I'd double check where in Indianapolis you'll be saying. Indianapolis alone is nearly 400 square miles, and the metro area is much larger. Lots of people, especially to foreigners, may say they live in Indianapolis and live 12, 15, or 30 miles away. Even within Indianapolis you can be 10+ miles from downtown.
So:
* where will you be staying
* will you have access to a car, near a reliable bus line (very few of those), or can bicycle/scooter/uber places?
* what do you want to do?
TN is not a far drive, about 4 hours or so. Make a stop at Mammoth Caves National Park along the way. Free national park, but they do charge for tours of the cave system, some of which is only accessible on the tours.
Even in TN cities, you need a car. New Orleans you don't really need a car to do the major tourist stuff. The streetcar and bus systems are okay and will serve you. But anything outside of New Orleans you'll need a car.
Unfortunately I won’t have a car on this trip. So I know it’s limited! But I still want to try and visit as many places as I can without one. Not sure where the apartment is but I will find out soon.
I want to explore museums, parks, national parks but I know national parks will be hard without a car. But also go to bars and meet people!
Am from the UK too, have visited Indy twice. You'll struggle without a car. There aren't trains and busses like there are here and you can't even walk most places. Like there are literally no pavements outside some of the places I've stayed.
America built their cities for cars and it's basically impossible to explore around without them.
That’s kinda shit! Haha. But fair enough I guess. How did you find it? How were the people towards you? I know I’m gonna be limited for stuff without a car but still going to make the most of it.
People are going to be completely fucking tickled by you. Just speak and let people hear your accent and youre going to make friends. If you can swing it, rent a car. If not, theres a few really great neighborhoods you can make a day out of.
Feel free to dm me, I've helped a few international visitors find stuff to do here.
Wow that’s encouraging thank you! I’ll dm you before I get there and really appreciate the support! I heard about the accent thing but didn’t know if it was true or not lol
The accent thing is VERY true! But don't be surprised if a lot of folks think you might be Australian. LOL!
The Indianapolis Art Museum/Newfields is pretty nice. We have an interactive Dali show at the Lume there right now (I think it'll still be going on when you visit). Also, our Children's Museum is one of the best in the country and it's just as much fun for an adult as it is for the kiddos. The Zoo just got a new chimp exhibit a couple of weeks ago as well. If you've never been to a drive-in movie theater, we have two within a half hour of us (One on Tibbs and one in Centerton). There's also the Indianpolis Motor Speedway museum at the track in Speedway.
Mass Ave is great for food, bars, and nightlife as is Broadripple (it's a great place for creative/artsy stuff).
Edit: Oh! I meant to add that in September it can still get quite hot during the day (the average temp in Sept is 25C).
25c is amazing 😍 thanks! And haha well I don’t think you can think mine would be Australian. It’s a neutral accent. I’m excited lol. Thank you for the great recommendations!
For car rental I’d recommend Turo. You can rent with the app. It’s pretty handy and people often just rent out their personal vehicles when they’re not in use, and you can get a good deal for a short term rental.
I agree with the Children’s Museum recommendation above. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is super fun and cool, and while it’s “for” children, it’s a blast even as an adult.
The downtown area is experiencing a good deal of construction at the moment, but I’d still recommend checking out Monument Circle. Mass Ave (Massachusetts Avenue) and Broad Ripple are great spots to get something to eat. The Bottleworks District of Mass Ave has a food garage full of restaurants like a food court, and you can try a bunch of different things like Brazilian street food. Bottleworks is a pretty walkable area, there’s also a movie theater and duckpin bowling right there. The bowling place has a number of things to do besides bowling.
Newfields is cool and worth a visit if you enjoy art at all. It’s formerly known as the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and has an outdoor walkable exhibit.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest (and in my opinion greatest) sporting venue on earth, and has a really cool museum. If you are into motorsports at all, the museum is worth a visit. Indianapolis is the global capital of motorsports. I mean, 350,000 of us cram into the IMS every year for the Indy 500. I wish you were visiting in May and could experience it; it really is one of the greatest events on earth. My buddy from Los Angeles came into town for it this year and was left jaw-dropped. He couldn’t believe it.
Also, if you’re able to secure a car rental, I’d suggest giving Carmel a visit, if nothing else to experience the roundabouts. Carmel is the roundabout capital of the world.
For that small town Indiana vibe that John Mellencamp (our resident famous Hoosier musician) sang about, Franklin, Indiana is worth a visit. The downtown is really quaint and friendly and has some nice shops and restaurants, and a really great park.
If you’re down that way, Bargersville isn’t too far up the road from Franklin, and has a handful of restaurants worth visiting. Taxman Brewing is a local favorite. It was founded by a husband and wife who were former tax lawyers who got bored of their jobs and one day decided to move to Belgium to learn how to make Belgian ale. They then took their newfound knowledge and the money they made from their previous jobs and founded a brewery in the middle of bumfuck nowhere.
Also as an added bonus, you’ll get to see a sort of local “landmark” if you drive on 144 to get to/from Bargersville. There’s a giant castle-like estate being built by a huge Indian family on an old cornfield. It’s quite something to look at as you’re driving by 😂
Also, if you have a car, Turkey Run is also worth a visit. Very cool park.
Again, if you have a car, I’d also suggest visiting Bloomington. The Indiana University campus is considered one of the most beautiful college campuses in the world, and Bloomington has a pretty good food scene. Kirkwood is a cool area, and the Sample Gates at the entrance of campus is a great spot for pictures.
A lot of these recommendations are heavily predicated on having a car. I strongly recommend renting a car while you’re here. Uber is so much more expensive.
Feel free to hit me up with further questions.
Cheers!
Thanks! Some great recommendations there. I will keep you updated. And thanks so much for recommending the small towns. I did see somewhere about going to Franklin. So thank you!
You should try and go to an actual colts game or go to a bar with the game on. Could be a cool American football experience. We have a pretty passionate fan base and going to the games are the best!
Just wanted to second the IMA/Newfields rec—If you only had time to do one thing while you were here that’s probably where I’d point you. The museum is great but the outdoor bit (Newfields) is amazing. It’s more or less a massive, really nice park with art installations strewn around.
Yep! I'm pretty good with accents and even I did it when I worked at a restaurant, except opposite. The man was from New Zealand and I asked if he was an Aussie. Lol! I will say as he talked more I could hear the lighter accent and I would have guessed correctly if I'd waited for more talking. Haha!
Thanks for the correction! I don't really nightlife much but I know BR has a decent night scene. Haven't heard of much violence in the area lately so figured it was a bit safer than it has been the past few years.
Just FYI, if you don’t have a car, I would recommend taking the greyhound to Chicago, it’s an absolutely amazing city, and then you can take the Wolverine up the coast of Lake Michigan. Between the greyhound and the train you’re looking at a little less than a $100 in transit costs.
Also, just saw you’re planning on doing a lot of flying here, have you looked up prices? I only ask because I know you can fly for relatively cheap within Europe but unfortunately that is not the case here 😭😭
Cool! My recommendations - The Indiana State Museum is usually pretty good. Take a walk around Monument Circle. For evening food and drinks, there are lots of options, but Massachusetts Avenue (Mass Ave District) is my pick. Bottleworks is a market-sorta-thing as well at the eastern end of Mass Ave.
Enjoy your time here!
Indy is kinda big but it’s flat everything is spread out, the IMAX at the Indiana State Museum is worth it if you like movies, we have one of the only 70mm IMAX Theaters in the whole world. You should definitely consider renting a car if possible but that’s just my two cents.
There are some bus lines that run through town that you can use. Fairly new and will take you around downtown, Broadripple, maybe other places I have no idea.
You can get a car for the day pretty cheap. Nashville Indiana is only 1.5hrs away. It’s a great day trip. Hiking, brewery, dining, midwestern souvenirs. You’ll have a great time.
Yeaaah, Indianapolis had a great public transit system until the government decided to physically rip out all the infrastructure (literally removing the streetcar lanes) in order to appeal to auto manufacturers. Then the city borders were artificially extended in order to dilute the urban vote and the suburbs essentially started running the city--suburbs that disliked public transit, wanted to keep city folk out, and largely take all their income from the city without paying tax money back that could build public infrastructure. Plus the way the city is structured, basic city referendums have to be approved by the whole state--so someone 3h away in a little town with negative 1000 inhabitants can block what Indianapolis residents can and cannot vote on. No matter how badly city residents want to raise their own internal tax rates to pay for some public transit.
As a result, Indianapolis has really messy urban design and some of the worst public transit of any city its size in the world. If you want to see things, you have to pre-plan how to get there. If you want to go out to bars and meet people, you have to plan around making that happen and be careful. Indy has some out-of-control drunk driving rates because people have very few options on how to get to get to and from the bar without driving.
There's only one national park in Indiana and its a good 3 hour drive. We do have a state park within city limits (Fort Harrison) and a city park (Eagle Creek) that is one of the largest municipal parks in the world (#19 last I checked).
I would get on Google Maps once you find out and hope you are near a bus route. Otherwise pretend the money you are saving from using your dad's apartment is your Uber money because you'll probably need it.
Honestly I would skip TN and just head straight to New Orleans after you are done here. Nashville and Memphis are very limited without a car.
Well my step dad just said he lives 10 minute walk away from downtown Indy. So that’s good. And OK I will factor in your advice, but I did want to see Nashville
Nashville is fun but the great thing about Nashville are the random corner bars in the neighborhoods where actual people live.
Broadway Street is basically Every American City Downtown Tourist Center with the same chain bars you see everywhere with slightly more live music than usual, and a bunch of people getting way too drunk.
Do Nashville, its fun. But don't do city stuff for more than 2 days or so.
And Tennessee is absolutely beautiful country but you'll see almost none of that in downtown Nashville.
One thing I really want to do is go to smaller towns in the state and get an air bnb there and just explore and see a nice small town there. But I guess that’ll be hard without a car, but if it’s possible I want to do that too. And I will probably do Nashville for a day/night then. Obviously drinking culture is big here in the UK so it’s something that I will do as well
I just commented that you should take the train up the coast of Michigan, and reading this comment I DEFINITELY think you should, St. Joesph’s is like, the perfect small town.
Ok, sounds like your dad says it’s within walking distance to the city? That’s super cool! When you find out where, you should check to see if it’s near the Cultural Trail. https://indyculturaltrail.org/
You could rent a bike or scooter and get to explore several Indianapolis neighborhoods with it! Fountain square is great for arts and a fun bar scene. Broad ripple is well loved. Walking or biking along the canal would also be lovely.
