Indiana
Indianapolis is a capital city built around a circle and a racetrack.
Downtown radiates from Monument Circle, where the Soldiers and Sailors Monument rises almost 285 feet above the shops and offices, and the compact Mile Square is easy to walk, with the canal, the zoo and the state museum a short stroll west in White River State Park. Six miles out, in the town of Speedway, sits the reason racing fans cross the world to come here: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500, with a newly reimagined museum and bus tours that take you round the 2.5-mile oval to kneel at the Yard of Bricks. Families come for The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, home of the Dinosphere, and art lovers for Newfields, whose galleries and gardens turn into Winterlights every holiday season. This guide tells you which tours are worth booking, from a highly rated downtown walking tour to a ghost walk and a Fountain Square food tour, flags the closing days that catch visitors out, and matches you to the right hotel, from a Conrad with a full spa to a former Coca-Cola bottling plant on Mass Ave.
Newfields: Indianapolis Museum of Art and Winterlights
The Indianapolis Museum of Art, its gardens and a 100-acre art and nature park on one campus north of downtown. Galleries open Tuesday to Sunday, and from late November the gardens become Winterlights, now in its 10th season, with advance tickets required.
Indianapolis Zoo and Christmas at the Zoo
A downtown zoo in White River State Park with oceans, plains and forests habitats and the White River Gardens. From 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 it stays open into the evening for Christmas at the Zoo, included with general admission.
Indiana State Museum
The story of Indiana from ancient seas and glaciers to sport, industry and pop culture, in a limestone and glass building on the Central Canal in White River State Park. Open Wednesday to Sunday; Tiqets sells it as part of the Indianapolis Attractions Pass.
Soldiers and Sailors Monument and Monument Circle
The 284-foot limestone monument at the center of Indianapolis, dedicated in 1902, with an observation deck reached by elevator and 31 final steps. The Circle is free to walk; the deck has a modest fee and limited opening days, and Circle of Lights switches on 27 November 2026.
The museum inside the home of the Indy 500, newly reimagined with tens of thousands of square feet of extra exhibit space, plus 30-minute track tours that take you round the 2.5-mile oval or into Gasoline Alley. Open daily, and TIME named it one of the World's Greatest Places for 2026.
The giant of children's museums, with dinosaurs in the Dinosphere, hands-on science in ScienceWorks and the moving Power of Children galleries. Winter hours run Tuesday to Sunday from 2 November, tickets are date-specific, and garage parking is free.
The Indianapolis Museum of Art, its gardens and a 100-acre art and nature park on one campus north of downtown. Galleries open Tuesday to Sunday, and from late November the gardens become Winterlights, now in its 10th season, with advance tickets required.
A downtown zoo in White River State Park with oceans, plains and forests habitats and the White River Gardens. From 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 it stays open into the evening for Christmas at the Zoo, included with general admission.
The story of Indiana from ancient seas and glaciers to sport, industry and pop culture, in a limestone and glass building on the Central Canal in White River State Park. Open Wednesday to Sunday; Tiqets sells it as part of the Indianapolis Attractions Pass.
A three-day pass covering seven big Indianapolis attractions, including the zoo, Newfields, The Children's Museum and the Indiana State Museum. Sold on Tiqets with instant mobile delivery and free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead; some venues still need a timed reservation.
A 90-minute guided walk through downtown Indianapolis, past Monument Circle, the Indiana War Memorial, Christ Church Cathedral and the Murat Theatre, with a break at a local tavern. Rated 4.9 from 56 reviews on Viator, gratuities included.
A one-hour lantern-lit ghost walk through downtown Indianapolis, past the State Capitol, Monument Circle and City Market, with stories of murders, fires and hauntings. From about $26, rated 4.1 from 115 reviews on Viator, with free cancellation.
A three-and-a-half-hour afternoon walking food tour of Fountain Square, the arts district southeast of downtown, with tastings that add up to lunch. Rated 4.5 from 12 reviews on Viator, capped at 12 guests, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
A self-guided smartphone audio tour of the downtown sights, taking about an hour and a quarter at your own pace, from about $10. Rated 4.5 from 13 reviews on Viator; a cheap, flexible alternative to a guided walk.
FreeThe 284-foot limestone monument at the center of Indianapolis, dedicated in 1902, with an observation deck reached by elevator and 31 final steps. The Circle is free to walk; the deck has a modest fee and limited opening days, and Circle of Lights switches on 27 November 2026.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$$Downtown (West Washington Street)
Downtown's luxury address on West Washington Street, with 247 city-view rooms, The Capital Grille downstairs and Conrad Spa Indianapolis, where the spa, steam room and fitness room are included with every stay. Monument Circle is a few minutes' walk away.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$Mass Ave (Bottleworks District)
A boutique hotel in the former Coca-Cola bottling plant at the top of Mass Ave, full of Art Deco details, with a cocktail bar, coffee bar, billiards in the lobby and a dining and entertainment district on the doorstep. A MICHELIN Key hotel for the third year in 2026.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$CityWay (South Downtown)
An art-filled hotel of 209 rooms in the CityWay district, a few blocks from Gainbridge Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium, with the Italian restaurant Nesso, the Plat 99 bar and a 24-hour gym with Peloton bikes. Pets are welcome.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$Downtown (Union Station)
A restored 1913 hotel on Jackson Place, facing the historic Union Station a block from the Amtrak station, with an indoor pool, a 24-hour gym, Bar Cardinale and the 8th Notch Café. A short walk to Lucas Oil Stadium, the convention center and Monument Circle.
Rates on Expedia →
$$Downtown (South Meridian Street)
The dependable value pick in the heart of downtown, on South Meridian Street across from Circle Centre, with a free hot breakfast buffet, free Wi-Fi and a fitness center. Monument Circle is a couple of blocks north; parking is valet only.
Rates on Expedia →The practical primer for a first visit: the few tickets worth booking ahead, the closing days that catch people out, how downtown, White River State Park, the Speedway and the museum district fit together, and a plan for two or three days.
How to choose a base in Indianapolis, with the right hotel for each area: a Conrad with an included spa, a boutique stay in a former Coca-Cola plant, an art hotel by the stadiums, a 1913 grand hotel and a central value pick with free breakfast.
