Fluorescent frogs is a very cool and unwise display of public art located inside the intech park…read morearea of Indianapolis Indiana. My family and I discovered this cool piece while entering a round a bout on the way to our hotel while in town for a weekend get away from Lousiville. Int he center of the round a bout is a small pond. On Thai pond is some constructed Lilly pads with each containing a frog statue on them. At night these frogs glow a beautiful fluorescent light. Very pretty and unique thing to view. I'm not quite sure I've ever seen anything like this before. What a cool and creative way to spruce up a round about for intech park.

If there's one curse I associate with being a wheelchair user, it's the fact that I tend to fall in…read morelove with historic houses that are far from wheelchair friendly. Such is the case with the Irvington area's "The Benton House," a home built in 1873 and intended to be one of the homes to set the architectural flavor of the Irvington area. Alas, the home's construction was shortly followed by an economic downtown and many of the surrounding homes were built on smaller lots and were a bit more modest in size. This 10-room home served as home from former Butler University President Dr. Allan Benton (Fun Fact: His wife was named Silence, which I personally think is an incredibly cool name). By 1907, it had changed hands and stayed in the Miller family until 1966 when it was sold to the Irvington Historic Landmarks Foundation. There are items from Dr. Benton still located in the home. The home recently underwent renovations and is available for club meetings, weddings, private parties, and retreats. As it is a historic home and noted as a historic landmark, it is not wheelchair friendly. Getting around the yard is fairly easy, though there are steps into the home. Geocachers will be interested to note that there's a geocache located within close proximity of the home - this is actually how I originally discovered the home myself. It remains a nicely wooded lot and is quite often decorated seasonally. You can actually become a "member" of The Benton House - $25 for individuals annually and $50 for families and/or organizations. There are benefits associated with membership, though the greatest benefit is supporting a really beautiful and historic Irvington home. As a wheelchair user, I love homes like this even though they are far from wheelchair friendly. My own home is a 1955 California ranch that, quite fortunately, is on one level. However, I've long felt like if I ever obtained the ability to walk or increase mobility one of my first actions would be to buy a home such as this incredible beauty.

The Benton House will be in my fondest memories for decades to come... granted I might be a little…read morebiased since we had our rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony, and reception here. Working with Linda was a breeze. She is so sweet and accommodating. The preferred tent company is a little exhausting, but I kind of think the whole formal wedding process is a little exhausting, so that might just be personal preference. I can't handle talking about table cloth colors for two hours without feeling like I'm losing my mind a little. My husband and I couldn't have been happier with the weekend, and it seems like our guests had a great time, as well. If you're looking at renting The Benton House for any type of indoor event under 100 people, or outdoor event under 150, I 100% recommend it.

While I was pleased to see the October 20, 2025 re-opening of Hazel Landing Park in Carmel, I was…read moreeven more excited with the debut of the new Bur Oak Bridge. While I've had my issues with Carmel, the truth is this is a city that does its landmarks well and that includes bridges. The Bur Oak Bridge spans 500 feet across the White River. It's 14-feet wide and is designed for both pedestrians and cyclists (or, in my case, wheelchairs). What's cool here? The Bur Oak Bridge connects Carmel and Fishers by also connecting Hazel Landing Park (Carmel) and Heritage Park (Fishers). It also serves as a connector for Monon, Nickel Plate, and Big 4 Trails. This thing is honestly beautiful to look at, constructed very nicely, and super friendly to users. The Bur Oak Bridge was reportedly named after input from Native American tribes and reflects the nearby presence of several bur oak trees. The bridge was an $11 million project. It was a collaborative effort between Clay Township, Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation, Hamilton County, Delaware Township, and the City of Fishers. While I'd seen it a couple times before the recent snowy weather hit, I had the chance to stop by this week and check it out even in the snow (and people were still using it). Beautiful bridge and I can't wait to use it again once the weather improves.

Completed in 1972, the Salem Crossing Covered Bridge crosses Fishback Creek, just to the west of…read moreSalem Road. It was built by E.J. Murphy who earned an engineering degree at Purdue University and subsequently moved to Zionsville. Interestingly, the dedication of the bridge was attended by U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey. U.S. Senator Vance Hartke, U.S. Senator Birch Bayh, and "Bonanza" actor Lorne Greene. After Murphy passed away in 1981, the Kennerk family purchased the property and bridge in 1982 from Murphy's estate. The Kennerks renamed the bridge Salem's Crossing in 1996. The bridge is not open to traffic and I believe that it might be located on private property. So keep that in mind if you're planning to visit. [Review 20587 overall - 121 in Indiana - 1568 of 2023.]

He co-founded General Motors in 1911 and his name is still well known over a century later…read more This memorial to Mr. Chevrolet is located to the side of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum near the Coca Cola Pit Stop snack bar. It includes a bronze bust of Louis Chevrolet on a stone pedestal. There are some sculpted panels flanking the statue depicted various scenes involving the Chevrolet family and the history of the American auto industry.