For museums, I def recommend the state museum or children’s museum. The Eiteljorg may be interesting to you as well! It’s right next to the state museum and could easily be done in the same day. It’s specifically about western native Americans and features lots of history and art. And on that note, if you’re interested in learning about the people indigenous to Indiana, Angel Mounds isn’t too far would be a fantastic day trip!
If you like literature, I definitely recommend the Kurt Vonnegut museum and library! It’s fairly small but is fantastic. It would be easy to pop into for an hour while exploring downtown.
Also, even if you don’t care about racing at all, you should check out the speedway. Unfortunately, I think the museum there is closed for renovations until next spring, but I think you can still do a track tour there. Also, check out the docuseries/reality show “100 Days to Indy” to learn about the history of indycar/to see some shots of the city.
Finally, if you want cool nature stuff, turkey run, shades state park, and brown county state park are all within 1-1.5 hour drives. Or you could check out the Indiana Dunes on your way up to Chicago!
Let us know closer to the date, and I’m sure we can recommend specific events going on then too!
Wow thanks for the recommendations!!! I would definitely be interested in the native museum and historical activities. Thanks! :) I will let you know closer to the date I really appreciate the help!
Cool! And just to add- I messed up on the name. Angel Mounds is great, but it’s near Evansville (a couple hours by car.) Mounds State Park is the one closer to Indy. It’s also great!
Some cities in the US are more walkable than others. Indy is not a great city to “explore” on foot. First, admittedly, there isn’t a great deal to see here. Secondly it is very car centric even for an American city, it will seem empty and sprawling to a European.
You mentioned some museums, parks, etc. we have some of those but certainly not the big ones like you’ll find in Chicago, New York, or LA. The zoo is good and the history museum is alright. Eagle Creek Park and parts of the White River through Indy are pretty. I suggest the river walk area since that is nice.
Honestly though I would look into either A) increasing your budget for Ubers/Lyft or B) looking into an International Drivers License and renting a car. You should be fine driving, I think the calm spirit and love for queues is found in both British as well as Midwestern culture. Hell I rented a car and drove around Italy without issue so you will be fine.
To be fair one of the things the Midwest does right in my humble opinion is good classic American food. Sure places like NY and New Orleans and others have their regional specialties but the Midwest excels at “classic” American food such as you’d find in a diner or even made in lots of American homes. I know Brit’s flip out over things like biscuits and gravy, apple pie, of course burgers, and you’ll find no where better than to try all those things than the Midwest. The pork tenderloin is like the “famous” food in Indiana, so don’t miss that.
Other things to think about, you will be here when it is HOT. And it’s a different kind of heat than you may have experienced in Spain or Italy. There are no bodies of water to cool you down, there is not a lot trees or shade, it’s incredibly humid, and is in roughly the same latitude as the southern boot of Italy, Madrid Spain, and Ankara Turkey. SO DRINK WATER! Lastly, while gun violence in America is sensationalized quite a bit in foreign media the fact is you are traveling to parts of the United States where gun ownership is very high and being unfamiliar with the location and culture can put you at risk. I would strongly recommend not walking by yourself late at night in major cities in areas you are unfamiliar with as you won’t know when you are passing from a “safe” area to a “rough” one. The far east side of Indy and the near Northwest side have the highest crime rates. Downtown where people are should be safe but follow the typical rules for safe traveling in any major city.
If you have more questions about Indy or the US in general send me a DM and we can talk. You’ll have a great time, eat like a king, and have a unique perspective of America since you are going to places most foreigners never really experience.
Thank you so much that’s a great comment with great advice. My budget is high so I think that’ll be fine. I actually love American food so I will definitely be eating like a king lol. And early September will be really hot? That’s actually great. I was hoping. I’ll be sure to drink plenty of water
Yeah it will be hot for sure. Of course as you move further south it will get hotter. I don’t know what your travel schedule looks like as you go from Indiana to Tennessee to Louisiana but there are some good towns and cities to stop in along the way for a night or two. Bloomington Indiana is where I went to school and has a hip college vibe. The campus is beautiful too. Nearby Bloomington is Brown County which is arguably the prettiest part of Indiana. Lots of trails and undisturbed nature.
Between Indiana and Tennessee is the state of Kentucky. It has really beautiful hills and rivers, and the cities Louisville and Lexington are both worth a visit. Lexington is an old city (for America) and has lots of colonial architecture and is another hip college town. Of course Nashville should absolutely be on your list of places to visit. The Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Nashville Boardwalk are the big highlights. Nashville is also a Mecca for food, great blend of food cultures there, don’t miss the hot chicken.
As someone who has been everywhere you’ll be going I can say with confidence that New Orleans will likely be the highlight of the trip. New Orleans food, its architecture, and culture are totally unique even in America. The French Quarter has a European vibe to it and there is nothing that comes close to the Cajun food served there. You’ll be down there during the height of crawfish season so try to attend a Crawfish boil. Also you’ll be here at the start of the American football season. Indianapolis (Colts), Nashville (Titans), and New Orleans (Saints) all have NFL teams. Tickets are expensive but I encourage you to go to a game and see Americans in the natural habitat.
If you run into issues in Indy and need some help or advice message me as I am nearby and can lend assistance. Good luck friend!
Thank you man! This is really good info! And I’ve heard so many people say New Orleans is the highlight of their trip. So I am looking forward to that too. Nashville I can’t wait to visit for food live music and drinking! Thanks again and I’ll be sure to message you if I have any issues
Brit that’s lived in Indy for 12 years here. Very underrated city. Downtown is very walkable without a car, especially using scooters and the bike share service. It’s worth getting on a bike and exploring the cultural trail and/or Monon trail and white river/canal towpath if you have time. Just got e-bikes too. Good way to explore further afield. Walk around Monument Circle as well as the war memorial.
Fountain Square is easy to get to from downtown and good for good beer and food. Brit’s don’t believe this but the US has some excellent locally brewed beer beyond just Budweiser and Coors.
Good coffee shops include Kaffeine and Provider. There are others.
That’s right up my alley, all of it. Bars coffee memorial and cultural trails and river/canal. Thanks for that! How did you feel they treated you as a Brit? That intrigues me. Thanks again for your input mate
It’s my duty as an Irishman who lurks the sub because my sibling lives nearby to point out that you’re referring to what we would call lime-infused *crisps*.
Though lime-infused fries (our chips) do sound yummy.
This has been the cutest comment section ever…. Happy to have you friend, hope you enjoy your time:)
I have to disagree with the lime chips nonsense though….
Yeah definitely utilize the bike share and you can cover a lot of ground easily on the cultural trail and monon trail (they connect). Provider for coffee, ride up the monon to Half Liter for some beer and bbq. Check out the Stutz building too - coffee, tacos, turner’s bar for drinks, and plant shop. Enjoy your stay!
Lots of excellent restaurants. Bluebeard is a favorite and their sister restaurant KanKan has a movie theater! You can also get good beer at Guggman and Sun King.
Where in the city will you be? Do you know a neighborhood?
The Children’s Museum is actually excellent and adults can have a good time there.
I don’t have the neighbourhood yet but I’d imagine an apartment in the city. I’d have to check. Those restaurants sound great and good beer is always a convincing point for me 😃
Biased POV here, but I have to second a trip to the Children’s Museum! I’m one of Indy’s friendly neighborhood paleontologists at the museum and I always love the chance to rep our amazing fossil collection.
Most of our fossils on display are real (I know, I helped dig ‘em up!) so I highly recommend coming to check ‘em out. If you’d be interested in a tour of our lab and collections, feel free to dm me and we’ll get something set up!
Definitely rent an electric bike! IMO Indy is a biking city. Walking can take too long as the city is spread out. And like others have said, public transportation isn’t great.
But biking on the Cultural Trail, Monon, and Pogues Run can get you pretty much anywhere in the city you’d really want to go.
Fountain square—Tappers for the arcade bar, Bluebeard for dinner, Hotel Tango for cocktails, Hi-Fi for concerts, Dugout for an outdoor patio and sometimes live music.
Downtown—Mass Ave for walking, dinner or bar crawling, the Canal for a stroll and nice view of downtown, Bottleworks to see an old Coca Cola factory remodeled, Indians game, Sun King for a beer, White River Amphitheater for a concert on the lawn. The Circle and war memorial are pretty cool also.
Broad Ripple—take the bike up the Monon Trail and stop for a beer or food at Half Liter. Further up I love Flatwater.
Wow that’s loads of recommendations! Thank you! I’ll definitely be renting an e-bike I think and definitely going to all the bars and restaurants you recommended! Thank you :)
Saw some comments about getting around Indy. I just moved here from a high cost of living city in the US, so take this with a grain of salt but I do find that Uber is pretty reliable and relatively affordable to get around in the city.
The Public Library Main Branch is incredible. I know, I know. Trust me and go. Just go walk around in it and enjoy the wonderful fusion of the different stages of Midwestern architecture.
Fort Ben, or Fort Harrison, is a beautiful park within city limits. It's a cool little refuge of wilderness in the city, plus that whole area is fairly historic.
You'll want to check out Broad Ripple and Fountain Square for cool restaurants and bars.
The Irvington neighborhood has a great restaurant (Chicago Beef and Dog) where you can get a pretty authentic Italian beef sandwich which is very popular in Chicago.
The Indy Eleven and Indianapolis Indians are two minor league sports teams in football/soccer and baseball respectively. Their games are a great time, and if the teams are playing when you're in town, I highly recommend it. The Indians games have cheap deals hot dogs and beer on Tuesdays.
Indy is also a great haven of nerdy stuff. In addition to hosting the biggest board game convention in the US every year (GenCon in August), there are probably 10 high quality game stores in the city that always have some kind of events going on. If D&D or Magic the Gathering are your speed at all, you'll find a great community to meet up with while you're here.
That’s so much that’s very informative! I appreciate that a lot! I’ll definitely get all of these locations out. Thanks again. And I 10000% want to go see a football/soccer game whilst I’m over there as a player myself. I’d love that
American Football will be in season in September, and the Colts are the biggest thing in town. If you're going solo, and you're not familiar with the game already, it might not be worth it. But if you know the basics, going to an NFL game is one of the most American things you can do.
The "play" structure means there are pauses all the time, with up to a 40 second break in between plays. But then you add in TV timeouts and replays for penalty or spot reviews and there is another 1.5 hours of waiting.
Indy is a great place to view a game! Better than New Orleans or Nashville in my opinion.
Tappers was fun on my visit, and well designed. I feel a lot of arcade bars kind of forgetthat people will have drinks with them. But there's little mini cocktail tables everywhere there.
