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Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site

4.7 (68 reviews)
Closed • 10:00 am - 3:30 pm

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1905 typewriter
Richard Walton C.

I saw a recent report on the morning news that a 6.5 million renovation had been completed so I decided to take a tour of this historic site. I didn't know this place existed before seeing that report so I was excited to learn Indiana was home to the 23rd president of the USA. But I also learned the renovation is not quite complete. We could not see one room in the rear of the second floor and the third floor ballroom is closed for renovations. In addition, the elevator is being modified to accommodate wheelchair service. Our ticket price for 2024 was $15 (seniors price) but we found a coupon for $2, so total price was $28. Their regular ticket price is $16 and the tour takes about 75 minutes. Only the first room on the left of the foyer, the parlor, was roped off on the first floor and one room on the second floor which was setup as a nursery for display but was originally a dressing room for the First Lady. Otherwise you can enter each room and see things up close. My favorite room was the library. 80% of what you see is original, including the parlor rug. That's 148 years old. The house has over 10,000 square feet. One of my favorite items were the indoor window shutters. They can be adjusted many ways to allow different light levels in the rooms. Another favorite were the stairway custom wood handrails. Extremely unique! I would like to go back just to see the third floor ballroom that was still being renovated. Parking was free for us on the street directly in front of the house on a Friday afternoon. There are no parking meters on the block.

Presidential china
Bailey N.

I am a self proclaimed presidential history "nerd". I've read a biography on almost every president - in order - (currently reading F.D.R. ). I've visited dozens of locations associated with presidents including Monticello, Highland, the Hermitage...trust me, the list is long. Of all the locations I visited, this just shot up the list of most impressive. The collection of items in this home...from personal items...to other authentic items President Harrison actually owned...is astonishing! I mean, this stuff dates back to the 1890s. It always amazes me when I go to a place where people thought ahead to preserve our history in this way. I always walk away grateful. The price is right. As a matter of fact, for the history lesson you get, and the things you see...the price is a bargain. Everyone I met was fantastic, knowledgeable and nice. Or docent, Jim Gidley, was awesome. His knowledge about the Harrisons is encyclopedic; they couldn't have a better, more personable person as the face of the home. My favorite room - by far - was Benjamin Harrison's office.

Walking path from new promenade
Eddie C.

Did you know we have a site of historical significance right in our backyard? Besides the artifacts and being able to experience life back in time, The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site (BHPS) hosts a number of community events throughout the year. The ever-popular Wicked World of Croquet and Juneteenth Foodways Festival are their biggest events. The food fest in particular features minority-owned businesses and vendors from different categories. BHPS has gone through some updates within the last year. There is now an entrance plaza and commons area for guests. There are replicas of the country's founding documents for viewing. From there, a new walkway leads to the historic home. The site grounds feel very welcoming for folks looking to take a casual stroll.

Sigrid W.

If you are into American history or Presidents of the US, this place is quite noteworthy. Pristeenly preserved this house and grounds are not only a visual delight, but you will learn much about American history whether you like it or not. No getting around it. I highly recommend a guided tour, which is very reasonable priced. Not only will this give you access to almost every room in the holuse, but you will also get the bonus of many background stories of the items in the house as well as the former occupants. Don't feel like a tour? Walk the grounds and enjoy the gardens. There is also a Welcome Center behind the house with a gift shop and mini museum. Or join in on one of their special events. Offers vary from month to month. Popular events are the eggrolls, the Juneteenth celebration or Candlelight Theater, just to name a few.

Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. Indianapolis, Indiana
Ken H.

This house is a must see for any Presidential history aficionado. Definitely one of the most well maintained and ornate president's homes I've seen. There are many original pieces to the Harrison family. There is one piece of furniture that dates back to the 1700s. Original portraits still hang there on their walls. They did an outstanding job on the restoration of the wallpaper, floor, and furniture. The rug in the parlor is the rug that was there when the family occupied the house. Particularly impressive is President Harrison's office which includes portraits of his great-grandfather (a signer of the Declaration of Independence), his grandfather (the 9th President of the United States), and his father. It has the presidential centennial (1889) walking cane which has carved in it the images of Presidents 1-23 and... an original document signed to Benjamin Harrison in 1865 by President Abraham Lincoln a few months before he died. The third floor contains the library of his archives and papers. The actual library is by appointment only. However- the 3rd floor contains much of the tragedy of Benjamin Harrison's life and you get to see all of it. There is also an elevator available for anyone who has trouble with stairs. The museum (in the barn) isn't much, but the house more than makes up for it. The tour took about 70 minutes and was well worth the time of anyone studying the presidents. The tour guide I had was funny and extremely knowledgeable. I highly recommend this site!