Just west of the entrance into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is a small plaza (Founders…read morePlaza) that was created in 1975 as a tribute to Louis Chevrolet and his contribution to auto/racing. The bronze and marble semi-circle features a bust of Chevrolet on a central pedestal. Above the marble bench are four recreations of photographs of great moments in the Chevrolet history at the track. These bronze reliefs feature some of the legendary names in auto racing from the early years. Surprisingly, even Henry Ford gets his name and picture on one! The bronzes were created by Adolph Wolter in the years leading up to the dedication ceremony in 1975. I must admit that there were a number of the depicted individuals that I had never heard of. I am glad that those names and faces have been preserved so that they don't have to be forgotten. Review #1866

For those of us who've ever gone to the Indiana State Fair, we all have our favorite spots. It…read morecould be the Grandstands, the animal barns, Pioneer Village or, hey, it might be a return trip to this Indiana State Fair Covered Bridge. Constructed on the grounds in 2008, the covered bridge is meaningful to most fairgoers because Indiana does love its covered bridges. At one point, Indiana had between 400-500 covered bridges and it's estimated that we now have around 98. This covered bridge is a functional location within the fairgrounds. As you can see by my attached photo, it's easily crossed by wheelchair (including motorized wheelchairs) and is definitely part of the pathway on the fairgrounds during the annual State Fair. The Covered Bridge has a main floor area of 1,750 feet. The entire bridge is 90-feet long and 21-feet wide. Did you know you can actually rent it for special events? It can seat 146 people in theater-style seating, 72 in classroom style, and 88 for banquet seating. It's apparently often rented with the adjacent Celebration Park. I do find the sidewalk to the side of the bridge a little wonky in a wheelchair, though there is a curb cut. It's definitely not perfectly ADA, though I can typically make it work. The bridge is modeled after Parke County's Bridgeton Bridge. Parke County is, of course, known for its Covered Bridge Festival. The Indiana State Fair Covered Bridge is made primarily of Indiana tulip tree wood! I'm a definite fan of the Indiana State Fair Covered Bridge. It has a slight incline that can be a little difficult when I'm particularly tired and pushing the wheelchair, however, it's really quite accessible and a feature not to be missed when visiting the fairgrounds.

I love covered bridges! I "discovered" my first one while driving around in the "country" as we…read moreused to call it when we were teens and newly licensed. We used to drive on rural roads and learn what was beyond our bicycle range when we first started to drive. It was on one of these desolate rural roads with nothing but cornfields, the occasional pond and two story white farmhouses that we found one. We were all amazed and awe struck because we had no idea they even existed. We (at least four of us were always in the car) were thoroughly impressed the structure had survived so long. It was built in the 1920s per the plaque on the inside wall and here we were 40 years later driving across a bridge made out of wood. We were used to the steel 2nd Street bridge across the Ohio River in Louisville. It's nice that the Indiana State Fair pays tribute to covered bridges and shows each generation what they are. We rode through this one on the fair's shuttle and my granddaughter loved it. She loves tunnels and driving thru them. We had just drove through the Louisville East End Tunnels last week on our way to Lexington and back. I do love being able to see the architecture and design from the inside. I think this one's arches are pretty unique. I have a feeling covered bridges will be disappearing more and more as time moves forward. Preservation of history is always important for future generations.

This Mall sits between the American Legion National headquarters and headquarters of the American…read moreLegion's Department of Indiana. The Indiana library Central branch is located across the street. It covers two blocks and on the grounds are the World War II, Korean, and Vietnam memorials. It has a sunken green grassy area when you can throw a blanket down and have a picnic or just relax. As stated on a sign that I saw in the grass there "This ground is dedicated to the illustrious dead, Fitting recognition is desired." Metered street parking is available on the street surrounding the mall. The mall is the site of some local festivals. It can be rented for special events and the cost is based on the amount of people. 1 - 1,000 people = $800 1,000 - 10,000 people = $1,800 10,000+ people = $3,000

So much room for potential and activation. As I stood there in the sunshine this morning, I…read morecouldn't help but think of all of the great events that could come to life in this centrally located space. It's peaceful. It's shaded. It's filled with beautiful statues and best of all, the backdrop of downtown buildings like Lady Victory and the Salesforce building. The park features picnic benches, a water fountain in the center and several gingko trees. In this park you'll find World War II, Korean and Vietnam memorials, as well as the American Legion's national headquarters. Fun fact: Indy is second only to DC for number of war memorials. Within a stone's throw of the American Legion Mall you'll find The Tap, Central Library, Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Monument Circle, the downtown Canal Walk, Mass Ave and restaurants like Garden Table, The Eagle and Bazbeaux Pizza (picnic, anyone?). The Mall extends from St. Clair Street to North Street between Meridian and Pennsylvania Streets.

This is one of two Federal Buildings located in the downtown area. It was built in 1974 and was…read morenamed after former US Senator and Supreme Court Justice Sherman Minton and former US Senator Homer Capehart. The building is 6 floors and has an area of 406,872 sq feet. There is secure garage parking for building tenants only and metered street parking and commercial parking lots within a short walk that is available for visitors. All visitors are required to go through security screening to enter. However, the building has been closed to the public for about 2 years, after COVID. The buildings primary tenants were the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Defense Finance Accounting Service, the IRS and the Social Security Administration. Many tenants have moved out or drastically down sized ever since the post-COVID telework trend. The building is very clean. It is wrapped by a very colorful mural titled Color Fuses. The building has a daycare center for the children of Federal employees and there are picnic tables and chairs on the plaza in front on the building and the mural serves as a backdrop for it. Nice building, but you can't just roll up in there. You have to have official business, be cleared and put on a list and then go through airport level security. Fun fact: The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places last year (2021).

This review is for the exterior mural painted by the famous graphic designer, Milton Glaser, known…read morefor the "I heart NY" logo. The 35 hues behind this mural are being updated this year and will now feature up lighting to help them *pop* in the evening hours. Located across the street from the War Memorial on Pennsylvania, you've probably driven by this mural without ever giving it much thought. The Brutalist style architecture of the building doesn't do it for me but I certainly appreciate the vibrancy the mural brings to the building. It also makes a fun photo backdrop. Two quick tips- Indy Monthly recently wrote a small blurb on the artist/mural and I've included a snapshot of it here. Also, the Walk Indianapolis self guided historic tours feature a recording and stop about the Federal Building. (Screenshot included) Happy exploring!