While you can’t walk everywhere, you can get an Uber or Lyft just about anywhere, anytime here. I would suggest making sure you’re signed up for those apps before coming.
Make sure you’re prepared for the shear size of this country. Indianapolis is almost twice the distance by car to New Orleans, than Edinburgh is away from Bournemouth. “As the bird flies,” it’s similar to London to Barcelona, around 700 miles or 1150km.
It will still likely be quite warm here in September, and more so as you travel south.
If your stepfather’s place is downtown, you could survive without a car like others have said. But if it’s not downtown, you will want a car. Again, it’s big and spread out. Indianapolis overall is bad at having sidewalks outside of the main roads once out of downtown. Getting to some of the places others have recommended will require a car or Uber/Lyft. It’s a 42 minute bike ride from the Circle at the center of downtown to the Union Jack pub, as an example.
You can go from skyscrapers to neighborhoods of single family houses to farmland in a 15 mile drive and never leave the City of Indianapolis. It’s a great place. But I’d hate for you to end up in a suburb without a car while making plans to get to Louisiana on a day trip. 😊
Thank you! His place is downtown so that’s good. I’m prepared for the size. At least I think I am! It’s crazy how different everything is lol, I’m excited. Thanks for the recommendation s!
When my husband came over from the UK for 3 months, he unexpectedly found a wife. Sucker. :)
See if you can’t rent a car, or if you can’t borrow one from family. If you have your UK license I do believe you’re legal to drive here, even if you’re visiting with an ESTA!
Wow that’s a great story :) yeah I wasn’t planning to do it but maybe I will have to. Because I’m planning on going to different cities after Indianapolis by flights
It's real expensive to fly out of here. We aren't a hub, and if you're only doing Chicago and TN, it'll probably be easier for you (provided the driving doesn't worry you)!
There are some excellent international foods options here! I personally recommend Sushi Bar in Broad Ripple and Phaya Thai Street Food in Lawrence.
If you’re a nature lover, Turkey Run State Park is widely considered the crown jewel of our state park system. It’s a little over an hour west of Indy (assuming you’ll have a car).
Mass Ave downtown has lots of bars, restaurants, and shops. I’d say it’s a nice place to hang out and people watch if you’re out alone.
Enjoy! Life is pretty low key here and people take their time and try to be friendly, generally. I hope you have a lovey time. :)
That all sounds great for a big city! Thank you :) I actually will not have a car this trip unfortunately. So I know I am limited in things I can do. I will accept that. But I will be trying my best to to do everything I can!
I'm really worried that you aren't appreciating how big of a deal it is to not have a car in the US, especially this city in particular. Our pedestrian infrastructure sucks ass. And by that I mean just doesn't exist. If your uncle happens to live in downtown it won't be so bad, but besides that you will need a car to get anywhere worth going. You can uber but that will add up quickly. How were you planning on getting to TN and Louisiana?
I was planning on getting there with internal flights. I do know I’m limited and I do appreciate how big it is, I know that’s hard to believe if I won’t have a car on the trip. But I will be planning accordingly
Lmk what neighborhood your uncle lives in. Idk what I'm gonna be doing in September but my wife and I might be up for driving and showing you around some. we're your age.
Thank you so much that’s very generous! Wow I really appreciate that. I will give you a dm now just so it’s in my inbox. And once again thank you for your advice and generosity!
That’s what I was thinking of doing actually. My best friend and his girlfriend might be in Vegas a few days before I go back to so I could potentially fly there for a night or two before I go back to UK. But Indy, Tennessee and Louisiana are set in stone
There's lots of great beer in the city. Although, depending upon where you are from in the UK, American drinking establishments may be quite different from expectations.
Most bars will feature a series of beers, ciders, seltzers, etc from various producers. At a good bar, those producers will include local breweries and the better national ones. You'll also find the well known macro-lager brands (Miller, Coors, Anheuser Busch) - but they suck and should be avoided. Be warned, US beer is typically much higher ABV than UK beer. The best beer bar in the city is 20 Tap, great food there too.
I would encourage going to the actual brewery or brewpub instead of a bar. Sun King and Upland have multiple locations and are both excellent. I also really enjoy: Ash&Elm (cider), Kismetic, and Pax Verum (available at Natural State Provisions).
If you want a familiar experience, or to watch a Soccer match: Chatham Tap, Turchetti's, and Union Jack are good options. Chatham Tap is very much in line with your typical UK pub.
That sounds great for me! UK culture is drinking as a hobby haha, we enjoy bars and nightclubs too. Are there many of those? Thanks for informing me about the great beer available. I’m excited to try it all
You might like the Dorman, it’s got a neighborhood pub feel, the Tick Tock and Mayfair are also good. I literally have no idea if we have clubs though, definitely go to Chicago for that.
Neat! I travel between Indianapolis and Nashville, TN, frequently.
How are you planing to get to Tennessee and Louisiana? That’s a lot of travel for anything under a week. For example, the trip from Indy to Nashville is around five hours by car with perfect traffic, but it is a straight shot down Interstate 65.
Nashville has some interesting, albeit smaller museums and some really great state parks. Unfortunately, public transportation in TN is not much better than Indiana. In fact if I’m thinking about the nearest public rail system to Indianapolis, it’s probably Chicago.
You might consider renting a car if possible. There are no direct flights between Nashville and Indy to my knowledge. There are bus routes via Greyhound which are affordable but I’ve never taken that as an option so I can’t speak to it.
Other commenters have suggested ride sharing and that’s probably the best option in the city.
Here’s the Indy tourism board website:
https://www.visitindy.com
Indy has a lot to offer but it’s no Chicago or New York. A zoo, lots of great food (Ripple Bagel Deli and Cafe Patachou are my favorite breakfast spots, YMMV.) A decent art scene with the art museum and Vonnegut history. Microcenter is an interesting peek into American consumerism if you’re so inclined or need a 3D printer in an emergency.
Nashville has a Major League Soccer team (the Nashville Soccer Club) and September will be near the end of the regular season so you might be able to catch a game.
Both Indy and Nashville have minor league baseball teams.
Too bad you’re not coming in August, you’ll miss Gencon by about a month: https://www.gencon.com
I’ve not been to Louisiana.
Wow thanks for the great advice! I was planning to get a flight from Chicago. So I think I’m going to spend a day or two in Chicago too and then get the flight from there. I am here for 2 weeks and I think I’ll have enough time for all of that? Nashville and New Orleans is a must for me though, always wanted to go there. I didn’t plan to rent a car as I was planning to get internal flights. Ride sharing is a good option too so I’ll check that out and also Greyhound. I’m a huge football/soccer fan so I’d love to catch a game in Nashville!
Chicago is great, though I haven’t been back in many years.
You could do the trip in a couple weeks, sure. Just keep in mind how spread out everything is.
If you drive from Indy to Nashville, you’ll go right by Mammoth Caves in Kentucky which is an interesting natural wonder.
https://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm
If you go, buy tickets in advance.
In Downtown Indy listen to live Jazz at the Chatterbox and brunch at the Garden Table. Dine at Bazbeaux. Great folks in all three places. Tell them Les sent ya!
You might check out the YouTube channel Lost in the Pond. It's run by a former Brit who moved to the US and lived in Indianapolis for several years. He now lives in Chicago. Many of his earlier videos feature Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. But his main thing is to talk about the difference between the US and UK that he only learned upon living here. He's very entertaining.
I retired from Rolls-Royce and we had a lot of brits working there. You will be welcomed with open arms. As for what to do, I’ll let the folks closer to your age handle that. The Indianapolis 500 museum is a big attraction here if you are into racing.
I would recommend the YouTube channel Lost in the Pond. He lives in Chicago now but he first came here and had lots of wisdom about traveling to the US from the UK.
If you’re downtown, there are a bunch of electric scooters you can rent to get around the city. Just sync it to your credit card and off you go
Some cool things to do:
Check out the underground at the City Market
Grab breakfast at Milktooth
Go to Mass Ave for drinks/dinner
Go the slippery noodle (one of the oldest blues bars around)
Do a tour of the indianapolis motor speedway
Try White Castle (just beware its coming out the other end later)
Get a pork tenderloin
Check out the garage food hall
Lots of good museums if you’re into that!
I saw you say down in the comments you’ll be near downtown. Since you said bar and meeting people too, Massachusetts Avenue (known as Mass Ave) is a neat place with bars and shops. I’d be remiss if I didn’t plug The Central Library. It’s huge and honestly just a cool building.
Ubering to Broad Ripple (not too far from downtown) would also be good. Lots of places to eat/walk. There’s a walking trail called The Monon that is paved and specifically for walkers/cyclists. Personally if you’re into Thai food I recommend Chiang Mai in Broad Ripple.
As someone suggested, Monument Circle is cool.
Oh! And if you’re looking for fun festivals, concerts, or activities [this website](https://do317.com) has some suggestions.
If your dad lives within Marion County, your best bet is to Uber/Lyft everywhere. Outside of Marion County, you’ll have issues getting around. Unless your dad lives around the Mile Square, walking will be hard. We do have bikes and scooters you can rent. Honestly, once you’re downtown, getting around won’t be so hard.
I was just wondering cause you didn't specify the country. My bf is manc and he hates being called British so I was wondering. Growing up in Indy there were two English men in my neighborhood so I don't think you'll have any issue. Fair warning, many Americans think any English accent sounds posh so you might get comments about that. Be prepared for tea and crumpets jokes lol
To be honest I’m half Irish and I don’t like being called it myself either. Because of the history. So can understand that. Yes I’ve heard about that, I didn’t know if it was true or not? So I will be prepared for that l
I can understand that. My bf is half northern Irish through his grandparents but identifies as English since that's where he's born. If anything people would love your accent. In Indiana we love anything "exotic" you might have some girls loving your accent. I recommend shagging an American at least once. Gotta get it off your bucket list
Mum’s from Belfast, Dad’s from New York, sibling lives in Indy (hence why a random Irishman is hanging around here).
The locals in general are very friendly to foreigners in that completely earnest way that only Americans have mastered. They will hear your accent and strike up a conversation. They will ask you about your homeland and hometown and try to find some connection or commonality. Their knowledge is limited, and being from Liverpool, I would expect you to be on the receiving end of a fair few “Oh, that’s where the Beatles are from.” (At least they’ll be right this time, my Brummie and Mancunian friends have also gotten that.)
And yea, American women find British accents sexy. Even the ones Brits think are awful like Brummie. And if you’re chasing after American gals, remember to bring their kind of rubber, not ours!