John B.

I've been to several presidential sites, but I can't be the only person who found this one, saw the name on it, and said: "Who?". It turns out that Benjamin Harrison was a one-term President in the Reconstruction era, and being before modern media may have limited his reach, but clearly the locals are proud of him. The tour is on a small scale, and while reservations are offered, I didn't have any trouble in what is likely an off-peak time getting in. They offer the tour on the hour, and yet it took a solid hour and a half (meaning two groups will be in the house at the same time). The site includes an outdoor plot of land with a garden. The tour was very detailed. For my liking, it focused a bit too much on the decor and not enough on the story of the president himself, but there was definitely a lot of interesting information about the president's life, which was surprisingly dramatic, moreso than his political career. A pre-phonograph music device was on display, and it was played for us, producing a surprisingly hearty rendition of Greensleeves. A variety of factoids regarding the era were offered. Our questions were entertained and often answered, though a few obscure ones stumped our tour guide. While no one in their right mind would put this tour on a level with Mount Vernon or Monticello, I think it's worth taking the time to ponder this president and his place in history.

House
Andrea U.

Admission was $12 reduced for students & seniors. Nine of us were led through the house. This is considered the most preserved presidential home had 16 rooms & fireplaces, 10,000 original artifacts. Martha pointed out many interesting facts about the house, family & presidency. I was amazed at the original rugs, hardware , plantation shutters .. A lot of history & trivia.

Ade B.

The Benjamin Harrison Presidential site is the most well preserved Presidential home I have visited. It's a beautiful home and so much of what is inside is original to the home. I think the library was like 80% original, with original canes owned by the President, along with the original books. Some of the carpet in the home is original. There are original documents. There are original paintings by the President's wife, along with the original cups and plates she painted. There is also a working Reginaphone, which is a music player that pre-dates the record player. I got a kick out of hearing music on it. The tour was very informative. You will learn everything you may have wanted to know about the home and President Harrison's life there. Unfortunately the ballroom was being renovated during my visit so I couldn't check it out. The tour does end abruptly at the back door, but there is a gift shop in a barn behind the house. If you are a fan of historic homes, the Benjamin Harrison house is a must-see.

Beautiful and stately home right off the Interstate.
Michael K.

Stopping at the Harrison house was a that morning driving decision as my wife and I headed to Indianapolis from Columbus. Going online we found plenty of tickets available on this Saturday for the hourly tours at the top of the hour. It was a bit of a hassle getting the tickets on my phone having to download an app and create an online account. The irony of it was I didn't have to show them once there and just gave our names. Parking was easy with plenty of open spots on the streets and even spaced on their small parking lot. Our small group of three met the tour guide at the front door for the start of about a 90 minute tour of the rather large house. We saw rooms on both floors full of original pieces and numerous photos. We learned much about Harrison's life and presidency. Behind the home is a small gift shop and convenient restrooms alongside their small parking lot.

Rich B.

So impressed with the Benjamin Harrison house and site. The grounds are beautiful, and the interior of the house is amazingly preserved with something like 80-90% original furnishings. Truly a national treasure. The tour was excellent: great history and insights into President Harrison, as well as the history of the local area and who else lived in the neighborhood during his time. Parking was a little tight--not too many spots in the small parking lot--but they had very nice bathrooms and a small museum in a building behind the house. So glad we didn't miss this.

Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
Bruce K.

Open for tours post-pandemic, the Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) home is open for visitors. Banjamin Harrison entered the Union Army as a Second Lieutenant of the 70th Indiana Regiment. He insisted on turning raw recruits into disciplined soldiers, eventually . He later was United States Senator from Indiana and the twenty-third President of the United States. The home is part of the Old Northside Neighborhood. Harrison purchased it as an empty lot in 1868 and the house was built within a year. Indiana limestone and bricks completed the home. The carriage house was also constructed at the same time, and the structure that stands today as the visitor center was reconstructed in 2001. The tours of the home do require reservations these days which I missed by a bit and wasn't feeling like waiting an hour for the next. In the meanwhile, the tour of the visitor's center is interesting. President Harrison worked towards expanding civil rights. A timely thing, especially with the current events of 2020. Unfortunately President Harrison did not win re-election and was a one-term President, losing to Grover Cleveland. [Review 13517 overall, 836 of 2020.]

