Take a wonderful tour of Indianapolis with a learned Indiana native Carrie Zimmerman !!!…read more We were so fortunate to get the information and entertaining facts about the industries, sports and famous people of Indianapolis. We certainly felt grateful to hear of this city's amazing history. We went to the Speedway, heard about the famous authors, Brad Tarkington, Silverstein, Kurt Vonnegut and saw some beautiful architecture which included Monument Circle, museums, the theatres along Mass Ave, and the canal.

I did a "quickie" visit recently to Indy and really just had 1 full day to check it out. Since it…read morewas very late Fall, most other local tour companies had packed it in for the season. Not Ms. Carrie! She is out there hitting the road, enlightening visitors and showing the sights of Indianapolis to a appreciative audience. Circle City Tours is very flexible and will work with your schedule and timeline. I was picked up downtown for the tour but for a slight fee, Carrie dropped me off at an Airport hotel. I was grateful for her immense knowledge of the city, particularly historical facts. LOVED the trek through lovely Crown Hill cemetery, which is not morbid at all. Carrie pointed out the many grave sites of noted politicians, authors, artists, ex-Presidents and the locally prominent who lie in repose there. The Civil War burial section was also very touching. Ms. Carrie pointed out magnificent churches, memorials, art and children's museum, local eateries (Shapiro's Deli=yummy!) and the White River State Park area. We even got to check out all the Christmas decorations up at the Indy Speedway. She packs a lot into the 3-hour tours but when it's over, you feel a sense of accomplishment that you learned so much about Indianapolis-- a city made all the more beautiful than it already is, by the beautiful ministrations of Carrie and Circle City Tours. 5 YELP STARS.

This 30 minute tour was an awesome glimpse into some of Indianapolis's past! Becky was incredibly…read moreknowledgeable and provided an in-depth look into the history of the catacombs and the building that once stood above it! Bring a mask! It's dusty down there, and the city will require it.

We went on a paranormal tour during the Halloween season and had a blast. Tickets were 20$ I have…read morealways wanted to go down to the catacombs and it didn't disappoint.

One of the Best Experiences I've Ever Had!…read more We recently participated in a team scavenger hunt with Pedego Electric Bikes Indy and it was an absolute blast! As someone who hadn't ridden a bike in over 20 years, I was a little nervous -- but the electric bikes were incredibly easy to maneuver and so much fun to ride! Scot and Cathy, the wonderful owners, made the entire experience smooth, welcoming, and memorable. Their kindness and passion for what they do really shines through. I'm new to Indy, so solving the clues and discovering local landmarks added an extra layer of excitement. Chatting with Scot and Cathy to see if we guessed correctly made our victories even sweeter! And of course, I can't forget the real stars of the show -- Hamilton and Schuyler, the adorable "employees of the month," who greeted us with wagging tails and made us feel right at home. I may be a little biased (our team did win, after all), but this was hands down one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had. Whether you're a local or just passing through, I highly recommend checking them out. Pedego Indy is an absolute gem!

Excellent service from Cath and Scott Great selection and the value is excellent thank you again…read morePedigo Indy

I knew very little about James Whitcomb Riley until my elementary-school-aged child began learning…read moreabout this Hoosier poet in school. Then I learned that Riley had a house in Indy that was also a museum. Then I learned that Riley was also considered a (I mean, THE) "children's poet" because he wrote poems for kids. Then I learned that Riley was also "that" Riley, of Riley Children's Hospital. Basically, James Whitcomb Riley is an established pillar of Indianapolis. He also has a museum that you can tour! I visited the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home as a chaperone on a school field trip. If you're not a part of a school field trip, though, I believe you need to make an appointment to visit the museum. I don't think it has regular hours. There are tour guides who lead you through the home and talk all about it. The walk-through of the house took us a little over 30 minutes. The museum home is beautiful. If you like old artifacts (like me), then you'll have lots of things to gaze upon and take photos of. You really get a feel for who Riley was, and his impact on society. It's kind of crazy to me that that the home of this renowned poet is located right in Indianapolis' Lockerbie Square, on a street with houses full of families and individuals, so nondescript and unassuming. But that's also what makes it cool. It's accessible to the people, which is probably just what Riley would have wanted.

Finally got around to check this out during a free open house in the fall…read more The interior has mostly beautiful features and decor. The workers are usually all volunteers, so while they might know every question you ask, they're still very helpful and passionate about JWR's work. They have random events in the lawn during warmer months and host special private events, if I'm not mistaken.

