianapolis

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If you are looking for a great driving trip to a Midwest destination, Indianapolis should be a top consideration. With at least 3 nights to spend there, hopefully more, travelers can experience many of the great attractions that downtown Indianapolis and surrounding areas have to offer. A unique part of downtown Indianapolis is Monument Circle in the heart of downtown. Visitors can admire the statues and monuments in the center of the circle and visit various shops, restaurants, and cafes as well. The image below is of a building in Monument Circle that broadcasts lights on the side of the building at night.

The downtown area has many lodging options, restaurants, bars, and sites all within walking distance. On a recent trip, I stayed at one of the downtown hotels that includes complimentary breakfast, complimentary evening reception, and provides a perfect location for a stay downtown. The Embassy Suites Indianapolis Downtown is in a central location which makes it easy to park your vehicle for the duration of your stay and walk around downtown without needing to pay for parking each time to go to a new destination. This hotel, like all downtown hotels, does have an overnight parking fee so don't be surprised by that. Being in this location allowed us easy access to numerous restaurants, malls, bars, and more. With a pool and hot tub to wind down after a long day of walking and spacious suites, we enjoyed our stay.

As with many main cities in the U.S., you may encounter homeless people on the streets. This was the case as well in Indianapolis, but far less encounters than I was expecting and only minimal experiences with them begging for money. Overall, the city was very clean and well-kept. Traffic wasn't an issue at all, just be aware that there are several one way streets.

Indianapolis is rich with history which can be seen by visiting the many monuments and memorials around the city. We visited the Indiana 9/11 Memorial where there are two beams from the Twin Towers...

the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial which is along a canal...

and the Soldiers & Sailors Monument which is in Monument Circle...

 

Things to Do while in Indianapolis:

Canal Walk - a short distance from downtown is a waterside promenade where you can walk along the water and take in the sites or stop at a café. There are pedal boats and canoes to rent or visitors can experience an authentic gondola ride on the longest gondolas in the U.S. The gondolier will sing songs while taking you for a leisurely trip along the canal.

 

Carriage Ride - head to Monument Circle to reserve a carriage ride through downtown. At night, the carriages are lighted.

Visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Being the Racing Capital of the World, it's hard to pass up the opportunity to visit the oldest continually operating racetrack in the U.S. They offer tours where visitors can take a ride around the track, stop to 'kiss the bricks' at the finish line, and visit the museum. It's only a short drive from downtown and while in the area, I recommend checking out Main Street in Speedway, Indiana.

The Waterpark in Carmel - if traveling with kids, they may enjoy a day at The Waterpark with slides, a lazy river, flowrider, over-the-water rock climbing wall, and more. It's about a 30 minute drive north of downtown Indy.

Indianapolis Zoo

Children's Museum of Indianapolis - the largest children's museum in the world.

Stop at the Oldest Bar in Indiana - The Slippery Noodle Inn - many famous people have made an appearance at this bar and restaurant.

After visiting this wonderful city and experiencing many offerings to be had, I would welcome the opportunity to assist others with a trip here and share many more recommendations and tips. We sampled our way through several restaurants and would be happy to provide a list of top recommendations. Visit my Contact Us page to connect with me and learn more.