Things To Do
White River State Park
Beautiful park to walk around right in downtown Indy! You can rent bikes or paddle boats to ride along the canal. While you're in the area, check out the Eiteljorg Museum or the Indiana State Museum. If you walk across the bridge you'll be at the Indianapolis Zoo and the White River Gardens butterfly pavilion.
Indiana State Fair
This one is highly recommended for out-of-town guests. If you're looking for a classic midwest experience, you can't go wrong with the state fair! It's got rides, snacks, music, livestock, performances, etc. A warning that the state fair is very popular and lines and parking can be a hassle on weekends, so plan plenty of time to visit. The last day of the State Fair is the same day as our wedding (the 23rd) so make sure to go before!
Newfields
Indy's art museum! In addition to the excellent collections in the main building, there's an equally large outdoor park with a series of gardens, a historic home, and contemporary outdoor sculpture (including Funky Bones of The Fault in Our Stars fame). A great place for a picnic!
Broad Ripple
Indy's cool neighborhood! Great for shopping or getting a drink. Grab a fancy popsicle from Nicey or ice cream from Brics and walk along the canal. For shopping, Lauren likes Artifacts and Broadripple Vintage and Coleton likes Shop Tibet.
Fountain Square
Another hip neighborhood in Indy! There are lots of bars, cafes, and vintage stores. Check out local breweries/distilleries like Hotel Tango, Four Finger, Upland, and Fountain Square Brewery. The Fountain Square Theatre building has live music with swing dancing and duckpin bowling. Square Cat Vinyl has a cafe/bar and sometimes has live shows.
Monon Trail
The Monon trail is a former rail line converting into a walking path and runs across north Indy. Walking, biking, or rollerblading along the trail makes for a fun day! Notable stops along the train include Carmel's Arts District and Broadripple (see above).
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
If you have kids (or if you are young at heart) you've got to check out the Indianapolis Children's Museum; it's one of the best in the world. Lauren loved the dino dome growing up and Coleton's favorite part was the Rube Goldberg machine.
Indianapolis Zoo
Indy has a great zoo! Coleton loves walking around with the kangaroos. Lauren's favorite is the dolphin dome.
Massachusetts Avenue
This is Indy's theater district and has plenty of shopping, dining, and drinking. Coat Check Coffee and Parlor Public House are both great cafes. The Rathskeller is a fun German-style biergarten.
Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library
If you, like Coleton, are a Kurt Vonnegut fan, don't miss this museum dedicated to him!
Day trip: Bloomington
Looking to explore further afield? Bloomington is just an hour drive south of Indy and a fun college town! Lauren and Coleton met there while attending Indiana University Bloomington. Top recs include the Tibetan-Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, Wonderlab, and IU's campus. Brown County State Park, Lake Monroe, and McCormick's Creek are great places to hike nearby. Let Coleton or Lauren know if you decide to go and we can send you a million restaurant recs!
Day trip: Modern Architecture in Columbus
For architecture nerds (like Lauren), Columbus Indiana is well worth the trip! This small town is a mecca for mid-century modernist architecture, featuring buildings by architects like I.M. Pei and Eliel and Eero Saarinen. You can book a walking architecture tour or just wander downtown with a little research. Don't miss the Miller House, which is open to tours!