(INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA) — Some cities just “get it.” They know who they are, their branding is on point, and they are 100% dedicated to their identity. Indianapolis, Indiana is one of those cities.
The sports scene is vibrant. The foodie scene is popping. And the family-friendly activities are available for all to enjoy. And you can’t forget the racing! Roughly 300,000 plus people are gearing up for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” the Indy 500. It’s coming up on Memorial Day weekend, May 25.
Everything my family and I experienced was done over a weekend! It’s going to seem like a lot, but it’s possible! Careful scheduling met with flexibility is where you’ll have to be. So let’s dive in!
WHAT TO DO:
#1: The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
This is the BIGGEST children’s museum in the world! Right now, the Children’s Museum is hosting the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse exhibit, available on the second floor through September 1, 2025. If your kiddo is a fan of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, this is a must-see for them! There are interactive activities within the exhibit, where your kid can solve puzzles with Toodles! We celebrated Pluto’s birthday, and my 2-year-old loved interacting with the staff on different activities. It’s the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse world brought to life!
While Mickey is always the star of the show, here the dinosaurs are also stars! Right now on Facebook, my post about the dinosaurs at the Children’s Museum has reached 1.5 million people, with many people planning their next trips in my comments section. I love it! These were some of the best dinosaurs we’ve ever seen. Bennett was in awe and loved getting to dig in a fossil pit.
The Children’s Museum also has a 7.5 acre outdoor sports area that allows kids to explore pretty much any sport you could think of. Football, soccer, golf, tennis, hockey, baseball and running are all part of this area. All the Indy sports teams have different areas and it’s called the Riley Children’s Sports Legends Experience. Such an amazing place.
If your kids like trains, outer space, tombs, shipwrecks, art, comic books – really anything you can think of, the Children’s Museum is for them! My advice? Spend the entire day here. Show up when the Museum opens, and stay until it closes!
#2: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
The IMS Museum is back open! I remember coming here when I was in 8th grade. Now (quite a few) years later, I was so happy to bring my wife and kids. And, to top it all off, the Museum reopened with AMAZING renovations in early April of this year! See historic cars throughout multiple floors of the Museum. Learn about the trophies, the champions and the history of the Indy 500. Get a race track tour and see the track up close and personal, along with some behind the scenes aspects. We rode in a bus around the grounds, seeing the media area, some private viewing suites where high-ranking officials like the Governor would sit. When we were there that day, a bunch of Mercedes Benz drivers were practicing in different parking lots and on the track. Such a cool experience! We spent roughly 3 hours at the IMS and I feel like that was the perfect amount of time for a family with small kids.
#3: Indianapolis Zoo & Aquarium
If you’re heading to the Indy Zoo & Aquarium, plan to spend all day there. It’s the same thing as the Children’s Museum. THERE’S SO MUCH TO SEE! It’s incredible. When you first walk in, talk a stroll through the tulip garden and then stop by the butterfly house. Next you’ll find yourself in the midst of sharks, sting rays, sea lions and penguins in the aquarium section. One of my favorite parts was seeing the two walruses right outside the aquarium building. These massive, curious creatures just come up to the glass to say hi to you. I feel like you don’t get to see walruses every day so that was a treat. But the main event of the aquatics offerings had to be the dolphins. First and foremost, there’s an underground tunnel and dome where you are completely surrounded by water, and dolphins swim all around you. It’s amazing. Then you can even sit in an area to see dolphin shows throughout the day. The show is only 15 minutes long, which is perfect for toddlers who don’t want to sit still very long.
After this, the zoo pretty much has every animals you can think of. Lions, cheetahs, giraffes, rhinos and elephants can be found in the Plains section. Chimpanzees, orangutans and other monkeys are sprinkled throughout the zoo as well. The bears were sleeping with their legs up in the air when we walked by, which was hilarious. And the tiger was acting very sleepy (or hungry maybe), licking his chops as we looked into its area. I also rode a roller coaster! They take you around the tracks twice because the ride is so short, but it was pretty fun! Don’t be expecting anything super crazy if you’re a roller coaster fanatic. But this is a good way to start kids out.
The train ride was also a fan-favorite! Bennett loved snuggling next to mommy and his baby sister as we rode throughout the zoo. There are multiple food options as well. Your typical burgers, fries, hot dogs, pretzels etc.
I like how the zoo does “chats” at the different exhibits. It’s where zoo staff take 10ish minutes or so to come to an exhibit, letting guests learn about that specific animal. I had to go to the walrus one, of course! Make sure to get tickets to feed the kangaroos and giraffes!
This was a very fun way to get indoors for a while and let Bennett learn and explore. There’s a cardboard area on the top floor that lets you build things by using cardboard! This is a great opportunity for kids to learn about different things in history. There’s also an IMAX theater inside! The Museum is located right off the downtown canal. So when you’re done visiting the Museum, head outside and take a walk alongside the canal for nice views of the water and downtown Indy.
