Indianapolis, IN Travel Guide - Explore with Ellie

I’ll be completely honest and admit that our month in Indianapolis was the one I was dreading the most. I don’t know why I had such a negative perception of it, but I was proven totally wrong during our time there! Indy has great character with lots of up and coming neighborhoods. There’s a lot to do for all interests – museums, bars & restaurants, zoo, biking/running paths, professional sports, etc.

We stayed in a cute AirBnB just south of Fountain Square and ended up really liking the location. We could easily walk up to Fountain Square and had direct access to the Indianapolis Cultural Trail (more on that in a bit).

As always, we seemed to run out of time to check out all the places on our list. There are a ton of cool breweries and an area called Broad Ripple that we weren’t able to enjoy. But who knows, maybe we’ll be back!?

Activities

Indianapolis Cultural Trail

As I previously mentioned, we had direct access to this from our place so it was really nice to be able to walk/run/bike from home. The trail gets you around most of the city on a spacious path alongside the road, so you don’t have to worry about riding in a bike lane or running out of sidewalk. We were even able to walk to the Colts game from our place via the Cultural trail!

Indy Canal Walk / White River Trail

Who knew Indy had a canal?? It’s such a unique place to stroll, jog or bike and totals 3 miles if you complete the loop with a few points of interest along the way. We found free street parking around West St. Claire and Senate Street and hopped on the canal around the USS Indianapolis National Memorial. You can also park at the surface lot of White River State Park for $3/hour and take the White River Wapahani Trail from there. We biked part of this trail on one of our Saturdays.

Professional Sports Game

Since it was September, football season had just kicked off and we were able to go to a game with our friends from Louisville one Sunday. Our tickets were $50/person with decent seats, so it was a super fun activity. Depending on the season you’re there will of course dictate which sporting event you could attend. Shoutout to my cousin who is a Pace Mate – definitely go to a Pacers game if you’re there in the winter!

Food & Drink

Fountain Square

Not only are there some great breweries and restaurants here, this is also a fun neighborhood to walk around on the Cultural Trail. If you’re a fan of the HGTV show ‘Good Bones’ you can peruse the neighborhood for renovated houses!

Upland Brewery: great spot for a beer or boozy slushie on a hot day! They have a massive indoor space as well as a nice patio with turf for the furry friends.
Thunderbird: I really judged this place by the cover and I am publicly apologizing for it! From the outside, it looks super dark and cramped so I wasn’t necessarily inclined to enter. But we got a table on the side patio and I’m SO glad we came. The food was all incredible. We tried both mac n cheeses, the burger, and chicken sandwich and enjoyed every last bite of it all.
BrewDog: yummy chicken tenders and street corn + local craft brews
Chilly Water Brewing: stopped in here for a drink on our walk to the Colts game!
Fountain Square Rooftop Garden: I don’t think Indy has many rooftop bars, so we were excited to find one right up the street from us! Since it’s a little outside of downtown, it provides a pretty good view of the city. It’s a little strange because they don’t open until 6pm each day, so we stopped in for after dinner drinks.
The Commodore Speakeasy: located in the same building as the rooftop. I actually stumbled upon it when I was going to the bathroom and heard loud music coming from an unmarked door. It’s cozy, dark, and very speakeasy-eque! We ended up coming back here one night and Amy and I got espresso martini’s. Definitely recommend!
Loco Restaurant and Cantina: honestly the food was pretty typical but the margarita flight was fun!

Mass Avenue/Bottleworks District

Another awesome area to roam around and explore, with bonus restaurants along the way! You can start at the corner of New York and Delaware Street, then follow the diagonal Mass Ave to the Bottleworks District.

The Garage: food hall located in Bottleworks District with a vast variety of food options from arepas to lobster rolls to pizza to Brazilian steak sandwiches. I always enjoy coming to a food hall with multiple people since everyone can get what they want! X restaurant was a favorite amongst the group.
The Eagle: Ok so we technically didn’t even go here but since they have a location in Louisville and I’ve been there several times, I HAD to include it here. My favorite southern comfort food with a chicken sandwich, mac n cheese, and bourbon punch to die for. Their patio looked nice too!
Bru Burger Bar: really delicious burgers & cocktails.
The Rathskellar: German restaurant/bar with giant beer garden in the back. Sam attended Oktoberfest here and said it was a fun time.
The Livery: we didn’t make it here but it came highly recommended. Definitely make a reservation as far in advance as you can!