(Americans: what we call a rubber is your eraser.)
Thank you! I love Liverpool. That’s my team and I love the scouse accent especially on girls. Thanks for the comment. I’m from West Midlands so I have the neutral British accent
I might be biased but nothing is sexier than a northerner accent (not including scouse sorry). But honestly Americans love scouse accents cause it's so different
There’s the Kurt Vonnegut museum, the Zoo, Newfields (Indianapolis museum of art), the Children’s Museum, Indiana State Museum , the James Whitcomb Riley house, there’s a few escape rooms (if you have others to do so with), there’s White River State Park.
You're getting a lot of general museum recommendations. I'd strongly disagree. You're from Europe. Our traditional art museums aren't bad for what they are, but they're not going to be very impressive by your standards. Our main art museum recently described its mission as something like "providing the White European art experience our core patrons want". Again, you're European. You're probably not going to be impressed by the imitative bits we've put together, which are great for the middle of Indiana but...less so compared to Chicago or NYC, much less actual Europe.
If I were you, I'd prioritize local history--both in Indy and the rest of your travels. State History museum, museum of Native American and Western art (Eiteljorg), or even local sights. The house of the 2nd-wave leader of the Ku Klux Klan (DC Stephenson) has been turned into a museum on the East side (Irvington). This horrible man reshaped state politics maybe forever and was a strong contender to become president--or he would've if hadn't gotten caught committing a crime on Butler University campus so horrendous I cannot type it here, prosecuted by sheer geographic luck by the only District Attorney that he didn't have in his pocket. More humorously, they once became convinced the Pope was trying to sneak into Indianapolis to spread Catholicism and Communism (2nd wave was really anti-Catholic), so they found some poor guy on a train that they were sure was the Pope and threw him into Lake Michigan. It's a really important era of local history and it's barely covered anymore--even the books on what happened are largely out of print now.
Or the West side--the Speedway, Lafayette Road, the old Motor Alley. Used to be the main route to take you to Chicago and was quite prosperous. When the highways were built and repathed traffic, it became so poor that even the gangs moved out decades ago, so it became an immigrant hub for the area. City residents to this day still turn their noses up at that part of town, especially the parts that non-white people were required by law to live in until shockingly late, but that's where the good, cheap food is. There's an international community that's very proudly ascendant over there and they're trying to get proper recognition, an international heritage museum, events, etc...
I'm less intimately acquainted with Chicago and Nashville histories, but there are many similarities. Chicago has great museums, but how many other cities have undercity tours of the extensive old prohibition tunnels they used to smuggle alcohol around?
Wow thank you so much for this. I appreciate this comment tenfold. I agree with you and the local history you so adequately described is something I will definitely look to do. Thanks again! And the prohibition aspect of Chicago is great recommendation too. I guess with Nashville I want to visit south like Tennessee and I quite like a drink and party so I think that would be very fun to do for 2 days
I’d recommend the Eiteljorg museum. I think too many people think it’s stuffy but it’s not. It’s gorgeous and has an incredibly diverse collection. Not only of artifact kinda stuff but it has a REALLY impressive collection of contemporary art. Bonus: Buffalo chili in the cafe is gooood. And then take a stroll around the canal.
Side note/IMHO: eat some of the Angel chicken wings at Chatham Tap. You could even enjoy a pint whilest some “soccer” is on the Telly 😉
Thank you! I’ll be doing all those things hopefully so thanks! And yep I need to see a Liverpool match whilst I’m there, that’s my team. So I’ll definitely go to Chatham Tap
Imho. Children's museum is a waste of your time if you are an adult with no children with you. If it's a really crowded day there, people must be trying to prank you.
Check out the downtown Central Library instead. Great views of the skyline from the fifth and sixth floors of the expansion.
Across the street from the library see if you can get a tour of the Scottish Rite Cathedral.
Get on the redline and ride the bus up to Broad Ripple and look around. Visit the Alley Cat Bar.
Figure out a way to go out to Eagle Creek Park on the NW side.
The apartment is really close by to the library so that’s going to be a given. And I saw the Scottish rite cathedral on Google maps which looks really nice. That’s freemasonry right? I don’t have kids so I think I’ll give the children museum a miss
The Indiana Medical History Museum's definitely worth a visit. And if you're a fan of Dr. Who, Who North America's located in the area.
[https://www.imhm.org/visit](https://www.imhm.org/visit)
[https://www.whona.com/About-UsVisit\_ep\_7.html](https://www.whona.com/About-UsVisit_ep_7.html)
I would recommend North Mass Boulder. It’s not only a climbing gym, they have activities for single people, a workout facility, plus a bar/cafe where people gather.
Married an American from Indy, immigrated last year after nearly a 2 year process (due to covid).
If you ever get the chance to move over here I don’t think you’d regret it.
Alot of your experience is going to boil down to whether you are staying in urban Indianapolis, or suburban.
Almost every little suburb has its own special hole in the walls. So, you'll get even more refined advice when you know where the apartment is exactly.
Generally, most of what you can expect is some good food (Hoosier Tenderloin sandwich is a staple). Some good local beer (try some obscure micro brews, the stuff you've heard of is probably mostly shit [bud, Miller, ect]). Also sports, enjoy a game if whatever at a sports bar near you.
We have some cool art and a few museums around, but you'll likely need to Uber to them.
Then yea. Like others have already said, with access to rental scooters and bikes, you'll have no shortage if good places to go. Depending on how long you're staying, you might not even have time to see it all.
Some things that *may* be worth an uber ride depending on your level of interest:
- Newfields. One part art museum and one part historical estate. Can make a whole day out of this trip. Lots of cool stuff to see there.
-Speedway. You can probably reach this one on a bike, but some of the surrounding areas are... questionable. But the track itself has a museum inside all about the history of "the greatest spectacle in racing".
-Eagle Creek. If you love nature, there is an extensive and beautiful park just outside our highway loop complete with a reservoir and watercraft rentals. Sometimes in September the weather is still warm enough for the water, but there is also ziplining and other activities at Eagle Creek.
-Beasleys Orchard. If you're looking to get away from the city buzz for a more rural experience, September is the perfect time to Uber out to Beasleys Orchard in the nearby town of Avon. You can pick your own apples and check out the farmers market there for fresh farm to market produce. They also frequently have other festivals and events listed on their website.
That’s great thank you for that! Avon sounds and looks great so I may have to do this! I do want to visit small town as well so definitely interested in there
The orchard at Avon is great. Been many times, you won't be disappointed there.
The town of Avon does kind of bleed into Indianapolis however.
If you're looking for a small town Americana experience, then I would recommend, on your way south out of Indianapolis, that you see out a town called Nashville (Nashville, IN. Not Tennessee). Its likely only an hour or so out of your way, but it is quintessential small town Americana. Plenty of great places to eat, and my personal favorite local winery is there (Country Heritage Winery).
You could make a whole day of just wondering around this hole in the wall town (and I have). Its beautiful, plenty to see and do. You're a stones through from 6 different delicious and fantastic restaurants at any given time. There are even some great inns to stay at if you're finding it hard to leave.
Grab breakfast at Birds Nest, lunch at Big Woods Pizza, and dinner at The Nashville House, and dessert OoeyGooey or(and) The Chocolate Moose. You can't go wrong.
I'd double check where in Indianapolis you'll be saying. Indianapolis alone is nearly 400 square miles, and the metro area is much larger. Lots of people, especially to foreigners, may say they live in Indianapolis and live 12, 15, or 30 miles away. Even within Indianapolis you can be 10+ miles from downtown. So: * where will you be staying * will you have access to a car, near a reliable bus line (very few of those), or can bicycle/scooter/uber places? * what do you want to do? TN is not a far drive, about 4 hours or so. Make a stop at Mammoth Caves National Park along the way. Free national park, but they do charge for tours of the cave system, some of which is only accessible on the tours. Even in TN cities, you need a car. New Orleans you don't really need a car to do the major tourist stuff. The streetcar and bus systems are okay and will serve you. But anything outside of New Orleans you'll need a car.
Unfortunately I won’t have a car on this trip. So I know it’s limited! But I still want to try and visit as many places as I can without one. Not sure where the apartment is but I will find out soon. I want to explore museums, parks, national parks but I know national parks will be hard without a car. But also go to bars and meet people!
Am from the UK too, have visited Indy twice. You'll struggle without a car. There aren't trains and busses like there are here and you can't even walk most places. Like there are literally no pavements outside some of the places I've stayed. America built their cities for cars and it's basically impossible to explore around without them.
That’s kinda shit! Haha. But fair enough I guess. How did you find it? How were the people towards you? I know I’m gonna be limited for stuff without a car but still going to make the most of it.
People are going to be completely fucking tickled by you. Just speak and let people hear your accent and youre going to make friends. If you can swing it, rent a car. If not, theres a few really great neighborhoods you can make a day out of. Feel free to dm me, I've helped a few international visitors find stuff to do here.
Wow that’s encouraging thank you! I’ll dm you before I get there and really appreciate the support! I heard about the accent thing but didn’t know if it was true or not lol
The accent thing is VERY true! But don't be surprised if a lot of folks think you might be Australian. LOL! The Indianapolis Art Museum/Newfields is pretty nice. We have an interactive Dali show at the Lume there right now (I think it'll still be going on when you visit). Also, our Children's Museum is one of the best in the country and it's just as much fun for an adult as it is for the kiddos. The Zoo just got a new chimp exhibit a couple of weeks ago as well. If you've never been to a drive-in movie theater, we have two within a half hour of us (One on Tibbs and one in Centerton). There's also the Indianpolis Motor Speedway museum at the track in Speedway. Mass Ave is great for food, bars, and nightlife as is Broadripple (it's a great place for creative/artsy stuff). Edit: Oh! I meant to add that in September it can still get quite hot during the day (the average temp in Sept is 25C).
Oh the Dali Alive exhibit is so worth it. I took my sister there last weekend when she visited.
Hubby and I keep saying we need to go. We loved the Van Gogh one and missed the Monet one so I want to make sure we go to this one at some point!
25c is amazing 😍 thanks! And haha well I don’t think you can think mine would be Australian. It’s a neutral accent. I’m excited lol. Thank you for the great recommendations!
