The Ideal Indianapolis Weekend Getaway Itinerary

Indianapolis, Indiana is the biggest city in the Crossroads of America, but it’s also the most surprising.  Canals, an incredible art museum, an award-winning foodie scene, historic monuments, and plenty of adorable neighborhoods to explore; describe Indianapolis to someone who’s never been, and they might think you were describing somewhere in Europe. It’s the canals, isn’t it? But don’t underestimate Indianapolis! Centrally located to most major Midwestern cities and a quick flight from either coast (ahem, there are 4 hour direct flights on Southwest from Oakland Airport, hellooooo), Indianapolis is a fantastic destination for a weekend getaway!

Despite growing up in Louisville, Kentucky just 2 hours south of Indianapolis, and attending college at Indiana University in Bloomington, just an hour away from Indy, I somehow never actually managed to spend much time in Indy. Whoops. No time like the present to fix that, right?

We drove up from Louisville this summer to discover everything that Indy has to offer, and we’ve crafted the IDEAL Indianapolis Itinerary! Didja see all that alliteration there? See it?! Not bad, eh? Look, I’m a blogger, not a poet, OK?

Anyway, here’s what you’ll find in this post.

Hey, looking for some more spots near Indy for a weekend getaway? We’ve got some posts you should check out! Take a look:

• 8 Incredible Weekend Getaways in Indiana
• 15 Lovely Things to Do on a Romantic Getaway to Louisville, Kentucky
• The Perfect Weekend in Nashville, Tennessee: Itinerary & (Massive) Guide
• The Ultimate Self-Guided Tour of Cleveland Breweries (By a Local)

Where to Stay in Indianapolis

We were graciously hosted at the Conrad Indianapolis, a STUNNING and luxurious hotel right smack-dab in the middle of downtown Indianapolis. The hotel was absolutely beautiful, from the Chihuly chandelier in the lobby and the artwork on display throughout the hotel to the relaxing spa and pool to the rooms themselves (and YES, there were cushy bathrobes). Our room offered a fantastic view of downtown Indianapolis, including the iconic Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, which was right around the corner!

• Conrad Indianapolis | 50 W Washington St Indianapolis, IN

If you’re traveling on a budget, there are plenty of other options, even in downtown Indianapolis. We really liked being centrally located in Downtown because it made it easy for us to take inexpensive Lyfts or walk almost everywhere we went. Here are a couple of budget-friendly options (rooms for under $150 a night) for hotels in Downtown Indianapolis:

• The Hampton Inn Downtown is located just a block away from the monument.
• The Alexander A Dolce Hotel is a few blocks away and absolutely stunning.
• Indy Urban Jungle is an arty apartment on Massachusetts Avenue and walking distance to the monument.

This apartment is right next to the monument and has 2 bedrooms, so if you’re hitting Indy as a group here’s your place! 

You’ll also find more budget-friendly accommodation options if you’re willing to sacrifice Lyft-and-walk-ability and move away from downtown. You can also check out Airbnb to find some great deals on apartments in the area.

We recommend using Booking.com to search for a place to stay – it’s a hotel search engine that shows the best prices for hotels in one convenient place. Click the big pretty button to search for deals on hotels in Indy.

Indianapolis Weekend Getaway: Friday

First things first: check into your hotel. Whether you get into Indianapolis via flight or by car, chances are you won’t be up for much more than dinner and drinks on your first night in Indianapolis. But good news: there are dinner and drinks aplenty. And they are very good.  So drag yourself out of the hotel to take advantage of the nightlife, because hey: you’re in Indy! 

• Indiana Weekend Itinerary Tip: if you’re feeling up for it, swap out Saturday night’s itinerary for tonight. There’s Swing Dancing at Fountain Square Theatre on Friday nights, just sayin’.

Dinner at Livery

If you’re staying downtown, grab a Lyft and head to Livery for dinner, a Latin fusion restaurant located inside a former livery. Chow down on empanadas, fried yuca, street corn, or paella while sipping a tequila, mezcal, or Pisco cocktail. You guys, that one sentence covered almost all of our favorite Latin American cuisines. So happy!

Tip: Head upstairs to check out the rooftop bar if you can! Bonus points if you can snag a table up there.

•  Livery | Address: 720 N College Ave, Indianapolis, IN

Explore Mass Ave

After dinner, you’ll head out to explore one of Indianapolis’s coolest neighborhoods: Mass Ave!  This is Indy’s original arts and culture district, and the area is full of great restaurants, cool indie stores, rad art, and nightlife.

