Indy and Indycar go hand in hand, each one improving each other. Their story is documented in the…read moreIMS museum. Located in the heart of the racetrack, you can find a hundred years worth of racing gear, cars, and photos that document the evolution of the sport. The museum has been newly renovated in the past couple years and the experiences help you feel connected to the racing culture in the city. If NASCAR is more your speed (because they're not as fast as Indycars), they have a wing for that as well. Admission is around $20 per person, but students enter for $7 with ID. You can walk around at your own pace. I think I spent about 2-2.5 hours here and I am one to read about 2/3 of plaques at museums. One really cool thing worth doing if you have the time is to do a track tour. There is an extra cost, but you can drive around the oval and learn about the construction of the track and the surrounding areas within the Speedway. I went on one that stopped at the Brickyard, a stretch of 3 feet that still has the original bricks on display at the Tag Heuer pagoda. You can even kiss the bricks if you want! This review is a little out of date, but that just means I'm closer to my next visit!

Enjoyed my first visit to renovated IMS Museum. I have only seen the museum in pictures prior to…read morethe renovations, and the updates modernized the facility and upgraded the user experience quite a bit. When you first enter the museum, you stroll through a mock-up of the garages in gasoline alley. There are racecars from every era. The next stop is an open space with a surround video of the Indy500 experience. This would be a nice recap to anyone who has never been to the race. Finally you enter the main museum with three levels of exhibits. There are of course racecars, but also trophies, helmets, and other memorabilia related to the race and the track. I think race fans and non-fans alike would enjoy a visit to the IMS Museum. There is plenty to see and many things to look at with historical significance. It is also a good place to host events, especially for out-of-towners.

Looking for a small town inside a city? You find it here…read more Famous for it's races... uhm, the Indy 500 comes to mind, along with the Brickyard 400 and a multitude of others. The whole town participates in the race frenzy by sprucing up their yards and decorating their houses and driveways. When you are in town, I recommend visiting the Speedway, the museum within and also taking one of the many tours that are offered. Then take a relaxing stroll down Mainstreet, which by now has developed into a Mecca of restaurants, bars and even breweries. Or stop by for some indoor go karting or sign up to drive around in a luxury vehicle. But Speedway extends far beyond this area. Venture out into the surrounding community with it's little shops, restaurants and even a trail to hike. No worries, the natives are friendly. Just try not to trash their town, there are publish trash cans available.

This is a nice little town located right outside of Indianapolis and Plainfield. It was established…read morein 1926 and its main claim to fame is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This place really booms on the day of the 500. This place also has some nice little shops, parks such as Meadowood Park and restaurants. A lot of it restaurants and shops are focused off of Main Street, which serves as the city's downtown area of sorts. There is a nice running trail that goes through the heart of the city. I ran a few 5Ks on it is how I know. This city is relatively clean and does not have as much crime as Indy. It is home to Daredevil Brewing Company, the Dallara IndyCar Factory, and an indoor go-cart track. The Motor Speedway has a museum and offers tours. I have went on it a couple of times and it is nice. You can actually ride a bus on the track and get out and kiss the bricks. Outside of that there is not much to the city. I try to avoid the the city during the big race at all costs, because it is way too packed for my comfort. This is a decent low key city to escape the hustle and bustle of Indy, but if it did not have the Speedway, it would only be a blip on the map.

Oldfields is one of my favorite spots to visit in Indianapolis. I visit a couple times each year,…read morebut my favorite time to visit is during the Christmas season when the mansion is decorated for the holidays. Oldfields was designed by noted architect, Lewis K. Davis, in 1910 for the family of Hugh Landon, an executive of Fletcher Trust. The Landon family lived in the house from 1913-1932, when the house was sold to J. Lilly, Jr. the Lillys donated the property to the Arts Association of Indianapolis in 1966, where it became part of the present day Newfields Art Museum. All this information is summarized in detail on placards in the basement of the home. The home is huge, of course, and has been restored and maintained to its 1913 glory. I like to imagine living in the home during the early days. There is a music room, library (built by Lilly), dining room, pantry, kitchen. The upstairs bedrooms are not opened to the public. Downstairs there is a billiards room and carriage house. Information about each room is described on small boards. Paintings of a young Ruth Lilly, adorn several walls. The back of the house overlooks the White River. Gardens surround the mansion and make a delightful springtime stroll. During Winterlights, the front grounds are filled with Christmas lights that dance to the music of the Indianapolis Symphony. In the basement, there is a small gift shop that sells the "shirt" and seasonal gifts. Admission to the museum (or Winterlights) includes a self guided walking tour of the mansion. The home is definitely worth a visit.

