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 the longest time, my basic path to my downtown office was to take Emerson to East Washington…read morebefore landing at the Indiana Government Center complex. These days, as we all know, there are detours galore and several street projects to deal with along the way. Thus, I now wind my way through the Brookside Park area and then drive through what is known as the Old Northside Historic District. Aptly named because this used to be Indy's old Northside, this historic district is defined by 16th street on the North, Pennsylvania Street on the West, I-65 to the South, and Bellefontaine Street on the East. The Monon Trail borders the east edge of The Frank and Judy O'Bannon Old Northside Soccer Park. This was "the" neighborhood to live in near the turn of the 19th century. Around the 1950s, the area began a steady decline and many original structures were destroyed. In the 1970s, this became a historic district and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since the 1980s, it has really come back to its own. While it's not the place it used to be, it's once again a valued place to live. Much like my own eastside neighborhood, Old Northside is in many ways an oasis surrounded by more economically challenged areas. I don't live in a bad neighborhood, but I am surrounded by them. That's really the same thing here. As a wheelchair user, it's probably easy to figure out why I'd opt for a 4-star instead of a 5-star here. Amidst all of this marvelous history, there are stairs galore. While Indiana Landmarks has done a marvelous job of making their historic home accessible, as has the Benjamin Harrison home, others not so much. You've also got the Harrison Center, Indiana Humanities (Meredith Nicholson home), Morris Butler, McGowan Hall, Redeemer Presbyterian, and a host of other buildings, events (Talbot Street, anyone?), and places to visit. Yes, some of the area continues to need more love and care, however, this really is one of the cooler areas in Indy. Sidewalks and curb cuts are great in renovated areas, however, there are quite a few places where passage is very iffy. With large homes and lots, architecture reflecting the area's history, and a true feeling of neighborhood, this is a well-suited area for those who'd love to live amidst history and with restaurants, coffee shops, and other businesses easily within walking distance. For those with mobility issues, it'll be a more challenging task to live around here as even the apartment buildings tend to be older and challenged in terms of access. For me, I love the Old Northside but it's an area where I love to visit but would most likely never live.

OLD NORTHSIDE HISTORIC DISTRICT IN INDY IS CHARMING…read more================================================ In August of 2025 my husband and I rented an Airbnb in the Old Northside Historic District to stay close to some family members nearby. You can walk all over the place from there, but it was a bit warm at the beginning of August, so we didn't do too much walking. We stayed near College and 16th. 16th is the border on the north side, Pennsylvania Street on the west, Interstate I-65 on the south, and Bellefontaine Street on the east. The Monon Trail runs along the eastern edge of The Frank and Judy O'Bannon Old Northside Soccer Park. We walked on the Monon Trail by this park and it was beautiful. A lot of the homes in this area reflect the Late Victorian style. This area was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 24, 1978. This area was a prominent residential area in the late 19th century when some more affluent residents built mansions in the area. Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States, called this area home. It was also the original location of Butler University which was later relocated to another town. This neighborhood changed in the early 1910's when families built homes further north in Indianapolis.

This was the perfect rainy day activity for a Tuesday afternoon while exploring the city of…read moreIndianapolis. Our tour guide Danielle was very knowledgeable and personable and made the tour interesting and a great learning experience. He is a wealth of knowledge and knows an incredible detail about the home and the life of Benjamin Harrison and his family. The home itself is in beautiful condition and is really quite interesting set apart from other historic homes where you were actually able to walk through the majority of the rooms. They are doing a new exhibit coming up on the third floor, which is the ballroom floor I think in the spring of 2026. If you're not looking to do a tour (although I highly recommend it) the welcome center and gift shop has a decent amount of information as well if you're just looking to collect some fun facts or great little souvenirs.

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.

Bridgeport honors the local men who served in the Civil War with this elaborate monument in Seaside…read morePark https://www.yelp.com/biz/seaside-park-bridgeport?hrid=VuI9YRr0wFJzrDzQoIr4BA. The monument features a large, granite base with several decorative elements that narrows into a shaft topped by a bronze allegorical figure representing the United States. The monument's side feature bronze statues depicting an infantry soldier and a sailor. The plaque on the southeast face reads, "Dedicated to the memory of the heroic men of Bridgeport who fell in the late war for the preservation of the Union. July 1876." The plaque also features the conclusion of the Gettysburg Address. Plaques on the other faces list approximately 180 local residents killed in the war, along with their unit, as well as their date and place of death. [Review 15155 overall, 657 of 2021, number 12 in Connecticut.]