As you explore, be sure to say hi to famous Indianapolis resident and American novelist Kurt Vonnegut – well, a 38-foot high mural of him, anyway – as you walk back towards your hotel. You’ll also see a mural of Black poet Mari Evans, whose poem “I Am A Black Woman” is as powerful as it is chilling – especially in today’s political climate.

Also along your walk, you’ll pass the Rathskeller, an awesome German restaurant and Biergarten which was designed in part by Kurt Vonnegut’s grandfather, Clemens Vonnegut, a German immigrant – much of Indianapolis’ history is rooted in its German immigrant population. 

By the way: you’re gonna be hearing a lot about Kurt Vonnegut while you’re in Indy, so you might want to read a few of his most famous works before your trip – here’s a compilation of his most famous novels. At the very least, head to the library and pick up a copy of Slaughterhouse Five – and a book of poetry by Mari Evans.

Anyway, as you walk through Mass Ave back to downtown, stop into wherever catches your fancy – there’s always plenty happening here. We stopped in a couple of bars on our way back, snapped a few photos at the iconic I AM INDY statue on the corner of Mass Ave & Alabama, and barely even noticed the walk back to our hotel, which was just over a mile. You can of course Lyft back if you prefer, but we loved exploring Indy on foot!

Indianapolis Weekend Getaway: Saturday

Coffee at Coat Check

Before you do anything else, you’ll need coffee. Unless you’re some kind of superhuman who has evolved without the need for coffee, in which case, I do NOT understand you. Head directly to Coat Check Coffee for an excellent cup of specialty coffee at a stunning coffee shop, located in the grand foyer (oooh I just love the word FOY-YAY) of the historic Athenaeum Theatre. The stunning theatre was built in the 1890s and was designed in part by, you guessed it, Kurt Vonnegut’s great-grandfather!

• Coat Check Coffee | Address: 401 E Michigan St, Indianapolis, IN

In addition to expertly roasted coffee provided by local roastery Tinker Coffee, you’ll also find mind-blowing fancy coffee drinks, like a butterscotch latte spiced with aromatic burnt anise and speckled with fresh citrus oil. There are also next-level pastries and macarons (black sesame Oreo! Raspberry rose!  Elderflower lavender blackberry!). 

Look, if I keep listing stuff off, I’m going to drool all over my keyboard. Just head to their Instagram feed to dive into coffee heaven and enjoy stunning latte art, beautiful macarons, and cows. You know, cows. From the local dairy farm where they get their milk. They look like very happy cows.

I recommend taking LYFT to Coat Check Coffee (because like … you’re pre-coffee) and then walking to your next stop. It’s a pleasant, half-mile walk to City Market, your breakfast spot.

Or, if you’re not the type to go out of your way for a damn fine cup of coffee (just don’t judge us for our extra-ness, please) just head straight to City Market, which is a lot closer to central downtown. You’ll find coffee upstairs.

• City Market |Address: 222 E Market St, Indianapolis, IN

Breakfast at City Market

I’m a sucker for markets, whether it’s the mercados in Latin America or boujie markets filled with flowers and pickled herring or whatever in Europe, and Indianapolis’ City Market filled me with the kind of glee you can only get from walking past booths and booths of fresh, local goodies. The market has been a community gathering space since the early days of the city, drawn into city maps as an integral part of the new Indianapolis.  

First opened in 1886, the historic Indianapolis City Market is home to over 30 locally owned artisan booths serving up everything from food and drinks to flowers and handmade gifts. Your breakfast options are endless here! Pick up a fresh juice or smoothie at Twenty Two Juice, a sweet or savory crepe at 3 Days in Paris, biscuits and (vegan) gravy or avocado toast from Three Carrots – widely regarded as the best vegan restaurant in town – or a breakfast sandwich from City Mark.

But there’s more than meets the eye here at City Market. Although it’s a colorful, bustling market above ground, underneath the market lies mysterious catacombs. I say mysterious because nobody actually knows much about them, like what exactly they were used for and how many people have died there over the years (I peppered our poor tour guide with a LOT of uncomfortable questions). 

We know for sure that the Catacombs functioned as naturally cool storage for the market upstairs, probably saw a few nefarious schemes play out during Prohibition, may have served as a firing range at one point for the Police Department, and provided shelter to local homeless folk in 1911, during a particularly cold winter. But the rest is a mystery.