For car rental I’d recommend Turo. You can rent with the app. It’s pretty handy and people often just rent out their personal vehicles when they’re not in use, and you can get a good deal for a short term rental. I agree with the Children’s Museum recommendation above. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is super fun and cool, and while it’s “for” children, it’s a blast even as an adult. The downtown area is experiencing a good deal of construction at the moment, but I’d still recommend checking out Monument Circle. Mass Ave (Massachusetts Avenue) and Broad Ripple are great spots to get something to eat. The Bottleworks District of Mass Ave has a food garage full of restaurants like a food court, and you can try a bunch of different things like Brazilian street food. Bottleworks is a pretty walkable area, there’s also a movie theater and duckpin bowling right there. The bowling place has a number of things to do besides bowling. Newfields is cool and worth a visit if you enjoy art at all. It’s formerly known as the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and has an outdoor walkable exhibit. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest (and in my opinion greatest) sporting venue on earth, and has a really cool museum. If you are into motorsports at all, the museum is worth a visit. Indianapolis is the global capital of motorsports. I mean, 350,000 of us cram into the IMS every year for the Indy 500. I wish you were visiting in May and could experience it; it really is one of the greatest events on earth. My buddy from Los Angeles came into town for it this year and was left jaw-dropped. He couldn’t believe it. Also, if you’re able to secure a car rental, I’d suggest giving Carmel a visit, if nothing else to experience the roundabouts. Carmel is the roundabout capital of the world. For that small town Indiana vibe that John Mellencamp (our resident famous Hoosier musician) sang about, Franklin, Indiana is worth a visit. The downtown is really quaint and friendly and has some nice shops and restaurants, and a really great park. If you’re down that way, Bargersville isn’t too far up the road from Franklin, and has a handful of restaurants worth visiting. Taxman Brewing is a local favorite. It was founded by a husband and wife who were former tax lawyers who got bored of their jobs and one day decided to move to Belgium to learn how to make Belgian ale. They then took their newfound knowledge and the money they made from their previous jobs and founded a brewery in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. Also as an added bonus, you’ll get to see a sort of local “landmark” if you drive on 144 to get to/from Bargersville. There’s a giant castle-like estate being built by a huge Indian family on an old cornfield. It’s quite something to look at as you’re driving by 😂 Also, if you have a car, Turkey Run is also worth a visit. Very cool park. Again, if you have a car, I’d also suggest visiting Bloomington. The Indiana University campus is considered one of the most beautiful college campuses in the world, and Bloomington has a pretty good food scene. Kirkwood is a cool area, and the Sample Gates at the entrance of campus is a great spot for pictures. A lot of these recommendations are heavily predicated on having a car. I strongly recommend renting a car while you’re here. Uber is so much more expensive. Feel free to hit me up with further questions. Cheers!
Thanks! Some great recommendations there. I will keep you updated. And thanks so much for recommending the small towns. I did see somewhere about going to Franklin. So thank you!
The IMS museum is closed for construction, but definitely great suggestions!
You should try and go to an actual colts game or go to a bar with the game on. Could be a cool American football experience. We have a pretty passionate fan base and going to the games are the best!
I definitely will! I just can’t get on with the nfl stoppages
Just wanted to second the IMA/Newfields rec—If you only had time to do one thing while you were here that’s probably where I’d point you. The museum is great but the outdoor bit (Newfields) is amazing. It’s more or less a massive, really nice park with art installations strewn around.
And yes, the accent thing is VERY true. Not even joking, I just asked a Londoner yesterday which part of Oz they're from. \*facepalm\*
Yep! I'm pretty good with accents and even I did it when I worked at a restaurant, except opposite. The man was from New Zealand and I asked if he was an Aussie. Lol! I will say as he talked more I could hear the lighter accent and I would have guessed correctly if I'd waited for more talking. Haha!
Shootings in the bars of Broad Ripple are fairly common, so I tend to just recommend folks go to Mass Ave and Fountain Square for nightlife.
Thanks for the correction! I don't really nightlife much but I know BR has a decent night scene. Haven't heard of much violence in the area lately so figured it was a bit safer than it has been the past few years.
Just FYI, if you don’t have a car, I would recommend taking the greyhound to Chicago, it’s an absolutely amazing city, and then you can take the Wolverine up the coast of Lake Michigan. Between the greyhound and the train you’re looking at a little less than a $100 in transit costs.
Wow that’s definitely low transit costs. It would be stupid not to. I’m gonna do that then get flight from Chicago down south
Also, just saw you’re planning on doing a lot of flying here, have you looked up prices? I only ask because I know you can fly for relatively cheap within Europe but unfortunately that is not the case here 😭😭
Well I was under the impression that internal flights in the US are cheap, that’s what I’ve seen/heard
People are generally VERY nice here - like you have likely never seen. Enjoy
lol this is true. We LOVE your accents!!
Really? Oh wow haha I really look forward to experiencing that then 😂
Lord yes. I could listen to Brits and aussies speak about anything all day. Such beautiful accents❤️
Wow so it’s true! I look forward to this 😄 I will try and speak to as many people as possible!
If you're looking for female attention, that accent is going to be your wing man. A damned good one at that.
Uber exists my homie. You’ll be ok, even if it’s a bit pricey.
Haha that’s good to hear thank you mate!
As a hoosier - it is 100% kinda shit, lol.
Haha, I’ll be 10 minutes away from downtown so I’m hoping won’t be too bad. We’re used to walking a lot in the UK
Cool! My recommendations - The Indiana State Museum is usually pretty good. Take a walk around Monument Circle. For evening food and drinks, there are lots of options, but Massachusetts Avenue (Mass Ave District) is my pick. Bottleworks is a market-sorta-thing as well at the eastern end of Mass Ave. Enjoy your time here!
Thanks so much for the recommendations! :)
Indy is kinda big but it’s flat everything is spread out, the IMAX at the Indiana State Museum is worth it if you like movies, we have one of the only 70mm IMAX Theaters in the whole world. You should definitely consider renting a car if possible but that’s just my two cents.
There are some bus lines that run through town that you can use. Fairly new and will take you around downtown, Broadripple, maybe other places I have no idea. You can get a car for the day pretty cheap. Nashville Indiana is only 1.5hrs away. It’s a great day trip. Hiking, brewery, dining, midwestern souvenirs. You’ll have a great time.
Nah man just Uber, it’s no thing
Thanks mate appreciate that
Honestly close to the date post again, I’m sure friendly Redditors from Indy will meet you out!
Yes I will do, can’t wait!
Yeaaah, Indianapolis had a great public transit system until the government decided to physically rip out all the infrastructure (literally removing the streetcar lanes) in order to appeal to auto manufacturers. Then the city borders were artificially extended in order to dilute the urban vote and the suburbs essentially started running the city--suburbs that disliked public transit, wanted to keep city folk out, and largely take all their income from the city without paying tax money back that could build public infrastructure. Plus the way the city is structured, basic city referendums have to be approved by the whole state--so someone 3h away in a little town with negative 1000 inhabitants can block what Indianapolis residents can and cannot vote on. No matter how badly city residents want to raise their own internal tax rates to pay for some public transit. As a result, Indianapolis has really messy urban design and some of the worst public transit of any city its size in the world. If you want to see things, you have to pre-plan how to get there. If you want to go out to bars and meet people, you have to plan around making that happen and be careful. Indy has some out-of-control drunk driving rates because people have very few options on how to get to get to and from the bar without driving.
Chicago is close, as you don’t need a car.!!
There's only one national park in Indiana and its a good 3 hour drive. We do have a state park within city limits (Fort Harrison) and a city park (Eagle Creek) that is one of the largest municipal parks in the world (#19 last I checked). I would get on Google Maps once you find out and hope you are near a bus route. Otherwise pretend the money you are saving from using your dad's apartment is your Uber money because you'll probably need it. Honestly I would skip TN and just head straight to New Orleans after you are done here. Nashville and Memphis are very limited without a car.
Well my step dad just said he lives 10 minute walk away from downtown Indy. So that’s good. And OK I will factor in your advice, but I did want to see Nashville
Nashville is fun but the great thing about Nashville are the random corner bars in the neighborhoods where actual people live. Broadway Street is basically Every American City Downtown Tourist Center with the same chain bars you see everywhere with slightly more live music than usual, and a bunch of people getting way too drunk. Do Nashville, its fun. But don't do city stuff for more than 2 days or so. And Tennessee is absolutely beautiful country but you'll see almost none of that in downtown Nashville.
One thing I really want to do is go to smaller towns in the state and get an air bnb there and just explore and see a nice small town there. But I guess that’ll be hard without a car, but if it’s possible I want to do that too. And I will probably do Nashville for a day/night then. Obviously drinking culture is big here in the UK so it’s something that I will do as well
I just commented that you should take the train up the coast of Michigan, and reading this comment I DEFINITELY think you should, St. Joesph’s is like, the perfect small town.
Wow thank you!! I’ll do that, it looks like exactly what I was after. So you can get a train there?
Ok, sounds like your dad says it’s within walking distance to the city? That’s super cool! When you find out where, you should check to see if it’s near the Cultural Trail. https://indyculturaltrail.org/ You could rent a bike or scooter and get to explore several Indianapolis neighborhoods with it! Fountain square is great for arts and a fun bar scene. Broad ripple is well loved. Walking or biking along the canal would also be lovely. For museums, I def recommend the state museum or children’s museum. The Eiteljorg may be interesting to you as well! It’s right next to the state museum and could easily be done in the same day. It’s specifically about western native Americans and features lots of history and art. And on that note, if you’re interested in learning about the people indigenous to Indiana, Angel Mounds isn’t too far would be a fantastic day trip! If you like literature, I definitely recommend the Kurt Vonnegut museum and library! It’s fairly small but is fantastic. It would be easy to pop into for an hour while exploring downtown. Also, even if you don’t care about racing at all, you should check out the speedway. Unfortunately, I think the museum there is closed for renovations until next spring, but I think you can still do a track tour there. Also, check out the docuseries/reality show “100 Days to Indy” to learn about the history of indycar/to see some shots of the city. Finally, if you want cool nature stuff, turkey run, shades state park, and brown county state park are all within 1-1.5 hour drives. Or you could check out the Indiana Dunes on your way up to Chicago! Let us know closer to the date, and I’m sure we can recommend specific events going on then too!
Wow thanks for the recommendations!!! I would definitely be interested in the native museum and historical activities. Thanks! :) I will let you know closer to the date I really appreciate the help!
Cool! And just to add- I messed up on the name. Angel Mounds is great, but it’s near Evansville (a couple hours by car.) Mounds State Park is the one closer to Indy. It’s also great!
It won't be hard, it will be impossible. You really need a car. How were you planning to get to TN and LA?