Vic C.

Benjamin Harris was our 23rd president, from 1889-1893. Former president Cleveland served before him and then after him (the only president to have served two terms not consecutively, as least for now). Benjamin Harris's grandfather, Willian Henry Harris was our 9th president but only served for 32 days (the shortest term in history so far) after getting pneumonia. According to our docent, he gave a very long speech (the longest in history actually) that lasted about 1 hour and 45 minutes that was outside on a very cold and rainy day. Benjamin Harris was born in North Bend, Ohio and grew up on a farm. He attended and graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He met his wife Caroline Lavina Scott and married her the year after he graduated. They had 2 children. After he studied law in Cincinnati, he decided to move to Indianapolis to set up his own law practice. He served in the Civil War as the Union Army as a lieutenant. At the end of the war, he ended up attaining the rank of general (He was also the last Civil War general to serve as president). After the war, he resumed his law practice and decided to go into politics. However, he was unsuccessful for the Republican nomination in 1872 but won the election 4 years later but lost to a close race. He ended up getting a seat at the US Senate from 1881-1887 and later on, eventually beat former President Cleveland to become president. Towards the end of his presidential term, he ran against former President Cleveland again. Because his wife was very ill, he did not campaign much. Unfortunately she died of tuberculosis and then 2 weeks later, Benjamin Harris lost to Cleveland. After leaving the White House, he returned home to resume his law practice. At the age of 62, he married his wife's niece, who was also her caretaker (Mary Lord Dimmick). They had one daughter. His adult children disapproved of his marriage to a relative that was also about 25 years younger than him. A few years later, he died of pneumonia at his home on March 13, 1901. ------------------------------------ Now that you know the general history of this president, let me tell you about my experience... Admission is $14 for adults, $13 for veterans and seniors and $9 for college students with ID and children. Hours of operation are limited so plan accordingly. My husband and I ended up coming to this place twice. Once for the tour of the home and the second time was for a special (free) July 4th event that is dog friendly (in which we brought our little girl dog to join us). The docent we had, unfortunately I did not get his name, was great. He was very informative and spoke at a great pace. What did surprise me about the tour was that you were able to take as many photos inside the home as you wish. The other thing that surprised me was that the majority of the furniture was original to the Harrison family and was well preserved. Benjamin Harrison was given many canes (although he did not need them to walk) during his presidency, in which you can view his collection. But there is one in a case on his oval office desk that is very special, in his 16 room mansion. It has carvings of other presidents, including himself. But he is at the very bottom and had said that he would never use it because he does not want to put himself in the ground. Another thing I found to be interesting was that when he left office, he and his wife took many items from the White House, which included china plates and silverware, a cabinet, furniture, etc. Our docent told us he was surprised that they were allowed to take so many things and surprisingly it is all well preserved (as you can also view in the home). One last thing I want to mention about the tour was that we were told he was the first president to have his voice recorded and you will actually get to hear his voice played during the tour. Overall, we had a great time learning about Benjamin Harris and would highly recommend a visit if you are interested in learning about US President history.

Welcome Center
Stacy P.

Covid Times - Make sure to check their website as the pandemic is ongoing The Benjamin Harrison House was once home to the 23rd president of the United States. The home has been well kept over the years and a high percentage of the items are original to the house. Highlights: + Parking can be a pain. There is street parking in front; however, it can get extremely tight. There is a small lot behind the house off of 11th street, but even that can be a pain to get in and out of. + The bathrooms are in the parking lot in a separate building. + The welcome center, behind the house, is where you will find the gift shop, currently a small exhibit and a old school voting machine, and where you will check in for your tour. + Photos are allowed within the house + There is a elevator, so those with mobility issues are able to access the house + The house has three floors that you will walk through over the course of the tour. The main floor containing the office, kitchen, dining room, and parlor. The second floor contains the bedrooms. The third floor was a ballroom, yes a ballroom. + The upstairs ballroom is currently used as an exhibit space. For 2020, it is focused on women's voting rights. + The house's design is ahead of its time. For example, it had electricity. During the tour, additional information is discussed and is focused on the period of time that the Harrisons lived there. +Tickets online are handled by Eventbrite. You can place your AAA discount in when purchasing; however, keep in mind Eventbrite charges a fee on top of the actual house ticket price. Covid Times--Subject to change as the pandemic is on going. - The house is in Marion County, so the restrictions may be stricter than other Indiana counties - Masks are mandatory. Don't be an a$$ about it, just wear it for an hour -Tours are restricted to 6 individuals and the times and number of tours a day are limited. - Pre-book your ticket(s) in advance - There are spots on the floor marked with stickers on where to stand to maintain distance

Front of the Harrison home

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“You will learn everything you may have wanted to know about the home and President Harrison's life there.”