So if you’re easily creeped out, rest assured that other than a lot of speculation and one paranormal researcher who found evidence to suggest at least 1 resident spirit haunting the premises, the Catacombs are more Extremely Cool than Super Spooky. And no: there are no bones to be found.

Today, you can explore the catacombs on a tour, or if you’re lucky, during an event: there are occasionally events ranging from dinners to karaoke and movies held down in these dark, quiet corridors. Ooooh, how cool would that be around Halloween?!

Ogle the Art at Newfields

After you’ve had your fill at City Market, head over to Newfields (aka the Indianapolis Museum of Art). The museum is SPRAWLING. There are indoor galleries for days and miles and miles of outdoor gardens and artworks! A few iconic spots to take note of are Funky Bones, made famous in an adorable scene from The Fault in Our Stars (although its artist statement is …. er, problematic); and the original LOVE statue, centrally displayed inside the museum. Indianapolis is the home of these iconic LOVE statues. In case you forget where they’re from, just think of the designer: his name is Robert Indiana. Yep, for real.

• Newfields |Address: 4000 Michigan Rd, Indianapolis, IN

One of our favorite exhibitions during our visit was Bes-Ben: The Mad Hatter of Chicago. Imagine an entire room of ridiculous, whimsical hats. But not in like, the Kentucky Derby style of whimsical and ridiculous. I mean like, TRUE ridiculousness. Hats that are as fun as they are beautiful. Hats decorated with tiny hats. Hats covered in toy animals. Hats covered in razors (appropriately themed for the premiere of “The Razor’s Edge” in 1946 and donned by the truly cutting Hedda Hopper, the real-life Rita Skeeter). Benjamin Green-Field (aka Bes-Ben) took millinery to the edge of ridiculousness and then jumped right off, probably giggling the entire time.

As I toured this exhibit, I was experiencing major fashion design flashbacks to my costume history classes (ahem: fun fact about me, I have a degree in fashion design and spent 5 years in the corporate fashion industry. So you’d think I’d have a better sense of personal style, but here we are).

The hats reminded me of my favorite unconventional fashion designer, Elsa Schiaperelli (Coco Chanel’s greatest rival), who invented the color “Shocking Pink” and once designed a shoe hat based on a picture of her bestie, Salvador Dalí, wearing a shoe on his head. This pair created a bunch of extremely silly designs together, like a dress with a lobster on it for no reason. If I had studied fashion design in the 30’s and 40’s instead of the late 2000’s, I feel like these would have been MY PEOPLE. Maybe I’d be expressing my favorite terrible jokes and worst puns through the medium of clothing instead of writing. But here we are, so I’m subjecting you people to them, instead.

Anyway, spend several hours perusing the galleries and making astute observations about the silly hats and such. Peruse until you get hungry, and then peruse your way right over to your lunch spot! Er, actually, it’s technically brunch. We’ll explain.

Lunch Brunch at Milktooth

In a world where “brunch” isn’t considered to be one of the primary meals of the day, Milktooth stands firm and tall as a Brunch Only Restaurant. Yep, that’s right. Forget “breakfast served all day.” All you can get at Milktooth is brunch, from 7am to 3pm. Sure, it’s a little bit weird and very ~Millennial, but hey, it’s also pretty amazing – and we aren’t the only ones who think so!

• Milktooth | Address: 534 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN

At Milktooth, every day is the weekend. Welcome the wonderful world of forever brunch, where depending on the frequently changing menu, you can get a Dutch baby pancake slathered in either cherry, blackberry, and lime curd, and salted caramel OR bruschetta. Where you can get a sourdough chocolate pearl sugar waffle topped with cocoa nib and oolong maple, mixed seasonal berries, whipped vanilla and sea salt butter OR cranberry walnut grilled cheese with gouda and raclette, topped with black truffle honey and a duck egg. Hnghghgrngngnggng.

But even if you’re not hungry enough for a full meal, the pastries alone are worth a trip! Try their famous sour cream biscuits, light and fluffy and, on our trip, inexplicably sparkly. Try some sourdough roasted peach fritters dipped in fermented citrus honey or a blueberry, grilled corn & jalapeno scone or just some sorghum glazed bacon (also inexplicably sparkly). And, because it’s brunch, try one of their many amazing cocktails, too – or perhaps a coffee, because you’ve still got some serious sight-seeing to do.

Afternoon Sightseeing: Choose Your Own Adventure

You’ve got some time in the afternoon to do a little bit of exploring on your own (or take a nap, we won’t judge). Here are some suggestions:

Explore the Indy Cultural Trail

The Indy Cultural Trail is an 8-mile urban trail connecting all six of Indy’s downtown cultural districts Fountain Square, Indiana Avenue, Mass Ave, The Canal & White River State Park, and the Wholesale District. It also connects to the Monon Trail, which will take you all the way up to northern Indianapolis. You can explore it on foot, on bike, or by eating your way down it on a walking tour. Take 1 guess which one we did.

If you guessed Food Tour, ding ding ding! You either already read our blog, or you just deeply get us. There are several different Indy Cultural Trail Food Tours offered through the various neighborhoods along the trail. Skip lunch if you’re planning to spend your afternoon eating. The good news is that both the lunch and dinner restaurants we’re sending you to are covered on the Fletcher Place Foodie Tour (if you’re ever wondering how we manage to eat SO MUCH delicious food whenever we travel, well, 1) skills and 2) food tours). 

Sun King Brewery Tour

Sun King unofficially began the craft beer movement in Indy, and their sprawling brewery makes for a fantastic tour for any beer lover. The standard tour includes a tour of the main brewing facility, a souvenir Sun King taster glass, sampling of the five core collection beers, and fun facts about Sun King Brewing Company such as why there is a giant pinata and what the giant pinata’s name is.

But for true beer snobs lovers (ahem, like us) the King’s Reserve Tour is absolutely necessary. You’ll get to tour the facilities, taste the core collection, AND get a chance to peek behind the scenes to learn about the most interesting (and delicious) beers available at Sun King: the King’s Reserve Barrel-Aged and King’s Reserve Sour Selection. Mmmmmmm. Barrel aged and sour beers are MY FAVORITE, and Sun King’s are truly incredible.

Here are some of the notes I took (keep in mind I’m about 7 beer samples deep by this point): “Golden Girls: golden raspberries; Cherry Busey: made with raspberries and aged in red wine barrels (FAVE); Caramel Apple Tripel, aged in rum barrels; Lonesome Dove, aged in bourbon barrels.” Idk about you, but personally I don’t need more details than that to know that I want to drink all of these beers, please. All of them.

Tip: Looking for more beer-related fun? Take the Indy Beer Mile tour to drink your way through several of Indy’s finest establishments. Or just eat some pickles: Indiana Pickle brines theirs in Sun King Beer!

• Sun King Brewery| Address: 135 N College Ave, Indianapolis, IN

Teeny Statue of Liberty Museum

One of my great regrets of our trip is that we didn’t have a chance to pop into this tiny, off-beat museum. Here’s what you’ll find in this museum: statue of liberty stuff. No, that’s the whole thing. Isn’t that amazing? The museum houses more than 400 artifacts from all over the world featuring Lady Liberty, including mini statues, sprinkler heads, pants, bottle openers, bobbleheads, and even a fantasy condom. Admission costs 50 cents, so start saving up now.

• Indy’s Teeny Statue of Liberty Museum | Address: E 10th St, Indianapolis, IN

Do the Canal Walk

I did mention that Indianapolis has canals, right? Transport yourself to Europe during this pleasant 3-mile stroll along the stunning Indy Canal Walk.  Or you could just rent a gondola and be extra European.

• Canal Walk | Address: 801 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN

Tour the Madame Walker Theatre Center (Currently Closed for Renovations)

Over the course of her incredible life, Madame CJ Walker transformed herself from an uneducated farm laborer into one of the twentieth century’s most successful entrepreneurs and the first self-made female millionaire. Born in 1867 on a Louisiana plantation to former slaves, orphaned at age 7, and in the face of insurmountable difficulty as a black woman in the 19th century deep south, she would invent, market and build a hair-care product empire and a legacy that continues today at the Madame Walker Theatre Center. The Center is located in the Walker Manufacturing plant where Madame CJ Walker’s hair care products were produced and distributed – along with a movie theatre (because the white-owned theatre was charging a racism tax), pharmacy, beauty salon, and beauty school – all Black owned, Black run, and designed to serve the Black community at the height of the KKK’s power. The building sits at what was once a center of Black culture on Indiana Avenue – an area whose heritage, and history, has otherwise been largely unpreserved.

Today, the Madame Walker Theatre Center houses a 935 seat theatre – where musical greats such as  Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Gladys Knight have performed – a grand ballroom, memorial boardroom, beauty salon, a history and heritage center and office space for local entrepreneurs and cultural non-profits. The center’s mission is to use art as a platform to empower youth, inspire entrepreneurship, and facilitate social justice.

