Indiana · best-of list
12 Top Things to Do in Indiana
All 12 things to do our route editors picked in Indiana, across 4 destinations, gathered in one list. Expect sights and experiences, with Indianapolis contributing the most (4).
Our curated picks
12 things to do in Indiana, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Indianapolis 4 picks
Eiteljorg Museum
Indianapolis · On our Indiana & Ohio City-Nature Loop route
Museum of Native American and Western art in White River State Park.
Photo: Lebu Ayiga · Google
Indianapolis Cultural Trail
Indianapolis · On our Indiana & Ohio City-Nature Loop route
8-mile protected bike and walking path linking downtown's cultural districts.
Tip: Rent a Pacers Bikeshare bike along the route.
Photo: ComplexRational · CC BY-SA 4.0
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
Indianapolis · On our Indiana & Ohio City-Nature Loop route
Race cars and Indy 500 history at the speedway; grounds tours often run.
Tip: Add the track tour or a lap on the speedway bus.
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
Indianapolis · On our Indiana & Ohio City-Nature Loop route
Monument Circle's 284-foot centerpiece; ride or climb to the observation deck.
Photo: alexeatswhales · CC BY 2.0
Downtown Indianapolis 3 picks
Canal Walk
Downtown Indianapolis · On our Indianapolis New Year's Eve route
Paved path along the 1830s Central Canal through downtown, with skyline views and bridges lit at night.
Tip: Walk the stretch between Washington and Michigan streets at dusk for the skyline reflections.
Photo: _J_D_R_ · CC BY 2.0
Indiana State Museum
Downtown Indianapolis · On our Indianapolis New Year's Eve route
State history and science museum on the canal; its family NYE party ended with a 3,000-balloon drop at 8:30 pm in 2025.
Tip: The family party is alcohol-free and sells out; buy tickets in early December.
Photo: Murphsdaughter · CC BY-SA 4.0
Monument Circle
Downtown Indianapolis · On our Indianapolis New Year's Eve route
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at the city's center, strung with thousands of lights as the Circle of Lights each winter.
Tip: The lights stayed up through Jan 16 in the 2025-26 season; come after dark on Dec 30.
Photo: Daniel Schwen · CC BY-SA 4.0
Indiana Dunes 3 picks
3 Dune Challenge
Indiana Dunes · On our Indiana & Ohio City-Nature Loop route
1.5-mile climb over the state park's three tallest dunes, 552 vertical feet in sand.
Photo: T S · Google
Chellberg Farm and Bailly Homestead
Indiana Dunes · On our Indiana & Ohio City-Nature Loop route
Restored 1880s Swedish farmstead and fur-trader homestead linked by trails.
Photo: Sabra Hayes · Google
Indiana Dunes Visitor Center
Indiana Dunes · On our Indiana & Ohio City-Nature Loop route
Joint national and state park visitor center for maps, passes and trail conditions.
Photo: Indiana Dunes Visitor Center · Google
Broad Ripple 2 picks
Indy Art Center
Broad Ripple · On our Indianapolis New Year's Eve route
Community art center on the White River with ARTSPARK, a free outdoor sculpture park reached from the Monon Trail.
Tip: The building keeps holiday hours, but the riverside sculpture park is the reason to come.
Newfields
Broad Ripple · On our Indianapolis New Year's Eve route
The Indianapolis Museum of Art and its gardens; Winterlights fills the grounds with about 2 million lights into early January.
Tip: In the 2025-26 season Winterlights ran through Jan 4 and was open on the evening of Jan 1; buy timed tickets ahead.
Photo: Aiko, Thomas & Juliette+Isaac · CC BY 2.0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Indiana?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 12 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Indiana has the most things to do on this list?
Indianapolis has the most (4 of 12), followed by Downtown Indianapolis (3) and Indiana Dunes (3).
Are any of these free?
6 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Canal Walk, Indy Art Center, Monument Circle, Chellberg Farm and Bailly Homestead, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Indiana
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Indianapolis 4 on this list
- Downtown Indianapolis 3 on this list
- Indiana Dunes 3 on this list
- Broad Ripple 2 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.