I had a great time exploring the State Museum today. The staff were so friendly and knowledgeable…read more The exhibits have plenty of interactives along with in depth history of Indiana. The cafe has delicious food!

Museum was very busy today which was to be expected but the exhibitors didn't really seem to care…read moreto even be here today. Glad we got a group discount and my kids had a good time for what it was but would have enjoyed some better interactions from the exhibitors.

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.

Wow! What a beautifully crafted museum with an impressive selection of work. I enjoyed the artwork…read morewith my grandpa and it will forever be a cherished memory of mine. Thank you for such a wonderful time.

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!

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.

This is easily the best children's museum in the country. We live in Georgia and have annual passes…read moreto the Indianapolis Children's Museum just because it is so incredible that it's worth the flight. Inside has intricate, rotating exhibits that are hands-on and informational at a level that all ages can appreciate. Outdoors is a huge sports complex featuring a track, a racecourse, realistic mini fields and courts as well as several putt putt courses for all skill levels. It's a little more weather dependent but truly amazing. The whole museum is so well maintained and staffed by thoughtful, caring people who really seem to enjoy their jobs and are always willing and able to help. Food is relatively affordable but the best food is bar far the tacos outside. My only complaint is that lately the bees (or wasps or whatever) have been really bad near the restaurant, and will literally try to eat anything, even cheese or chicken. They are ruthless. If they're bad when you come, grab food outside and take it indoors to the bee-free cafeteria.

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.

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.

Went to Hook's during the State Fair and got to Chocolate Caramel Coffee float and loved it! It was…read moreperfectly sweet and had a great sweets to coffee ratio. The inside was old and historical. It was very cool and worth the trip.

The town I grew up in actually had a Hook's Pharmacy that we used to go to all the time. It's…read morereally neat to see that the Hook's Historic Drug Store is open during the fair. It's air conditioned which is a major plus and it feels so good! It opened in 1966 and as of August 2021 they've had 3 million visitors come through the doors! The inside is floor to ceiling with natural wood and takes you back in time. They have a lot of information about drugs they used backs then and it's a great way to learn and cool off at the same time. They just announced that this year for the 2022 Taste of the State Fair they will be offering a iced mocha coffee float! Sounds good! I always get one of those long licorice ropes and one of the great ice cream floats anytime I've been there. They sell New York egg creams which doesn't have eggs in them at all. It's soda water, ice cream and syrup. Basically if you're wanting some deliciousness and something cold pick one of the many floats they offer.

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.

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.

The Twisted House is a whimsical, quirky sculpture in the ArtsPark. The house is the 2005 work of…read moreJohn McNaughton. McNaughton was a founding member of the Art Department of University of Southern Indiana. He passed away in 2022. The Twisted House is typical of his fun-loving approach to art. The wood sculpture has a storybook appearance. I can imagine that kids (and maybe even a few squirrels) would have fun visiting and playing in the structure with the crooked door and roof that curves over into the ground. The sculpture brought a smile to my face. The Twisted House worth a visit if you like art. There is no charge to walk through the quiet and serene park. There is free parking at the east side of the park.

It was a cold crisp day in late November when I visited the house. I knocked on the door but…read morenobody was home. Just kidding. It is a piece of artwork. It reminds me of the nursery rhyme about the old woman who lived in a shoe. It is just one piece of outdoor artwork and sculptures available on the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Center. I found plenty of parking available at the Center's parking lot. Then it is short walk from the lot.