Three days is the ideal length for a first visit to Indianapolis. It is long enough to see the headline sights without rushing and short enough that you will not run out of things to do. The trick is to plan by area rather than by interest, because the city is spread out in three clusters: the compact downtown with White River State Park, the racing district six miles west in Speedway, and the museum belt on the north side. Group your days that way and you spend your time seeing things instead of sitting in cars.
Before you go
Check closing days first. Many Indianapolis museums close on Mondays, at least in winter, and the Indiana State Museum and the Indiana War Memorial Museum are open Wednesday to Sunday, so the order of your days matters. If you arrive on a Monday, spend it on the free outdoor sights and save museums for later in the week. Book the Speedway track tour, any guided walk and Winterlights tickets in advance if your dates fall in the holiday season.
Day one: downtown and White River State Park
Start at Monument Circle, where the Soldiers and Sailors Monument anchors the center of the city. Join the Indy Walking Tours route for the stories behind the Circle and the nearby buildings, or follow the self-guided audio tour if you prefer to set your own pace. Visit the Indiana War Memorial Museum, a short walk north, which is open Wednesday to Sunday and holds more than 400 battle flags. After lunch, walk west along the Central Canal into White River State Park, where the Indiana State Museum, the Eiteljorg Museum and the Indianapolis Zoo sit side by side. Choose one or two rather than all three; the State Museum for the story of Indiana, the Eiteljorg for Native American and Western art, the zoo if you have children. Finish with a stroll back along the canal.
Day two: the Speedway and Mass Ave
Spend the morning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, which is open daily. Book a track tour, because the Kiss the Bricks lap of the oval and the Victory Podium tour of Gasoline Alley alternate by day, and then see the cars in the galleries. Stay for a casual lunch in the town of Speedway. In the afternoon, return downtown and follow the Indianapolis Cultural Trail to Massachusetts Avenue, the arts-and-dining strip. Browse the shops and galleries, then choose a restaurant for dinner. If you prefer a guided evening, the ghost walk leaves from downtown and covers the Circle area after dark.
Day three: choose your own adventure
Pick the theme that suits your group. For art and gardens, spend the day at Newfields, with its galleries, gardens and the 100-acre art and nature park, which is closed on Mondays. For families, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the obvious choice and needs a full day. For history lovers, combine the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site with Crown Hill Cemetery, where Harrison is buried and where a short climb to The Crown gives you a view across the city. For food lovers, the Fountain Square Food Tour in the afternoon is a relaxed way to eat your way through a neighborhood, and the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library on Indiana Avenue fills a morning.
Getting around
Downtown and White River State Park are very walkable, and you can reach Mass Ave and Fountain Square on foot along the Cultural Trail or by bikeshare. For the Speedway, Newfields and The Children's Museum, use a car or rideshare, since each is about ten to twenty minutes from the center. If you plan to drive, check parking costs at your hotel before booking, because downtown valet charges add up quickly.
Where to stay
Stay downtown for the easiest three days. The Westin and the Hyatt Regency are a short walk from the Circle and the convention center, the Conrad suits a splurge, and Bottleworks gives you Mass Ave on your doorstep. If you want a pool for the children, the Hyatt Regency has one indoors.
If you have a fourth day
Add a day trip: Conner Prairie's living history village is the best family outing, Brown County State Park is the best autumn escape and Indiana Dunes National Park is the choice for a summer beach day, though it is a long drive. Whichever you choose, leave early and carry a snack, because the best parts of each are away from the city.
A rainy-day swap
If the weather turns, trade the outdoor stops for indoor ones: the State Museum, the Eiteljorg and the War Memorial Museum are all easy to rearrange, and the Speedway Museum works in any weather.