With my family and I were doing on North East trip we stopped in Bridgeport Connecticut and we saw…read morethis wonderful monument for soldiers and sailors. I've noticed that a lot of cities that I've visited have the same soldiers and sailors monument on this trip. It looks a little different but it's always titled soldiers and sailors so curious might look that up. But anyway there's a nice looking Memorial monument and it just really represents the respect and love for soldiers and sailors and people that have fought for our country and have passed away it's just a nice tribute

Goodness, have I walked the canal about 50 times now?!…read more It's such a unique experience for Indy to have some water space in the middle of the city. This 3 mile loop will take you from 11th Street down to White River State Park to access the green space and extra trails down there. The canal water itself is not super cute, where there can be litter, and the water is rather opaque. They do drain the canal every so often to keep it from getting too uncute. The sidewalks are kept nicer, though a few spots in front of apartment buildings could use some TLC. There are also a few spots where the sidewalk is not level, so take caution if that is an issue. It's mostly stair access to the canal, but I *think* I've seen an elevator around the Ohio street basin. The canal has a few businesses along it for your merriment. Notably, there is Fresco on the Canal (I have a separate review for this) which is open March-October. Eiteljorg museum cafe is open daily around the lunch hours (11-3) and can be accessed through their patio gate. Entertainment wise, there is more going on. I've done the swan boat rentals, where you can pedal around on the canal. This is quite a workout! Rental of swan boats and kayaks is near the Ohio Street basin. There is also the gondolas, where your gondolier can sing, and they've always sounded marvelous. There's also a few stations for the Pacers Bikeshare around the canal, which is free for Marion County residents. Any time the weather is right, you can find me getting my steps in!

Nice river walk nearby center city area. It's refreshing looking at the water flowing through…read more We saw some fishes so definitely clean water for the city. Love the greens, bridges, arts around it. It would better with warmer weather for sure. I couldn't walk far because of the cold. But overall I love the scenery.

Historical and grand monument to honor Indiana veterans from the Revolutionary War during the…read moreSpanish American War. It only open during the weekends at winter time. And I think there's a fountain (not working now) and you can take elevator to the observatory deck. The sculpture around is amazing. Nice art form and great memorable piece for the soldiers and sailors.

This is one of the most important sites in downtown Indianapolis. It's only few minutes walk from…read morethe Canal st. The monument is a wonderful blend of art and history, surrounded by tall buildings. There are has several different statues in each side of it, and one main statue on top. There's an engraving on the monument's pedestal with numbers about civil war. As we walked around, we saw a blue section, which is probably the water fountain during summer time. There was a sign near the street side regarding Indiana Pride's origin. Also there were several cones around the monument, probably because steps were slippery due to snow and ice.

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 historic capital building has been undergoing renovations in 2025 as can be evidenced by the…read morescaffolding surrounding the rotunda in the photograph I have posted. It is the historic working capital building & seat of government for the state of Indiana. Open to the public as it should be the beautiful architecture and grounds are a must visit for Indiana citizens and anyone else who finds their self in the capital city of Indianapolis.

Stopped by for a tour. The tour guide let me join a big group at 10:30am. This place is beautiful…read moreand so cool! Got to meet the Comptroller, see the House of Representatives in session, sit in the Senator's chairs, and see the Supreme Court. The tour guide is so knowledgeable. After the tour, he gave me some good museum suggestions and showed me where to go.

The USS Indianapolis Memorial is one of the most potent and meaningful monuments I've ever visited…read more It honors extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and the unforgettable story of the ship and her crew. Standing here is a solemn reminder of what true service looks like and the high cost that freedom sometimes demands. This place holds personal significance for me because my great friend Jill Cassidy's father, John Cassidy, was one of the survivors. Seeing John Cassidy's name among the others--the men who endured the unimaginable--brought a deep sense of respect, reflection, and gratitude. The memorial is beautifully designed and thoughtfully maintained, overlooking the water as if the ship is still watching over her crew. The names engraved here are not just history--they are lives, stories, and legacies that continue to inspire. If you are in Indianapolis, this is a place everyone should visit. It is a quiet space to honor heroes, reflect on sacrifice, and remember a chapter of our history that must never be forgotten. Semper Fi. Dan / Project NAGA

The USS Indianapolis Memorial is within walking/wheeling distance of my office. I've often stopped…read moreby during a lunch break to check it out and realized I'd never actually reviewed it. The USS Indianapolis was destroyed in 1945 near the tail end of World War II. This monument was established in 1995. It's located at the north end of the Canal Walk between Senate Avenue and Walnut Street. The monument is a black and gray granite memorial. The memorial was designed by Joseph Fischer. It's created in the shape of the cruiser itself. One side has an etched story about the ship's sinking. The other side has the name of the ship's company and one passenger who made up the final crew. You can access the memorial from dawn to dusk. It is free to do so. The USS Indianapolis was a heavy cruiser that had just delivered secret components for the atomic bomb to Tinian Island. It was on its return voyage when destroyed by a Japanese submarine. 1,195 men went into the water as a result of the sinking. 316 survived. There is a virtual tour you can take. You can also download an app for a self-guided tour via PocketSights. While there's a lot of construction going on in this area related to the new IU Health campus, you can still pretty easily access the memorial via the Cultural Trail or Canal Walk. There's metered parking pretty nearby and curb cuts available in terms of accessibility. The memorial itself is easily accessible. I'd think this would be a meaningful visit for anyone impacted by the USS Indianapolis sinking, World War II vets, or really any veterans.