INDY ATTRACTION PASS
Visit Indy, Indianapolis’ local tourism bureau, offers an Indy Attraction Pass which allows people to buy one pass and get into a whole bunch of different attractions. This is a great way to save money and still get to do a whole lot of fantastic things. There are four other attractions in the Pass that we didn’t even get to! Hopefully next time.
WHERE TO STAY:
#1: Crowne Plaza Downtown Indianapolis Union Station
This has to be one of the coolest stays we’ve ever done. Staying in a train car at the historic Union Station in downtown Indianapolis. On the second floor, your train car stay awaits. We were in the Rudolph Valentino car, which has two queen beds, a mini fridge, bathroom/shower combo and closet inside. With the train being longer than your typical hotel room, there was still plenty of space for our family of four. Bennett absolutely loves trains, so he was in Heaven while we were here. Enjoy the breakfast buffet or order off the menu before leaving. We enjoyed the omelet station! The hotel is right by Lucas Oil Stadium and Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Each train has a different name, ours was named after an Italian actor.
#2: Modern Speedway Bungalow (AirBnB)
A quiet retreat just steps from downtown Speedway, IN is a duplex home turned AirBnB. We stayed on the right side of the home, known as the Modern Speedway Bungalow. It was a relaxing stay with plenty of space. It includes a closed in front porch, a front room with chairs, a pullout couch and TV, followed by a full kitchen, laundry/dryer setup, bathroom/shower combo and one bedroom with a king size bed. There’s also a small backyard with chairs to congregate and a small slide if you have younger kids. The owners really put in a lot of work to make this bungalow a nice play to stay. The amenities were all fantastic, and it was really nice to have a place with in-house laundry service, dish washer, etc. On the other side of the duplex is the Speedway Bungalow Off Main. We walked to breakfast one morning and were there within 5 minutes. I walked to Main Street Speedway to grab a pizza and was there and back in less than 10 minutes. It’s the perfect location to be close to a lot of amazing things happening in downtown Speedway.
WHERE TO EAT:
#1: Baby’s Indy
If you’re looking for trendy vibes, Baby’s is the spot for you. There’s a nice enclosed patio you can sit along with an outdoor recreation area that Bennett loved to explore. Burgers, fries, and shakes oh my! It was my birthday, so I had to get the birthday cake shake, which was vegan.
#2: Harry & Izzy’s
We visited the Downtown Indianapolis location, which has a beautiful bar, spacious seating and wonderful service. Our server, Austin, was a great host and provided excellent service. Steaks, seafood, cocktails, pasta and more are all available here. Rachel got the filet mignon and mashed potatoes. I ordered the penne pasta with lobster and an appetizer of fried calamari. Bennett got a cheese pizza he absolutely loved. I also got a side of brussels sprouts. To end a wonderful meal, we ordered the creme brulee. Great atmosphere is meet with wonderful service in a great location downtown.
#3: Charlie Brown’s Pancake & Steak House
The morning we went to the Speedway Museum, we stopped by Charlie Brown’s for breakfast. A wonderful diner full of history and racing memorabilia. You never know, you could run into a famous race car driver! They recently opened up another room in the back part of the restaurant, giving guests more space if you’d like. The breakfast menu has a lot of classic breakfast items. I got an omelet with pancakes and hashed browns, Rachel ordered a burrito with breakfast potato chips and Bennett got a waffle, sausage patty and cup of strawberries. Great service!
Notable mentions when in Speedway:
Visit Daredevil Brewing for a nice lager and order a pizza from Brozinni Pizzeria.
#4: The Hangar
Is this the best place to catch a game or race in all of Indy? I can’t say that with full certainty since I haven’t been to a TON of places in Indianapolis, but it sure was for us. We visited when The Hangar was hosting a watch party for the Grand Prix of Long Beach, while also showing the Masters golf tournament simultaneously. The buffet was absolutely incredible. Nachos, pizzas, cinnamon rolls, salads you name it. Not only was it a lot of food, but it was delicious. Partner that with one of my new favorite beers, the Sunlight Cream Ale from Sun King Brewery, and you’re bound to have an amazing time. Specialty cocktails and frozen drinks are also available. When there’s not a major watch party, they have golf simulations inside. A big part of The Hangar’s services is the HandleBar Pedal Bar that rolls through downtown Indianapolis. I’ve never done one of these, but they look like a blast. Make sure to check them out for incredible times!
Our trip to Indianapolis was one of our favorite trips yet. We agree that the family-friendly environment of the City was amazing, and there’s so much to do! We will absolutely be coming back. All of the attractions we did, we’d do them again! Especially as exhibits change at the Children’s Museum, that is a place you can return to over and over again. I’d love to also visit Speedway for a future race. I feel like that would be electric! As Bennett and Mattie get older, it will be fun to bring them back so they have fond memories just like Rachel and I have.
Thank you to everyone who collaborated with us during our trip. You were gracious hosts and your support is more than appreciated!
Matt Sheehan Official 