This neighborhood is my favorite one to walk around. It's packed with historic homes that ooze…read morecolor and charm. There are beautiful plants, cute alleyways, brick walkways, and the fall foliage is a star here. The neighborhood is in walking distance of Mass Ave, so grab a boba tea and go for a nice stroll to soak it all in. The James Whitcomb Riley home is also located here, so don't forget to check it out too.

Whether I'm gathering acorns, drooling over architecture or losing myself in your alleys, I am…read morealways 100% head over heels in love with you dear Lockerbie Square. So much so that I decided to start a review page hoping that others would jump in and pour love on this darling downtown neighborhood two blocks removed from Mass Ave. **My not so hidden goal is that this will help bring attention to the neighborhood for out-of-town visitors turning to Yelp to create an Indy itinerary. Not long ago this neighborhood was in shambles but thanks to some hopeful and get-shit-done type of people, it is now one of our city's best known eye candy districts. Too often overlooked, the James Whitcomb Riley home is located here for visitors to tour the writer's home (well, location of residence to be more exact). A few more reasons to love Lockerbie: cobblestone streets, gorgeous alleyways, historical stone carriage stoops and a tree canopy over the streets that makes it all the more dreamy.

My granddaughter is obsessed with fire trucks so I was excited to see the Richard P. Yelp review of…read morethe Indianapolis Fire Department Museum on Mass Ave. The museum opens at 8 am, but when we arrived at 9 am the doors were still locked. We wondered around until we found Cindy, a wonderful lady that opened the museum and led us on a personal tour. She gave my granddaughter a toy firefighter hat, which was fun and special. The museum is housed in one of the few remaining original firehouse buildings, 1872 Fire Station No. 2. The museum was recently restored and is now part of a complex of firefighter support offices. The museum is composed of three large rooms and several halls filled with firefighter artifacts. There were several exquisite antique fire trucks, a hose wagon and an antique pump wagon from the water brigades. A display of fire extinguishers and other hand held artifacts are down stairs. Upstairs, is a room set up like a bunk house, where firefighters would have slept. Lots of amazing photos on the walls tell the tragic stories of famous fires and people. My granddaughter was intrigued by all the firefighter helmets hanging on the walls. Outside, there is a memorial that celebrates the lives and duty of all the fallen Indianapolis firefighters. There is also a lovely bronze statue of a firefighter. The facility also offers classes on fire safety. There is a large meeting room and a class room. The museum is free, but encourages donations. This is a must-visit museum and wonderful place to bring the kids to learn about fire and those who put their lives on the line. Our visit was certainly a memorable experience. There is metered parking along Mass Ave.

The Indianapolis Firefighters Museum was opened by Local 416 in 1996 to celebrate the history of…read morefirefighting in Central Indiana. It's located in what used to be Fire Station #2, a historic station that had opened in 1872 but had fallen into disrepair and at the time was operating as a laminating business. Local 416 restored the station along with an adjacent livery stable. I'd never contemplated stopping here. I'm not sure why, but I don't think I realized this was actually a museum. It features a 1921 Stutz ladder truck, a 1919 Stutz pumper, a 1941 IFD Shop-built pumper, and a 1949 International Harvester pumper that was refurbished by members of the Warren Township Fire Dept. The museum includes quite a bit of memorabilia, photos, and equipment - much of it donated by local firefighters. The station includes a restored bell tower, twin fire poles, and classical/Italianate architectural features. Station #2 is also home to the Indianapolis Professional Firefighters Union headquarters. The museum is open Monday through Friday year-round. It's opened for limited Saturday hours from April-October. They also have a digital collection you can check out from the website (I updated the website as the existing link no longer works). The Fallen Firefighters Memorial Plaza is in front of the museum - which I did know. It was dedicated in 1996 to the memory of 73 firefighters who have died in the line of duty. As of today, it no includes 120 firefighters who died in the line of duty. In front of the museum is the Fallen Firefighters Memorial Plaza. This Memorial was dedicated in 1996 to the memory of the 73 firefighters who have died in the line of duty. Today the names of 120 Line of Duty Deaths appear on our Memorial. There's an annual reading of the names of all of the firefighters. The East end of the building includes the Walk of Distinction for Local 416 war veterans who actively fought in foreign campaigns. If you go to the website, you can even listen to the local dispatch scanner! Finally, the Firefighters Museum includes the Survive Alive safety program for children with an interactive village. The program reaches around 20,000 children annually. The Firefighters Museum, and also serves as the Survive Alive safety program for children. Using an interactive village, The Survive Alive program uses state-of-the-art technology to simulate fire in a mock house to teach children how to react during a fire and what to say when calling 911. This program reaches approximately, 20,000 schoolchildren a year. This is actually a great stop in an area that has quite a bit to do. It's a free museum (donations are accepted). I plan to return when I have a bit more time to visit!

Had the best time ever learning about America's 23rd president! The tour was so well done and our…read moreguide was simply amazing. Thank you for a wonderful visit, I recommend this to everyone.

My visit to the home of President Benjamin Harrison has been an unexpected highlight of my Indiana…read moreventures. We visited on a recent Saturday morning without reservations. Tickets can be purchased on line and receive a $2 discount (of $16 admission). Full price tickets can be purchased in the Welcome Center behind the Harrison home. Discounts are available for seniors and military. There is a brief film and a few artifacts in the Welcome Center along with a gift shop. We were able to join the first tour of the day, which only had three people including us. The docent-led tours start at 10:00 and run throughout the day. Gary, started our tour with a brief introduction and handed us off to docent Don S. at the front door of the Italianate Victorian home built in 1875. The beautifully restored home holds much of the original Harrison furniture. Don described the Harrison family dynamics, the history of the furniture and aspects of presidential life. We walked through rooms on three floors filled with artifacts and some of Mrs. Harrison's personal artwork. I could easily imagine the family at home during the tour. The third floor former ballroom, contains the Presidential Library (opened by appointment only, but visible to visitors). Other artifacts are also on display there. The 75 minute tour seemed to fly by as Don relayed interesting stories and anecdotes about the home and family. There is a dedicated free parking lot on the northside of the house or street parking is available. Elevators in the home are available for those who cannot climb the narrow stairs. The tour is not suitable for young children or strollers. Totally a must see for history, government and architecture buffs. The Harrison home is an Indiana treasure.

Having a free day off and wanting to try something new, a friend and I decided to try the Cultural…read moreTrail, Districts, & Neighborhoods biking tour, and it was a blast. It was a little over 9 miles and 3 hours of fun riding through downtown. Nathan, our guide for the day, was very knowledge. After living in the Indy for years, it is amazing the things that you tend to overlook on a daily basis and history of the state that can easily forget/not know. The pace of the tour wasn't fast and very relaxed. There were many stops along the way so it didn't seem like the the ride was that long at all. This coming from a person who hasn't ridden a bike in close to a decade. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a something fun and active to do in downtown Indy.

Nathan with ActiveIndy Tours took my family who is in town from Florida all around Mass Ave and…read moreLockerbie on a walking tour. We had the best time and learned a lot about our new city!! I would highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting Indy or anyone who lives here and wants to learn more about their city!! We had so much fun!!

Nice venue!!! Pretty cool how they turned an old firehouse into a theater for Mass Ave !!!! The…read moreseating is stadium style, the stage area is on the floor (not a raised stage) and from what I can tell, unless you are behind a tall person or someone with big hair, every seat was a good seat. The acoustics were great too ! I went for a play that was apart of Fringefest and they didn't use microphones at all. It was all pretty good. I don't know if they rent it out for private use or if it's exclusive to Fringe/Mass Ave businesses, but if you can gain use of it, it's a great place with a cool twist (being a former place where hunky firemen used to change into their suits o.O) for a new show!!!!

From the owner: Fallen Firefighters Memorial and Museum. Local 416 union office and gift shop on 2nd floor. read more

If you are looking for a fun and educational activity that allows you to not only connect with…read morelocal history, but someone who really loves what they do and wants to share their knowledge and excitement, you need to check out Sampson Levingston's Through2Eyes. Thanks to being grounded due to Covid, I haven't been able to travel like I usually do, so exploring local has been my only option. Highlights/ Why you need to take a Tour: + It's honestly embarrassing how little I truly know about the history of Indianapolis and what really isn't taught about the state in the local school system. + Sampson's passion for history shows as he tells the stories, often accompanied with photos, during the tour stops. He is extremely knowledgeable and happy to have a discussion and answer questions. + Walk/Talk tours vary based on location (Indiana Avenue and Irvington) and time. During the NCAA tournament, a special Basketball themed Walk & Talk on Wheels was offered in the form of a Trolley tour or on a Pacer's Bikeshare Bike. The Bike tour was fun, but a bit more of a challenge, due to the fact I couldn't remember the last time I was on a bike. + Ticketing is done through Eventbrite and reasonably priced; however, beware, there is a slight minimal fee due to Eventbrite's system + Tour is about an 1.5- 2 hours, based on questions + During tour during Covid times, everyone wore masks and kept to the recommended social distance