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Newfields: A Place for Nature and the Arts - In Art Museum at Newfields

Newfields: A Place for Nature and the Arts

4.5(465 reviews)
3.5 mi

What a cool place! My boyfriend and I visited Newfields right when it opened at 10 a.m., and we…read morewere amazed by how much there was to explore. Admission to the gardens, Lilly House, and Newfields Art Museum was about $50, which I thought was reasonable given everything included. We ended up spending four hours there and never once felt bored! We started by walking through Oldfields-Lilly House and the surrounding gardens, which was my favorite part of the visit. The gardens made me feel like I had stepped into another world. There were paved trails, but also sections where you could wander directly through the grass and greenery. The grounds seemed to stretch on forever, with beautiful plants, fountains, statues, and nature-inspired architecture around every corner. It was incredibly peaceful and immersive, and I could have spent hours exploring the gardens alone. While walking through the grounds, we stumbled upon Lilly House and decided to go inside. Since we visited during spooky season, the entire mansion was decorated for Halloween, with each room featuring its own dramatic and elaborate theme. I have never seen anything quite like it! The decorations were incredibly detailed, and the mansion itself was stunning both inside and out. I would especially recommend visiting Newfields during the fall to experience these seasonal displays. Outside the house, the gardens featured enormous pumpkins and fun walk-through tunnels. The backyard also offered beautiful views of the Indianapolis Canal and a large pond near the famous Funky Bones sculpture. After exploring the grounds, we headed into the main art museum. The museum spans four floors, and we made our way through each one. I was pleasantly surprised by how interactive the exhibits were. In addition to learning about different artists and art forms, visitors could create their own art. There were LEGOs to build with, a station where you could design a dress on a miniature mannequin, and an area for drawing and coloring. These hands-on activities made the experience engaging, even for someone who doesn't typically gravitate toward art museums. The fourth floor requires an additional admission fee of about $6 and features Giants, Alicia Keys' art collection. The exhibit showcases a diverse range of work by nearly 40 prominent Black American, African, and African diasporic artists. It was a unique and enjoyable collection to explore, and I thought it was well worth checking out. After exploring the museum, we stopped at the on-site café for a bite to eat. I ordered the chicken salad croissant and was not disappointed! It was delicious, and the customer service was great. Our food came out in about 15 minutes, making it a convenient and enjoyable way to take a break before heading out. Overall, Newfields is a place where you could easily spend an entire day without running out of things to see or do. We spent four hours exploring the gardens, mansion, museum, and café, and the experience never felt repetitive or boring. Even though I wouldn't consider myself particularly interested in art or history, I genuinely enjoyed the visit. Between the beautiful grounds, historic architecture, seasonal Halloween displays, interactive exhibits, and café, there was something for everyone. I would absolutely recommend Newfields, even if museums aren't usually your thing. I went in with no particular expectations and left with a new appreciation for everything the museum and its grounds have to offer!

Newfields is pretty neat. There's a nice little nature trail outside where you can take a brief…read morewalk and there's a small beer garden along the trail. The space is really nice. The staff is very friendly. Admission is $25. Some of the art I dug and some I didn't, but there was a dark room with a video board ceiling that showed a video of the moon and stars on the ceiling that is captivating. I could have sat there for 15 minutes and just gazed at the ceiling. It was beautiful and peaceful.

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Newfields: A Place for Nature and the Arts - In Art Museum at Newfields

In Art Museum at Newfields

Newfields: A Place for Nature and the Arts - In Art Museum at Newfields

In Art Museum at Newfields

Newfields: A Place for Nature and the Arts - New Cloews pavilion

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New Cloews pavilion

The Children's Museum - Greece at Children's Museum of Indianapolis

The Children's Museum

4.5(592 reviews)
1.8 mi

I absolutely love the Children's Museum. I'm not an Indianapolis native, so whenever I'm here I…read morealways try to visit. It really is amazing, both inside and out. For other Midwestern natives, it's similar to The Science Center in St. Louis, MO. The museum has a beautiful exterior, which is obvious just by looking at it, but the inside is just as impressive with character statues, beautiful glasswork pieces, and a grand staircase. There are a ton of different areas and displays for those with different interests: space, archeology, and more. The target audience is obviously children, but as a college student, I always have fun going. They strike a great balance between readable information and interactive activities, and a great balance between physical activities (toys, costumes) and digital activities (touchscreens). The Children's Museum has so many special events, which are all easily viewable on their website. I expected them to all be for young kids, but there are actually 21+ events as well, which I wasn't expecting. There's a lot of Halloween-themed events right around now, so I have to assume they do other seasonal events well. I also know that exhibits are sometimes switched out, although I don't know how often they are. Years ago I believe there was a Barbie exhibit that I really enjoyed. In addition, for college students looking to save money, there's free entry on Martin Luther King Jr. Day! So if you want to go, this is a good excuse. I've had the good fortune to take a behind-the-scenes tour, and while I don't think this is accessible to the general public, (with the exception of events few and far between), it was fascinating. I got to see the massive amounts of collection and artifacts they have. Whatever you see on display, there are about ten times more objects in their collections! Switching out these items is how they keep the museum updated and fresh. One area that really stood out to me was a section that displayed all the taxidermy they have-I got to look into the process of how they go about stuffing the animals. It's clear that they put a lot of care and effort into creating the best-quality specimens for their museum. I love the Children's Museum, but if I had to offer one complaint, it would be the crowds. In my experience, the museum is usually pretty full of people. Of course, as a popular museum, that's to be expected, but people planning to attend should be aware. This was most apparent in the dining area, which always seems to be the most crowded. You'll very likely have to wait in line for food, and may even have trouble finding a place to sit. This is a very minor note and did not detract from my enjoyment of the experience at all. Overall, I love the museum, it's a great place to go, especially on a free day.

We loved our day trip to the Indy Children's Museum. You could spend hours here. My kids absolutely…read moreloved the "dinosaurs who hit the building." We went on a Sunday so it was not super busy which was great. There are a ton of interactive exhibits. Our favorite part of the museum was the amazing sports complex. It offered every sport you could imagines so my kids got to play basketball, soccer, baseball, peddle cars. There was also a really neat treehouse there as well. It was a great outdoor experience. We did not get to see all the floors but were very impressed by what we did see. I do want to note that they do not offer reciprocity with other museum passes so we did have to pay full price.

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The Children's Museum - Dino

Dino

The Children's Museum
The Children's Museum - What a beautiful exhibit! Tiana's Joyful Celebration from The Princess and the Frog.

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What a beautiful exhibit! Tiana's Joyful Celebration from The Princess and the Frog.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum - LeRoy Neiman's artwork

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum

4.3(152 reviews)
4.2 mi

I highly recommend checking out the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum! And you don't have to be a…read moreracing or car enthusiast to enjoy it either! You know you've arrived when you spot the massive Indianapolis Motor Speedway track surrounding the museum. We got lucky and were able to watch some cars practicing on the track, which made the experience even more exciting! The museum itself is three floors filled with incredible history, cars, and memorabilia. Our favorite parts were seeing the evolution of the helmets and getting to look at all the different racing helmets and outfits up close! They also have an interactive area that makes the experience even more fun! Timed admission tickets were easy to purchase online through their website before our arrival, and we easily spent a good two hours here. Definitely a must see when visiting Indiana!

This was easily the most recommended thing to me from both robots and people's blogs…read more People assured me that yes you will like it even if you don't like racing. I am a car guy. I drive a corvette.... This was the lamest tour/museum I have ever done. It's just cars and helmets and trophies and a whole section on BA Jeff Gordon. I paid the extra $15 for the lamest bus tour ever to a Disneyland style take a pic and pay on the podium. The tour guide repeated himself 3-4 times including saying 2nd place is first loser twice which yikes 08 called and wants it phrase back. Save the time and money. This place sucks ass.