By plane! :)
Some cities in the US are more walkable than others. Indy is not a great city to “explore” on foot. First, admittedly, there isn’t a great deal to see here. Secondly it is very car centric even for an American city, it will seem empty and sprawling to a European. You mentioned some museums, parks, etc. we have some of those but certainly not the big ones like you’ll find in Chicago, New York, or LA. The zoo is good and the history museum is alright. Eagle Creek Park and parts of the White River through Indy are pretty. I suggest the river walk area since that is nice. Honestly though I would look into either A) increasing your budget for Ubers/Lyft or B) looking into an International Drivers License and renting a car. You should be fine driving, I think the calm spirit and love for queues is found in both British as well as Midwestern culture. Hell I rented a car and drove around Italy without issue so you will be fine. To be fair one of the things the Midwest does right in my humble opinion is good classic American food. Sure places like NY and New Orleans and others have their regional specialties but the Midwest excels at “classic” American food such as you’d find in a diner or even made in lots of American homes. I know Brit’s flip out over things like biscuits and gravy, apple pie, of course burgers, and you’ll find no where better than to try all those things than the Midwest. The pork tenderloin is like the “famous” food in Indiana, so don’t miss that. Other things to think about, you will be here when it is HOT. And it’s a different kind of heat than you may have experienced in Spain or Italy. There are no bodies of water to cool you down, there is not a lot trees or shade, it’s incredibly humid, and is in roughly the same latitude as the southern boot of Italy, Madrid Spain, and Ankara Turkey. SO DRINK WATER! Lastly, while gun violence in America is sensationalized quite a bit in foreign media the fact is you are traveling to parts of the United States where gun ownership is very high and being unfamiliar with the location and culture can put you at risk. I would strongly recommend not walking by yourself late at night in major cities in areas you are unfamiliar with as you won’t know when you are passing from a “safe” area to a “rough” one. The far east side of Indy and the near Northwest side have the highest crime rates. Downtown where people are should be safe but follow the typical rules for safe traveling in any major city. If you have more questions about Indy or the US in general send me a DM and we can talk. You’ll have a great time, eat like a king, and have a unique perspective of America since you are going to places most foreigners never really experience.
Thank you so much that’s a great comment with great advice. My budget is high so I think that’ll be fine. I actually love American food so I will definitely be eating like a king lol. And early September will be really hot? That’s actually great. I was hoping. I’ll be sure to drink plenty of water
Yeah it will be hot for sure. Of course as you move further south it will get hotter. I don’t know what your travel schedule looks like as you go from Indiana to Tennessee to Louisiana but there are some good towns and cities to stop in along the way for a night or two. Bloomington Indiana is where I went to school and has a hip college vibe. The campus is beautiful too. Nearby Bloomington is Brown County which is arguably the prettiest part of Indiana. Lots of trails and undisturbed nature. Between Indiana and Tennessee is the state of Kentucky. It has really beautiful hills and rivers, and the cities Louisville and Lexington are both worth a visit. Lexington is an old city (for America) and has lots of colonial architecture and is another hip college town. Of course Nashville should absolutely be on your list of places to visit. The Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Nashville Boardwalk are the big highlights. Nashville is also a Mecca for food, great blend of food cultures there, don’t miss the hot chicken. As someone who has been everywhere you’ll be going I can say with confidence that New Orleans will likely be the highlight of the trip. New Orleans food, its architecture, and culture are totally unique even in America. The French Quarter has a European vibe to it and there is nothing that comes close to the Cajun food served there. You’ll be down there during the height of crawfish season so try to attend a Crawfish boil. Also you’ll be here at the start of the American football season. Indianapolis (Colts), Nashville (Titans), and New Orleans (Saints) all have NFL teams. Tickets are expensive but I encourage you to go to a game and see Americans in the natural habitat. If you run into issues in Indy and need some help or advice message me as I am nearby and can lend assistance. Good luck friend!
Thank you man! This is really good info! And I’ve heard so many people say New Orleans is the highlight of their trip. So I am looking forward to that too. Nashville I can’t wait to visit for food live music and drinking! Thanks again and I’ll be sure to message you if I have any issues
The Newfields museum is one of my favorites
Brit that’s lived in Indy for 12 years here. Very underrated city. Downtown is very walkable without a car, especially using scooters and the bike share service. It’s worth getting on a bike and exploring the cultural trail and/or Monon trail and white river/canal towpath if you have time. Just got e-bikes too. Good way to explore further afield. Walk around Monument Circle as well as the war memorial. Fountain Square is easy to get to from downtown and good for good beer and food. Brit’s don’t believe this but the US has some excellent locally brewed beer beyond just Budweiser and Coors. Good coffee shops include Kaffeine and Provider. There are others.
Most of us don’t consider Bud or Coors good beer either.
Neither do Americans. There is excellent craft beer throughout North America but virtually none of it is exported.
Indy has sooooo many microbreweries.
That’s right up my alley, all of it. Bars coffee memorial and cultural trails and river/canal. Thanks for that! How did you feel they treated you as a Brit? That intrigues me. Thanks again for your input mate
Hoosiers have been nothing but welcoming
I look forward to meeting them!!
Make sure you have some lime infused tortilla chips at some point. One of the best things about this country.
It’s my duty as an Irishman who lurks the sub because my sibling lives nearby to point out that you’re referring to what we would call lime-infused *crisps*. Though lime-infused fries (our chips) do sound yummy.
Would push back on that a bit. Tortilla chips are not crisps, anywhere.
They’re closer to British crisps than they are to British chips! Especially because our chips refers to steak fries, the very thick kind.
This is funny to me (an American). Glad you like them.
This has been the cutest comment section ever…. Happy to have you friend, hope you enjoy your time:) I have to disagree with the lime chips nonsense though….
Yeah this makes me happy to see. You can get attitude no matter where you go in the world but overall the Midwest is a very kind place.
❤️❤️❤️
Thank you! I can’t believe how nice everyone is and if Indy is anything like this Indianapolis Reddit then I’m in for a great holiday!
Yeah definitely utilize the bike share and you can cover a lot of ground easily on the cultural trail and monon trail (they connect). Provider for coffee, ride up the monon to Half Liter for some beer and bbq. Check out the Stutz building too - coffee, tacos, turner’s bar for drinks, and plant shop. Enjoy your stay!
Thank you so much that’s great!
Lots of excellent restaurants. Bluebeard is a favorite and their sister restaurant KanKan has a movie theater! You can also get good beer at Guggman and Sun King. Where in the city will you be? Do you know a neighborhood? The Children’s Museum is actually excellent and adults can have a good time there.
I don’t have the neighbourhood yet but I’d imagine an apartment in the city. I’d have to check. Those restaurants sound great and good beer is always a convincing point for me 😃
Biased POV here, but I have to second a trip to the Children’s Museum! I’m one of Indy’s friendly neighborhood paleontologists at the museum and I always love the chance to rep our amazing fossil collection. Most of our fossils on display are real (I know, I helped dig ‘em up!) so I highly recommend coming to check ‘em out. If you’d be interested in a tour of our lab and collections, feel free to dm me and we’ll get something set up!
Oh wow that’s amazing. Thank you!!! I’ll definitely be visiting. I’ll dm you closer to the time. Thanks so much 😃
Yes to children museum. No to Sun King. Sun king is good at marketing but bleah to awful taste. Centerpoint and Taxman are sooooo much better.
By the way I will be right by the library :)
Definitely rent an electric bike! IMO Indy is a biking city. Walking can take too long as the city is spread out. And like others have said, public transportation isn’t great. But biking on the Cultural Trail, Monon, and Pogues Run can get you pretty much anywhere in the city you’d really want to go. Fountain square—Tappers for the arcade bar, Bluebeard for dinner, Hotel Tango for cocktails, Hi-Fi for concerts, Dugout for an outdoor patio and sometimes live music. Downtown—Mass Ave for walking, dinner or bar crawling, the Canal for a stroll and nice view of downtown, Bottleworks to see an old Coca Cola factory remodeled, Indians game, Sun King for a beer, White River Amphitheater for a concert on the lawn. The Circle and war memorial are pretty cool also. Broad Ripple—take the bike up the Monon Trail and stop for a beer or food at Half Liter. Further up I love Flatwater.
Wow that’s loads of recommendations! Thank you! I’ll definitely be renting an e-bike I think and definitely going to all the bars and restaurants you recommended! Thank you :)
Saw some comments about getting around Indy. I just moved here from a high cost of living city in the US, so take this with a grain of salt but I do find that Uber is pretty reliable and relatively affordable to get around in the city. The Public Library Main Branch is incredible. I know, I know. Trust me and go. Just go walk around in it and enjoy the wonderful fusion of the different stages of Midwestern architecture. Fort Ben, or Fort Harrison, is a beautiful park within city limits. It's a cool little refuge of wilderness in the city, plus that whole area is fairly historic. You'll want to check out Broad Ripple and Fountain Square for cool restaurants and bars. The Irvington neighborhood has a great restaurant (Chicago Beef and Dog) where you can get a pretty authentic Italian beef sandwich which is very popular in Chicago. The Indy Eleven and Indianapolis Indians are two minor league sports teams in football/soccer and baseball respectively. Their games are a great time, and if the teams are playing when you're in town, I highly recommend it. The Indians games have cheap deals hot dogs and beer on Tuesdays. Indy is also a great haven of nerdy stuff. In addition to hosting the biggest board game convention in the US every year (GenCon in August), there are probably 10 high quality game stores in the city that always have some kind of events going on. If D&D or Magic the Gathering are your speed at all, you'll find a great community to meet up with while you're here.
That’s so much that’s very informative! I appreciate that a lot! I’ll definitely get all of these locations out. Thanks again. And I 10000% want to go see a football/soccer game whilst I’m over there as a player myself. I’d love that
American Football will be in season in September, and the Colts are the biggest thing in town. If you're going solo, and you're not familiar with the game already, it might not be worth it. But if you know the basics, going to an NFL game is one of the most American things you can do.
I do want to go to an NFL game. To experience it. But I just don’t get why there’s so many stoppages haha
The "play" structure means there are pauses all the time, with up to a 40 second break in between plays. But then you add in TV timeouts and replays for penalty or spot reviews and there is another 1.5 hours of waiting. Indy is a great place to view a game! Better than New Orleans or Nashville in my opinion.
Lots of museums The Indy 500 track. I think the museum there is closed for a bit. The Indy zoo is pretty cool
That all sounds good thank you! Really appreciate it!
Tappers arcade bar
Tappers was fun on my visit, and well designed. I feel a lot of arcade bars kind of forgetthat people will have drinks with them. But there's little mini cocktail tables everywhere there.
While you can’t walk everywhere, you can get an Uber or Lyft just about anywhere, anytime here. I would suggest making sure you’re signed up for those apps before coming.
Make sure you’re prepared for the shear size of this country. Indianapolis is almost twice the distance by car to New Orleans, than Edinburgh is away from Bournemouth. “As the bird flies,” it’s similar to London to Barcelona, around 700 miles or 1150km. It will still likely be quite warm here in September, and more so as you travel south. If your stepfather’s place is downtown, you could survive without a car like others have said. But if it’s not downtown, you will want a car. Again, it’s big and spread out. Indianapolis overall is bad at having sidewalks outside of the main roads once out of downtown. Getting to some of the places others have recommended will require a car or Uber/Lyft. It’s a 42 minute bike ride from the Circle at the center of downtown to the Union Jack pub, as an example. You can go from skyscrapers to neighborhoods of single family houses to farmland in a 15 mile drive and never leave the City of Indianapolis. It’s a great place. But I’d hate for you to end up in a suburb without a car while making plans to get to Louisiana on a day trip. 😊
Thank you! His place is downtown so that’s good. I’m prepared for the size. At least I think I am! It’s crazy how different everything is lol, I’m excited. Thanks for the recommendation s!
When my husband came over from the UK for 3 months, he unexpectedly found a wife. Sucker. :) See if you can’t rent a car, or if you can’t borrow one from family. If you have your UK license I do believe you’re legal to drive here, even if you’re visiting with an ESTA!
Wow that’s a great story :) yeah I wasn’t planning to do it but maybe I will have to. Because I’m planning on going to different cities after Indianapolis by flights
It's real expensive to fly out of here. We aren't a hub, and if you're only doing Chicago and TN, it'll probably be easier for you (provided the driving doesn't worry you)!
There are some excellent international foods options here! I personally recommend Sushi Bar in Broad Ripple and Phaya Thai Street Food in Lawrence. If you’re a nature lover, Turkey Run State Park is widely considered the crown jewel of our state park system. It’s a little over an hour west of Indy (assuming you’ll have a car). Mass Ave downtown has lots of bars, restaurants, and shops. I’d say it’s a nice place to hang out and people watch if you’re out alone. Enjoy! Life is pretty low key here and people take their time and try to be friendly, generally. I hope you have a lovey time. :)
That all sounds great for a big city! Thank you :) I actually will not have a car this trip unfortunately. So I know I am limited in things I can do. I will accept that. But I will be trying my best to to do everything I can!
I'm really worried that you aren't appreciating how big of a deal it is to not have a car in the US, especially this city in particular. Our pedestrian infrastructure sucks ass. And by that I mean just doesn't exist. If your uncle happens to live in downtown it won't be so bad, but besides that you will need a car to get anywhere worth going. You can uber but that will add up quickly. How were you planning on getting to TN and Louisiana?
I was planning on getting there with internal flights. I do know I’m limited and I do appreciate how big it is, I know that’s hard to believe if I won’t have a car on the trip. But I will be planning accordingly
Lmk what neighborhood your uncle lives in. Idk what I'm gonna be doing in September but my wife and I might be up for driving and showing you around some. we're your age.
Thank you so much that’s very generous! Wow I really appreciate that. I will give you a dm now just so it’s in my inbox. And once again thank you for your advice and generosity!
You could probably take the Greyhound bus to Tennessee since it's not super far. A flight to Louisiana would probably be good though.
That’s what I was thinking of doing actually. My best friend and his girlfriend might be in Vegas a few days before I go back to so I could potentially fly there for a night or two before I go back to UK. But Indy, Tennessee and Louisiana are set in stone
There's lots of great beer in the city. Although, depending upon where you are from in the UK, American drinking establishments may be quite different from expectations. Most bars will feature a series of beers, ciders, seltzers, etc from various producers. At a good bar, those producers will include local breweries and the better national ones. You'll also find the well known macro-lager brands (Miller, Coors, Anheuser Busch) - but they suck and should be avoided. Be warned, US beer is typically much higher ABV than UK beer. The best beer bar in the city is 20 Tap, great food there too. I would encourage going to the actual brewery or brewpub instead of a bar. Sun King and Upland have multiple locations and are both excellent. I also really enjoy: Ash&Elm (cider), Kismetic, and Pax Verum (available at Natural State Provisions). If you want a familiar experience, or to watch a Soccer match: Chatham Tap, Turchetti's, and Union Jack are good options. Chatham Tap is very much in line with your typical UK pub.
That sounds great for me! UK culture is drinking as a hobby haha, we enjoy bars and nightclubs too. Are there many of those? Thanks for informing me about the great beer available. I’m excited to try it all
Many bars of all sorts, nightclubs have less options and I'll have to defer to others on recommendations for those
Thanks for all your recommendations!
You might like the Dorman, it’s got a neighborhood pub feel, the Tick Tock and Mayfair are also good. I literally have no idea if we have clubs though, definitely go to Chicago for that.
Neat! I travel between Indianapolis and Nashville, TN, frequently. How are you planing to get to Tennessee and Louisiana? That’s a lot of travel for anything under a week. For example, the trip from Indy to Nashville is around five hours by car with perfect traffic, but it is a straight shot down Interstate 65. Nashville has some interesting, albeit smaller museums and some really great state parks. Unfortunately, public transportation in TN is not much better than Indiana. In fact if I’m thinking about the nearest public rail system to Indianapolis, it’s probably Chicago. You might consider renting a car if possible. There are no direct flights between Nashville and Indy to my knowledge. There are bus routes via Greyhound which are affordable but I’ve never taken that as an option so I can’t speak to it. Other commenters have suggested ride sharing and that’s probably the best option in the city. Here’s the Indy tourism board website: https://www.visitindy.com Indy has a lot to offer but it’s no Chicago or New York. A zoo, lots of great food (Ripple Bagel Deli and Cafe Patachou are my favorite breakfast spots, YMMV.) A decent art scene with the art museum and Vonnegut history. Microcenter is an interesting peek into American consumerism if you’re so inclined or need a 3D printer in an emergency. Nashville has a Major League Soccer team (the Nashville Soccer Club) and September will be near the end of the regular season so you might be able to catch a game. Both Indy and Nashville have minor league baseball teams. Too bad you’re not coming in August, you’ll miss Gencon by about a month: https://www.gencon.com I’ve not been to Louisiana.
Wow thanks for the great advice! I was planning to get a flight from Chicago. So I think I’m going to spend a day or two in Chicago too and then get the flight from there. I am here for 2 weeks and I think I’ll have enough time for all of that? Nashville and New Orleans is a must for me though, always wanted to go there. I didn’t plan to rent a car as I was planning to get internal flights. Ride sharing is a good option too so I’ll check that out and also Greyhound. I’m a huge football/soccer fan so I’d love to catch a game in Nashville!
If there is a football/ soccer match you want to watch while in town, Union Jacks or Chatham Tap are the places to go.
I think my team Liverpool will be playing so I definitely appreciate these recommendations, thank you!
Union Jacks is a Liverpool bar! YNWA
Amazing! 😍 thanks!!!!! YNWA
Or go to an Indy 11 match. They are a ton of fun and on a nice win streak.
Chicago is great, though I haven’t been back in many years. You could do the trip in a couple weeks, sure. Just keep in mind how spread out everything is. If you drive from Indy to Nashville, you’ll go right by Mammoth Caves in Kentucky which is an interesting natural wonder. https://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm If you go, buy tickets in advance.
In Downtown Indy listen to live Jazz at the Chatterbox and brunch at the Garden Table. Dine at Bazbeaux. Great folks in all three places. Tell them Les sent ya!
Live Jazz sounds good to me! Thanks Les
You might check out the YouTube channel Lost in the Pond. It's run by a former Brit who moved to the US and lived in Indianapolis for several years. He now lives in Chicago. Many of his earlier videos feature Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. But his main thing is to talk about the difference between the US and UK that he only learned upon living here. He's very entertaining.
I have actually seen some of his videos!
I retired from Rolls-Royce and we had a lot of brits working there. You will be welcomed with open arms. As for what to do, I’ll let the folks closer to your age handle that. The Indianapolis 500 museum is a big attraction here if you are into racing.
Thank you that’s encouraging to know :) I’d like to visit that too.
American South: Charleston, SC or Savannah, GA. Just my opinion.
My friend from Atlanta said the same thing. I’m not driving though so do these places have an airport?
Yes to both. They are not far from one another, about an hour and a half by car.
Maybe I will go there then. Out of Nashville, New Orleans, Savannah and Charleston, what are 2/3 you recommend the most
Nashville, which is more of a music and party town, Charleston.
I would recommend the YouTube channel Lost in the Pond. He lives in Chicago now but he first came here and had lots of wisdom about traveling to the US from the UK.
I’ve watched his videos. It’s informative!
If you’re downtown, there are a bunch of electric scooters you can rent to get around the city. Just sync it to your credit card and off you go Some cool things to do: Check out the underground at the City Market Grab breakfast at Milktooth Go to Mass Ave for drinks/dinner Go the slippery noodle (one of the oldest blues bars around) Do a tour of the indianapolis motor speedway Try White Castle (just beware its coming out the other end later) Get a pork tenderloin Check out the garage food hall Lots of good museums if you’re into that!
Great list thank you! Slippery noodle sounds fun!
I saw you say down in the comments you’ll be near downtown. Since you said bar and meeting people too, Massachusetts Avenue (known as Mass Ave) is a neat place with bars and shops. I’d be remiss if I didn’t plug The Central Library. It’s huge and honestly just a cool building. Ubering to Broad Ripple (not too far from downtown) would also be good. Lots of places to eat/walk. There’s a walking trail called The Monon that is paved and specifically for walkers/cyclists. Personally if you’re into Thai food I recommend Chiang Mai in Broad Ripple. As someone suggested, Monument Circle is cool. Oh! And if you’re looking for fun festivals, concerts, or activities [this website](https://do317.com) has some suggestions.
Thanks for your recommendations I really appreciate it :) I’m going to check out the website now
If your dad lives within Marion County, your best bet is to Uber/Lyft everywhere. Outside of Marion County, you’ll have issues getting around. Unless your dad lives around the Mile Square, walking will be hard. We do have bikes and scooters you can rent. Honestly, once you’re downtown, getting around won’t be so hard.
Thank you! I haven’t got the exact location yet but I honestly think he will be in the downtown area.
Just curious, are you welsh?
Nope English. Midlands of England. How come?
