8 Best Sights in Indianapolis, Indiana

Got the need for speed? Then race right over to this new Dallara facility, just a third of a mile from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and five miles from downtown Indy. Not only can you get a peek into the factory of this racing master, but you can even get behind the wheel of a street-legal two-seater IndyCar for a firsthand spin ($20, for visitors 16 and older) or get a virtual sense of the thrill in the track simulator.

If you think you know the West, a browse through this phenomenal museum will have you thinking anew. Its blending and juxtaposition of both Western and Native American art, culture and history adds depth and perspective to any stereotypes. Exhibits include artwork that depicts idyllic scenes of cowboys on horseback, modern abstractions, Native American pottery and woodcraft, and more. Some of its most beloved holdings are works by artists from the famed Taos Society of Artists, as well as Georgia O'Keeffe, Kay WalkingStick, and Andy Warhol.

Before you head inside, take note of the outside of this White River State Park museum, made from materials all native to the state and embedded with sculptural icons that represent Indiana's 92 counties. Exhibits inside reveal the Hoosier State from its geological formation to its Native American heritage as well as its inclusion as the 19th state to its economic ups and downs in the 20th century. The museum also houses a working re-creation of Indy's historic L.S. Ayers tearoom and an IMAX theater.

With nearly 473,000 square feet of fun-filled interactive exhibits, there's no doubt this attraction is one of the best children's museums in the country. Adults gawk with wide-eyed wonder at the Dale Chihuly "Fireworks of Glass" sculpture that dangles down through the five-story atrium, while kids go gaga over pretty much everything else. Highlights include "Dinosphere," where visitors get a look at Baby Louie, who gained fame on the cover of National Geographic as the only known articulated dinosaur embryo. "ScienceWorks" gets kids thinking about nature, buildings and the efforts that connect them together; plus, it features a popular climbing wall. The whimsical fifth-level antique carousel runs all day long and rides are only $1 for nonmembers. Museum parking is free.

This 8-mile trail was seven years in the making and serves as both community connector and recreational haven. Traversing through six major Indy neighborhoods—some of them super-hip, some of them not so much—it passes institutions of art, culture and education. Besides offering cyclists and pedestrians a safe, dedicated and well-maintained trail, it also encouraged new residential and commercial building projects along the way.

More than 125 years ago, this impressive art and cultural institution got its start with an exhibit of 453 works by 137 artists in a downtown Indianapolis hotel. It has since evolved into a collection more than 54,000 works, representing all genres, eras and continents. Known for its outstanding examples of watercolors by J.M.W. Turner, the museum also showcases a broad range of contemporary pieces and a recently reopened African collection of more than 300 objects. Another highlight is the outdoor 100 Acres sculpture park. On the second and fourth Saturday of each month, the museum offers themed tours geared toward younger visitors.

Forget cages. The Indianapolis Zoo is all about biomes, providing its 3,000 animals living habitats that simulate the real thing. Here, you'll find temperate and tropical forests with red pandas, white-handed gibbons, otters, Alaskan brown bears, and American bald eagles. In the desert biome, look out for the rare Jamaican iguana, the meerkats and the endangered Grand Cayman blue iguana. Across the plains you'll see kudu, zebra, ostriches, lions and baboons. The brand-new Flights of Fancy exhibit gives winged beauties the spotlight, showcasing hundreds of exotic and local birds. A zoo favorite is the Marine Mammals exhibit, which boasts the world's only underwater dolphin viewing dome. This, plus the zoo's meticulous landscaping of its White River Gardens won the zoo the country's first triple accreditation as zoological park, aquarium and botanical garden.

This 250-acre park in the heart of downtown is a cultural and recreational campus. At its west end is the Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens and on the east are several attractions including the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. Connecting the sides across the White River is the Historic Old Washington Street Pedestrian Bridge, originally built in 1833. Gentle banks slope to the river, with groves of weeping willows and other trees that invite visitors to picnic or just enjoy the view. The Promenade, which follows the upper banks of the White River, is built from 1,272 blocks of Indiana limestone and is accented with 14 stone tablets carved with renderings of famous buildings made of Indiana limestone, including New York's Empire State Building. A focal point of the Promenade is the hand-carved Rose Window, a limestone frame measuring more than 7 feet in diameter. The park also encompasses Victory Field baseball park, an outdoor music pavilion, Military Park, River Promenade, Pumphouse Visitors Center, and Celebration Plaza.