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Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum - The racetrack diagram

The racetrack diagram

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum - Museum 2025

Museum 2025

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum - The Starting Line movie experience

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The Starting Line movie experience

Col. Eli Lilly Civil War Museum - New location inside the World War Memorial

Col. Eli Lilly Civil War Museum

4.5(11 reviews)
0.7 mi•Mile Square

For those looking for the Museum at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument (middle of Monument Circle)…read moreto find this museum, you are looking in the wrong place. Back in 2018, the collection was moved to the Indiana World War Monument (431 N Meridian) to provide more display space and to do repair work under the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. As of the time of this review, the collection has been moved for over a year and my thoughts are part of the review listed on that location. According to the staff working in the Soldiers and Sailors gift shop (located on the south side of the monument at the top of the steps), something new will occupy the space under the monument once repairs have been completed. It has not been released what will go in the space. Review #2581

For what it is a self guided tour of a free museum in the basement of the towering war memorial…read morebased on the history of Indiana in the civil war, this place is pretty darn good, there is not much room for improvement. There is a video that loops when you 1st walk in though one can not be certain about when it it starts(how about a timer guys?). Some of the displays had a lack of detail attached to them so you weren't sure of what you looking at or its significance those negatives aside a truly stunning display of cannon rifles and other artifacts. The Museum takes donations and there is a gift shop above, even if your not up for watching a video biography I recommend at least looking at the exhibits, if you do not buy a item from the gift shop please make a small donation.

Photos
Col. Eli Lilly Civil War Museum
Col. Eli Lilly Civil War Museum
Col. Eli Lilly Civil War Museum - New location inside the World War Memorial

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New location inside the World War Memorial

Indianapolis Canal Walk

Indianapolis Canal Walk

4.5(207 reviews)
1.1 mi•Canal Walk, Mile Square

It's been a while since I've been to the Canal, but when I saw they were having a Full Moon Yoga…read moreParty, I knew I wanted to check it out and I'm so glad I did! The yoga was provided by The Hot Room Yoga, and I believe the event was in partnership with Indy Cultural Trail. There was also a local artist, Lily Groot, who was there creating free prints for at least 450 attendees. I got print 13. Honestly, it was such a great event! You could purchase items from Black vegan cafe food truck, while we hung out and watched the sunset. Then around 8:30 PM, we turned on the glow lights they provided and got ready to do yoga under the full moon. The yoga session was about an hour. It was definitely challenging as you really just had to listen on what to do, but it felt so good for my body, mind, and soul. There was something really special about doing yoga outside, surrounded by the Canal, with the sunset fading and the full moon coming out. It was a vibe. I'm really glad I got to experience this! There's another one coming up in September, so if you've never been, you should definitely give it a try, it was free! Such a fun and unique Indy experience!

The Canal Walk is one of the major attraction in downtown Indianapolis. It is a long walkway that…read moreis right along the water of the canal. Several parks, museums, hotels, and other attractions are situated along this walkway. While walking along the canal, I noticed several tourists and locals walking and running through the walkway. The walkway and surrounding public area was mostly clean and well maintained. In one corner there was a paddle swan boats for rental but it was closed for winter. Some of the canal had scaffolding for construction. Some of the signs around the canal provided historical insight about the canal.

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Indianapolis Canal Walk
Indianapolis Canal Walk
Indianapolis Canal Walk - Look for this tall colorful mosaic to start your canal adventure!

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Look for this tall colorful mosaic to start your canal adventure!

Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Allison - Engine

Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Allison

4.9(11 reviews)
6.1 mi

One of the most interesting tours I have heard, and I knew little about engines before I went. The…read moretour was led by two gentlemen who worked for Rolls Royce. Their knowledge, great stories, and enthusiasm really made the tour. My dad and brother love engines and had lots of questions the guides happily answered. My mom and I know less, but the guides were great about taking the conversation up a level that made the presentation very understandable and fascinating to us. I enjoyed learning about the history of Rolls Royce and Allison, and the evolution of engineering the guides illustrated using engines they have collected and restored. This a great tour for anyone who loves to learn. If you enjoy engines (car or plane), don't miss it.

Excellent little museum at the Rolls/Allison headquarters. Sign in at the front desk. I got there…read morejust before 9 so I had to wait a few minutes, but there are magazines and books in the lobby, comfy chairs, and a few aircraft models. There's a small company store, sadly closed on the day I went. The museum covers the history of Allison very well, and the later merger with RR. Mostly Allison engines on display, a few RR. Models on top of each engine depict the aircraft that used it. Some engines are cutaway; one or two are operable with the push of a button. A few artifacts from the factories, and information about the other products they've produced. Towards the back are spacecraft parts; I did not know Allison was involved with that. Of course, not being an Indy native, I didn't know about his connection to the Speedway, or Prestolite, etc. All well-organized, brightly lit, lovingly cared for. And free. If you are anywhere nearby, this is worth a visit. If you are an aviation buff, get yourself here however far away you are.

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Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Allison - Engines

Engines

Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Allison - Engine

Engine

Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Allison - Fuel tank

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Fuel tank

Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site - landmarks - Updated October 2026

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