I was just wondering cause you didn't specify the country. My bf is manc and he hates being called British so I was wondering. Growing up in Indy there were two English men in my neighborhood so I don't think you'll have any issue. Fair warning, many Americans think any English accent sounds posh so you might get comments about that. Be prepared for tea and crumpets jokes lol
To be honest I’m half Irish and I don’t like being called it myself either. Because of the history. So can understand that. Yes I’ve heard about that, I didn’t know if it was true or not? So I will be prepared for that l
I can understand that. My bf is half northern Irish through his grandparents but identifies as English since that's where he's born. If anything people would love your accent. In Indiana we love anything "exotic" you might have some girls loving your accent. I recommend shagging an American at least once. Gotta get it off your bucket list
Hahaha, that’s great to hear. I’ll definitely try and tick that off the bucket list 😄
Mum’s from Belfast, Dad’s from New York, sibling lives in Indy (hence why a random Irishman is hanging around here). The locals in general are very friendly to foreigners in that completely earnest way that only Americans have mastered. They will hear your accent and strike up a conversation. They will ask you about your homeland and hometown and try to find some connection or commonality. Their knowledge is limited, and being from Liverpool, I would expect you to be on the receiving end of a fair few “Oh, that’s where the Beatles are from.” (At least they’ll be right this time, my Brummie and Mancunian friends have also gotten that.) And yea, American women find British accents sexy. Even the ones Brits think are awful like Brummie. And if you’re chasing after American gals, remember to bring their kind of rubber, not ours! (Americans: what we call a rubber is your eraser.)
Thank you! I love Liverpool. That’s my team and I love the scouse accent especially on girls. Thanks for the comment. I’m from West Midlands so I have the neutral British accent
I might be biased but nothing is sexier than a northerner accent (not including scouse sorry). But honestly Americans love scouse accents cause it's so different
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Wow that’s great! Glad you enjoyed it here :) it’s good that you travelled around and didn’t just go to London. Thank you! :)
Get your beans for breakfast here mate. https://www.cbindy.com
Looks unreal 😍
Indianapolis Motor Speedway if you like racing at all
The State Museum is pretty cool, that's really all I know.
If you visit Chicago, please do the architectural boat tour. Best hour or so ever.
I am and I would like to do that :)
IMSA will be racing at IMS
Children’s museum Slippery Noodle Inn Zoo Canal Mass Ave Shapiros Deli Monument Circle Indianapolis colts game Stay off the east side
There’s the Kurt Vonnegut museum, the Zoo, Newfields (Indianapolis museum of art), the Children’s Museum, Indiana State Museum , the James Whitcomb Riley house, there’s a few escape rooms (if you have others to do so with), there’s White River State Park.
You're getting a lot of general museum recommendations. I'd strongly disagree. You're from Europe. Our traditional art museums aren't bad for what they are, but they're not going to be very impressive by your standards. Our main art museum recently described its mission as something like "providing the White European art experience our core patrons want". Again, you're European. You're probably not going to be impressed by the imitative bits we've put together, which are great for the middle of Indiana but...less so compared to Chicago or NYC, much less actual Europe. If I were you, I'd prioritize local history--both in Indy and the rest of your travels. State History museum, museum of Native American and Western art (Eiteljorg), or even local sights. The house of the 2nd-wave leader of the Ku Klux Klan (DC Stephenson) has been turned into a museum on the East side (Irvington). This horrible man reshaped state politics maybe forever and was a strong contender to become president--or he would've if hadn't gotten caught committing a crime on Butler University campus so horrendous I cannot type it here, prosecuted by sheer geographic luck by the only District Attorney that he didn't have in his pocket. More humorously, they once became convinced the Pope was trying to sneak into Indianapolis to spread Catholicism and Communism (2nd wave was really anti-Catholic), so they found some poor guy on a train that they were sure was the Pope and threw him into Lake Michigan. It's a really important era of local history and it's barely covered anymore--even the books on what happened are largely out of print now. Or the West side--the Speedway, Lafayette Road, the old Motor Alley. Used to be the main route to take you to Chicago and was quite prosperous. When the highways were built and repathed traffic, it became so poor that even the gangs moved out decades ago, so it became an immigrant hub for the area. City residents to this day still turn their noses up at that part of town, especially the parts that non-white people were required by law to live in until shockingly late, but that's where the good, cheap food is. There's an international community that's very proudly ascendant over there and they're trying to get proper recognition, an international heritage museum, events, etc... I'm less intimately acquainted with Chicago and Nashville histories, but there are many similarities. Chicago has great museums, but how many other cities have undercity tours of the extensive old prohibition tunnels they used to smuggle alcohol around?
Wow thank you so much for this. I appreciate this comment tenfold. I agree with you and the local history you so adequately described is something I will definitely look to do. Thanks again! And the prohibition aspect of Chicago is great recommendation too. I guess with Nashville I want to visit south like Tennessee and I quite like a drink and party so I think that would be very fun to do for 2 days
I’d recommend the Eiteljorg museum. I think too many people think it’s stuffy but it’s not. It’s gorgeous and has an incredibly diverse collection. Not only of artifact kinda stuff but it has a REALLY impressive collection of contemporary art. Bonus: Buffalo chili in the cafe is gooood. And then take a stroll around the canal. Side note/IMHO: eat some of the Angel chicken wings at Chatham Tap. You could even enjoy a pint whilest some “soccer” is on the Telly 😉
Thank you! I’ll be doing all those things hopefully so thanks! And yep I need to see a Liverpool match whilst I’m there, that’s my team. So I’ll definitely go to Chatham Tap
There's a Rolls Royce museum. Gotta nake an appointment, though. Too bad the IMS museum is closed for renovation.
Thank you! Yep bet the Rolls Royce museum is mental. Will have to check it out
Imho. Children's museum is a waste of your time if you are an adult with no children with you. If it's a really crowded day there, people must be trying to prank you. Check out the downtown Central Library instead. Great views of the skyline from the fifth and sixth floors of the expansion. Across the street from the library see if you can get a tour of the Scottish Rite Cathedral. Get on the redline and ride the bus up to Broad Ripple and look around. Visit the Alley Cat Bar. Figure out a way to go out to Eagle Creek Park on the NW side.
The apartment is really close by to the library so that’s going to be a given. And I saw the Scottish rite cathedral on Google maps which looks really nice. That’s freemasonry right? I don’t have kids so I think I’ll give the children museum a miss
Be wary. American cops will shoot you if you aren't sufficiently submissive. Safer back home.
Lol 😂😂
Go to Eiteljorg, and the Indiana state museum is right there near it. We have a good art museum. Probably check out the speedway track.
Thank you I think I’ll be visiting those for sure
The Indiana Medical History Museum's definitely worth a visit. And if you're a fan of Dr. Who, Who North America's located in the area. [https://www.imhm.org/visit](https://www.imhm.org/visit) [https://www.whona.com/About-UsVisit\_ep\_7.html](https://www.whona.com/About-UsVisit_ep_7.html)
I would recommend North Mass Boulder. It’s not only a climbing gym, they have activities for single people, a workout facility, plus a bar/cafe where people gather.
That sounds good! Thanks for that :)
I’m a Brit living in Indiana DM me closer to your visit and hopefully I can help with anything you need
Thanks mate! How do you find being a Brit in Indiana?
I like it out here, people are great, I live in a nice quiet neighborhood about 30mins from down town
That’s great. How did you move over there? Was it through work? I want to move to US but it’s near impossible
Married an American from Indy, immigrated last year after nearly a 2 year process (due to covid). If you ever get the chance to move over here I don’t think you’d regret it.
Living the dream mate. I would take the opportunity with both hands. Maybe one day
Sure am lol, good luck hopefully you get you wish one day
Thank you mate 🙏🙏
The Louisville, ky area is only 1.5- 2 hours away and one of the touristy things to do there is the Bourbon Trail.
Alot of your experience is going to boil down to whether you are staying in urban Indianapolis, or suburban. Almost every little suburb has its own special hole in the walls. So, you'll get even more refined advice when you know where the apartment is exactly. Generally, most of what you can expect is some good food (Hoosier Tenderloin sandwich is a staple). Some good local beer (try some obscure micro brews, the stuff you've heard of is probably mostly shit [bud, Miller, ect]). Also sports, enjoy a game if whatever at a sports bar near you. We have some cool art and a few museums around, but you'll likely need to Uber to them.
Thank you! :) well I can confirm the apartment is 10 minute walk from downtown, so extremely close :)
Then yea. Like others have already said, with access to rental scooters and bikes, you'll have no shortage if good places to go. Depending on how long you're staying, you might not even have time to see it all. Some things that *may* be worth an uber ride depending on your level of interest: - Newfields. One part art museum and one part historical estate. Can make a whole day out of this trip. Lots of cool stuff to see there. -Speedway. You can probably reach this one on a bike, but some of the surrounding areas are... questionable. But the track itself has a museum inside all about the history of "the greatest spectacle in racing". -Eagle Creek. If you love nature, there is an extensive and beautiful park just outside our highway loop complete with a reservoir and watercraft rentals. Sometimes in September the weather is still warm enough for the water, but there is also ziplining and other activities at Eagle Creek. -Beasleys Orchard. If you're looking to get away from the city buzz for a more rural experience, September is the perfect time to Uber out to Beasleys Orchard in the nearby town of Avon. You can pick your own apples and check out the farmers market there for fresh farm to market produce. They also frequently have other festivals and events listed on their website.
That’s great thank you for that! Avon sounds and looks great so I may have to do this! I do want to visit small town as well so definitely interested in there
The orchard at Avon is great. Been many times, you won't be disappointed there. The town of Avon does kind of bleed into Indianapolis however. If you're looking for a small town Americana experience, then I would recommend, on your way south out of Indianapolis, that you see out a town called Nashville (Nashville, IN. Not Tennessee). Its likely only an hour or so out of your way, but it is quintessential small town Americana. Plenty of great places to eat, and my personal favorite local winery is there (Country Heritage Winery). You could make a whole day of just wondering around this hole in the wall town (and I have). Its beautiful, plenty to see and do. You're a stones through from 6 different delicious and fantastic restaurants at any given time. There are even some great inns to stay at if you're finding it hard to leave. Grab breakfast at Birds Nest, lunch at Big Woods Pizza, and dinner at The Nashville House, and dessert OoeyGooey or(and) The Chocolate Moose. You can't go wrong.
FUTURO Pizza!
Don’t forget to visit Chicago, it’s hella dope
Yeah I definitely will be visiting Chicago! Thank you :) can’t wait!