Amazing place to visit. There iis always something new and exciting to experience…read more The IMA is constantly changing with the guest's experience in mind.

The The Children's Museum of Indianapolis absolutely lives up to the hype. We arrived right when it…read moreopened and stayed as long as we could before naptime, but honestly we could have spent the entire day there. The parking is extremely easy and you are also able to rent a stroller pretty cheaply there which is a plus. Our kids especially loved the space exhibit and the exhibit (on the top floor I believe) that showcases a lot of the nature surrounding Indiana. There's so much to explore and everything feels thoughtfully designed for kids to really interact and play, not just look. Even moving through with little ones felt manageable because there are so many engaging areas to stop and explore. If you have young kids and are in Indianapolis, this is an easy five-star outing. We're already looking forward to going back.

One of largest children's museum. Many floors and sections to explore. It has Dinosphere,…read morespace/earth, power of children (Ann Frank, Malala etc), Egyptian discovery and more. Carousel is on the top floor (separated tix). It's a Historic Landmark originally located at White City Amusement Park (Broad Ripple Park) from the segregation era. Strong history going behind that wheel. You can easily spend a whole day there. Many hands on activities. Benches around for adults. Bathroom is clean. I definitely have a great time as well as my kid. Free parking lot. Highly recommend to get the tix online (extra $1 fee). Highly recommend to stop by if you are in the area.

I've wanted to visit the Eiteljorg for a while now so I'm glad I got to visit on MLK Free Day!…read more I won't give away too much of what's inside but there's a lot of artwork by artists who are Native to the North American landmass, inclusive of Inuit art. I liked the Jingle Rails special holiday exhibit which featured recreations of many landmarks across the United States with electric train sets moving throughout the exhibit. I shared a few of my favorite sights with this review. There is also a nice cafe that has a pretty full service menu. Since we already had lunch, we only stopped by for a soft drink. You can actually visit the cafe without visiting the full museum, and receipts to the cafe can actually validate the underground parking at the White River State Park!

You can still go to this season's Jingle Rails which ends on MLKJ Day. I borrowed a library pass…read moreand got my friend and me in as well as validated free parking. This is my 3rd visit ever, and this year was the funniest because of the seek and find game for a tattoo sticker or a piece of candy. It drew us to look at the details. This year the new exhibit is Route 66 and quite educational. It was my friend's first time to this exhibit.

An ok race track. We came from Wisconsin to see some friends of ours race. We planned on going into…read morethe pits to hang out with them and visit for the day. When we went to pay for the three of us (myself, wife, and 2yr old daughter) it was $90 to get into the pits. We've been to plenty of tracks before we had a little one and are totally used to how much it is to get into the pits- but didn't expect them to charge full adult price for a toddler who was going to be carried the whole time. Especially when general admission is free for kids under 14. When we asked why it was full price for her- and not maybe half price ($15) we were met with a rude attitude from the woman in the booth. We ended up paying to stay since we drove all that way but we won't be back and we will be sure to forward the info on to all our racer friends and fans.

A great race track that races every Saturday spring throughout the fall. The track is family…read morefriendly with nice new restrooms and admits Kids free. The racing is action packed with Modifieds and stock cars weekly along with a lot of special classes. Concessions are very good and fairly priced. The track has a lot of history and has been there since the early 1900's; however, the facilities are very modern and recently remodeled. Racing at the Montpelier track is a great experience for any family.