Inside Indy

By Mark Loehrke
Appears in the March 2024 issue.

Indianapolis is having a moment

There’s a lot more to Indianapolis than a certain auto race it hosts every May. While Indy used to have a sleepy reputation the rest of the year, new restaurants, hotels, entertainment options, and a charming canal walk have helped revitalize the city—and helped it shed the former nickname “Naptown.” In fact, 2024 may be the year that puts that putdown to bed once and for all.

Having just wrapped up hosting duties for the NBA’s All-Star weekend last month, Indy looks ahead to a busy calendar that includes a bustle of solar eclipse hoopla on April 8 (the city lies in the path of totality), the all-new I Made Rock ‘N’ Roll Festival featuring Janelle Monae and other Black entertainers on May 18, the aforementioned Indianapolis 500 (the world’s largest single-day sporting event) over Memorial Day weekend, the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in June, and a visit from a supernova of a different sort in November—three nights of Taylor Swift’s massive Eras Tour at Lucas Oil Stadium (one of only three U.S. stops on the pop star’s 2024 calendar).

Add in a matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts this fall, and there are plenty of reasons for a road trip down I-65 to discover (or rediscover) a place that Condé Nast Traveler recently christened one of the friendliest cities in America. “Indianapolis excels at visitor experience through our mantra of Hoosier Hospitality,” says Clare Clark of Visit Indy, the city’s tourism bureau. In the spirit of that famed hospitality, here are some hot spots:

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Boasting a collection of more than 130,000 artifacts and specimens, the world’s largest youth museum features multiple levels of interactive learning, hands-on experiences, and an outdoor sports complex. From dinos to trains and ancient Egypt to the space station, there’s much to explore for kids of all ages. Pro tip: With more than 1.2 million visitors every year, this place can get busy, so buy tickets online in advance. childrensmuseum.org

Bicentennial Unity Plaza

Just outside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse (home of the Indiana Pacers), this newish outdoor gathering space features a community basketball court (which converts into a seasonal ice rink) and a variety of programming options, including outdoor movie showings and public art installations. gainbridgefieldhouse.com

Hinkle Fieldhouse

Speaking of basketball (because this is Indiana, after all), this 9,100-seat temple of hardwood history on the campus of Butler University is a must-visit destination for any sports fan (or movie buff—the championship game in the 1986 classic Hoosiers was filmed here). butlersports.com

St. Elmo’s Steak House

While hundreds of competitors have come and gone in downtown Indy over the past 122 years, this historic bastion of beef (and killer shrimp cocktails) remains the go-to spot for everyone from weary conventioneers to visiting superstar athletes. stelmos.com

RH Indianapolis

If you’ve enjoyed the Oak Brook outpost of this luxe global retailer, scope out Indy’s version, which is situated inside the 151-acre estate of the late philanthropist Christel DeHaan. The 60-room Palladian-style villa also offers the Dining Room restaurant plus the Lakeside Terrace and Wine Bar. rh.com

Bottleworks Hotel

A prime example of how the revitalization of Indy has spread from the downtown core out into several historic nearby neighborhoods, this lovingly restored art deco gem—a former Coca-Cola bottling plant—has been reborn as a swanky boutique hotel that serves as one of the anchors of the up-and-coming Bottleworks dining and entertainment district. bottleworkshotel.com

Tip: Conventional Wisdom

Many of the things that make Indianapolis so appealing to leisure visitors—a nearby international airport, a walkable downtown, a plethora of hotel and dining options—also make it a hot spot for conventions, trades shows, and large-scale sporting events, which is why it always makes sense when planning a trip to first check out the calendar of the enormous Indiana Convention Center (icclos.com/upcoming-events) to see if any big groups will be in town during your visit, filling many of downtown’s more than 7,000 hotel rooms.

Photos: Visit Indy (Indianapolis night photo, Bicentennial-Unity-Plaza, Bottleworks Hotel, RH Indianapolis); the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis