Discover Indianapolis

Indianapolis offers several distinct focal points for planning a trip: green spaces, gardens, cultural districts and museums. If you’re looking for a hotel in Indianapolis, you can start by considering which of these themes you’d like to shape your stay. The places below offer specific points of reference—from a large park in the city center to exhibitions with different subject matter.

Green Spaces and Paths

White River State Park spans 250 acres in central Indianapolis and brings together green spaces, paths, trees and bodies of water. The park also has miles of paths and expansive open green spaces. Both individual landscape features and a larger green space are therefore part of its character. Sunken Garden offers a different focus: it is a three-acre formal garden with active fountains. The contrast between the expansive park and the formally landscaped garden highlights two types of green space in Indianapolis.

Cultural Districts and Museums

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail is 10 miles long and connects six cultural districts in central Indianapolis. Its length and the number of districts it connects offer two specific points of reference for understanding this urban cultural connection. If you’d like to plan your trip around cultural themes, you can consider the trail as one focal point alongside individual museums or green spaces.

At the Eiteljorg and the Indiana State Museum, different themes come together in neighboring locations: the Eiteljorg is located in White River State Park, right next to the Indiana State Museum. It presents diverse stories about the history and cultures of Indigenous peoples, as well as the American West. The Indiana State Museum offers interactive stories about art, science and history. The two institutions therefore focus on different subject matter, despite being right next to each other.

The Indiana War Memorial Museum offers another perspective. Arranged chronologically, it explores Indiana’s role in United States conflicts. This structure sets the museum apart from the diverse themes of the Eiteljorg and the Indiana State Museum. The Soldiers & Sailors Monument includes a gift shop and an observation deck.

Gardens, Animals and Dinosaurs

Family-friendly themes are also specifically represented in Indianapolis. Dinosphere at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is an immersive dinosaur exhibition. Blake's Garden is a children's garden area east of the Conservatory. The Indianapolis Zoo is accredited as a zoo, aquarium and botanical garden. These descriptions distinguish between exhibition, garden, and zoo or botanical themes. If you’re traveling with children, their specific interests in dinosaurs, garden areas or the different zoo categories can inform your plans, without all the places having the same focus.

When looking for a hotel in Indianapolis, these differences can help guide your plans: an expansive park, a cultural trail, neighboring museums and individual family-friendly themes offer different starting points for planning a trip. Choose your focus based on what matters to you during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Wynnedale, Clermont, Lawrence, Decatur, Warren Park, Speedway, Beech Grove.

Go to the regional travel overview: Marion.