Indianapolis City Guide

Indianapolis is the capital of the US state of Indiana. The city undertook a massive beautification effort in the 1980s and is today a major hub for commerce, industry, sports and entertainment. In fact Indianapolis is famously associated with sporting events as it hosts two of the largest one-day sporting events in the USA: the Indianapolis 500 and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. It is also home to several professional sporting teams like the NBA's Pacers, the WNBA's Fever, the NFL's Colts, and the Indianapolis Indians as well as top notch sporting facilities like the Lucas Oil Stadium.

Indianapolis’ various sporting events draw numerous sports enthusiasts to its shores annually. The city also has much to offer for other tourists who book vacations to Indianapolis in the form of its famed attractions like the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Indianapolis Zoo, the Canal Walk and quaint neighborhoods like Lockerbie Square and Massachusetts Avenue.

The downtown area of Indianapolis plays host to most of the city’s luxury hotel properties. This area is however a favorite with tourists who head to Indianapolis on vacation for it is home to some of the city’s most prominent attractions like Circle Center Mall, the Canal Walk, The Indiana State Museum, the Indianapolis Zoo and the Indianapolis Children’s museum amongst others. The Indiana Convention center, a prominent business travel destination of the city is also located within its downtown area.

The Indianapolis airport can be accessed via a ten minute drive from the city’s downtown area. The area around the Indianapolis airport is equipped with many moderately priced and budget hotels, which cater mainly to business travelers who travel to Indianapolis on work.

This neighborhood that is located in the northern part of city is known to be the nightlife district of Indianapolis. A canal traverses the neighborhood whose main drag is Broad Ripple Avenue. Broad Ripple Avenue plays host to some of the trendiest and heavily tourist trafficked stores, restaurants, bars, clubs and hotels in the city.

The Indianapolis Zoo which is located in the downtown area of the city should be considered a must do attraction if you are on vacation in Indianapolis with your children. This zoo is known for its conservation efforts and houses its charges in r recreated natural habitats. The zoo offers an immensely popular dolphin show.

This museum is now a National Historic Landmark that extends over 30,000 square feet and offers numerous exhibits of race memorabilia including race scoring equipment, reconstructed garages, trophies and 75 preserved racecars. The tour of the museum also includes a tour of the famous oval track.

This 284 feet tall monument commemorates the thousands of Indianapolis residents who perished during the Civil War. The monument offers an observation deck at its summit and a history room filled with war memorabilia at its basement.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art is housed in the midst of beautifully landscaped gardens. The Museum’s permanent collection features a wide array of African, Asian and European artworks and artifacts like Native American and South Pacific art, textiles, prints, drawings and photography.

Yet another attraction that is worth visiting with your children when you are on a vacation in Indianapolis is the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. This museum offers an assortment of interactive exhibits that can be enjoyed by all the family. The museum also offers storytelling sessions, puppet shows, an arts and crafts area and exhibits that feature vintage toys.

This museum is situated within the White River State Park and offers more than 300,000 exhibits that chronicle the history of Indiana from pre-historic times to the present.

This museum offers various exhibits that illustrate the life and times of America’s Wild West( from the 18th century to later half of the 19th century). The museum which features works of famous artists like Georgia O'Keeffe and Frederick Remington also offers exhibit that showcase the trials and tribulations faced by the native American Indians during this period.

Like other cities located in the mid-west of the US, Indianapolis has four main seasons. Summers in this capital city of Indiana are hot and humid and experience temperatures that sometimes exceed 95 °F (35 °C) though the average temperature for July is 75.4 °F (24.1 °C). Winters in Indianapolis are generally cold and have temperatures that routinely dip below 0 °F (-18 °C) though the average temperatures for January generally register 26.5 °F (-3.1 °C). Visitors who travel to Indianapolis often aver that the best time to visit Indianapolis are during the seasons of spring and fall, when temperatures register a pleasant 65 °F (18 °C) and are ideal for walking around and taking in the sights.

Indianapolis is accessed via its Indianapolis International airport that receives most major domestic carriers. This makes Indianapolis infinitely accessible from various parts of the country. In fact Fare Buzz often announces attractive flight deals to Indianapolis from various cities. If you are hunting for cheap air flights for a vacation to Indianapolis, you should contact Fare Buzz with your requirements.

The public transport system in Indianapolis is made of a public bus network and taxis; however most visitors to the city elect to rent a car for their stay in Indianapolis. If you wish to rent a car for your vacation in Indianapolis, you would do well as to contact Fare Buzz for it offers a wide array of affordable car rentals for Indianapolis which can be booked at the same platforms that you use for your travel bookings with Fare Buzz.

No destination is complete without shopping. So if you enjoy indulging in some retail therapy, then consider yourself lucky when in Indianapolis, for the city offers a wealth of shopping options in the form of several malls and chic shopping enclaves.

Mall shopping in Indianapolis can be experienced at three prominent locales in the city; the Fashion Mall at Keystone, a high-end mall that hosts outlets of upmarket retailers like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Crate and Barrel amongst others, the Circle Centre Mall located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, which offers more than hundred and twenty-five stores belonging to popular brands like Coach, Banana Republic and Bath and Body Works and the Castleton Square Mall, the largest mall in the state, outfitted with more than 130 stores, and many dining and entertainment choices.

If mall-shopping holds no interest for you, you can always explore retails options offered by the city’s various shopping districts like Mass avenue, known for its many unique stores and boutiques like the city’s oldest shoe store, Stout’s. Other shopping districts worth perusing, include locales like Fountain square, an eclectic district located east of downtown, home to antique stores, art galleries and music stores and Broad Ripple Village, an enclave that is devoid of big-name retailers but offers several trendy independent shops and boutiques.

Indianapolis maybe famed for its many sporting attractions but the city also possess a vibrant dining scene. Downtown Indianapolis is home to more than 200 restaurants offering a wide range of cuisines. Barbeque, steak, sushi, farm to table, casual dining, fine dining, Indianapolis aims to cater to all tastes at its many restaurants.

Favored eateries in the city currently include hotspots likeBlack Market Indy (American), Room 4 and Recess (New American), Fogo de Chao (Brazilian steak house), St Elmo’s Steak House, Peterson’s, Sullivan’s , Mo’s Steakhouse (all steakhouses), Los Chilaquile, La Escollera and La Parada Restaurant (Mexican) and Naisa Pan Asian Café.

Indianapolis offers countless choices for a fun night on the town. Comedy clubs, dance clubs, pubs, bars, cocktail lounges, Indianapolis offers them all and more. Popular nightlife haunts in the city currently include bars and lounges like the Jazz Kitchen, the Brass Ring Lounge, the 1933 lounge, the Libertine, Cadillac Ranch, Howl at the Moon, Melody Inn and, Tomlinson Tap Room.