Unfortunately, the center is currently closed for renovations, likely until early 2020. Follow the Center on Facebook for updates! In the meantime, here is a fantastic list of other Black cultural heritage sights in Indianapolis.

Dinner at Bluebeard

After your afternoon of sightseeing, it’s time for more food. Look, Indianapolis has a great food scene, so yes: save room somehow. Hop in a LYFT and head to Bluebeard, whose name comes from a novel by – you guessed it – Indianapolis native Kurt Vonnegut.

The restaurant isn’t exactly Vonnegut themed, but there is definitely a strong Vonnegut inspiration, with antique typewriters tucked into corners and books adorning the walls: the entire restaurant (and the adjoining Amelia’s Bakery) is beautifully designed.

The restaurant’s motto is a quote from Bluebeard, “Oh, happy Meat. Oh, happy Soul,” and we agree because even though we’re trying to cut back on our meat consumption for environmental reasons, what we really want is to know that the meat we’re eating led a good, happy life. Thanks to the local, sustainable farmers who supply Bluebeard’s meat and produce, we feel pretty confident that our meat was, indeed, happy.

Split a charcuterie platter, a summery panzanella salad (bread salad, because hello, adjoining bakery), and a small, medium, or large entree. And save room for dessert, obviously.

• Bluebeard | Address: 653 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN

Drinks at Hotel Tango

After an incredible meal, if the night is still relatively young, head to Hotel Tango, almost directly across the street. I know, it sounds like a hotel. But it’s not! Not only is Hotel Tango the first craft distillery in Indy, it’s the first service-disabled combat-veteran owned distillery in the country. Oh, and it’s the home of some of the best cocktails (and cocktail names, and cocktail descriptions) we’ve ever had.

• Hotel Tango| Address: 702 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN

Spend a few minutes perusing the menu and giggling over cocktail names like “Banana Hammock” – banana rum, strawberry gin, lavender-juniper simple syrup, freckle bitters???? – or “Cereal Killer” – banana rum, honey shrub, CEREAL ALMOND MILK, aquafaba?!, coffee bean dust – and scratching your head over ingredients you’ve never heard of, before ordering something that will blow your socks off.

Also, incredibly important note: there is a cat here. It’s a very fat cat.  That is all.

After you’ve had a few drinks, hop into a LYFT or walk 10 minutes down the street to Fountain Square.

Bowling at Fountain Square Theatre

Located in Fountain Square Neighborhood, this old Vaudeville theatre building is home to TWO vintage duckpin bowling theatres, a stunning historic theatre now used for swing dancing, a retro diner, and a stunning and charming inn. It’s absolutely charming.

But if you’re anything like me, you’re probably wondering WTF duckpin bowling is. Well, it’s like bowling, only smaller … and more adorable. And WAY more vintage!  The balls are smaller and lighter than the bowling balls you’re used to – you can hold them in your palm, with no thumbholes necessary. And the pins are smaller, too. Not sure whether being smaller and more adorable makes actually hitting them any easier,

Take your pick: do you prefer 1930’s Duckpin Bowling, or 1950’s Duckpin Bowling? Because Fountain Square Theatre has BOTH under the same roof!  We found ourselves gravitating towards the 1930’s vibe, but we totally got a “I’ve Just Seen a Face” from Across the Universe vibe from the 50’s themed bowling alley. Whichever one you prefer, they’re both adorable, and such a fun twist on bowling!

If you need more booze to fuel your duckpin bowling adventures, there is a bar located inside the Fountain Square Theatre. Or, Craft Mead and Hard Cider is just across the street!

• Tip: If you want to reserve a lane for bowling, you’ll want to call to make a reservation – the number is on their website.
• Fountain Square | Address: 1111 Prospect St, Indianapolis, IN

Ok, you crazy kids. Get home safely, all right? You’ve got 1 more day of adventure left in your Indianapolis weekend getaway!

Indianapolis Weekend Getaway: Sunday

I know, I know – you’re sad to leave, but you have to check out of your hotel. They won’t let you stay and live in the spa forever. Trust us, we’ve asked. *sob*

Listen, you had a late night last night, so after you check out, let’s start off with some coffee.  Once again, Coat Check Coffee is conveniently placed and blissfully excellent. LYFT to Coat Check and then take your coffee with you to go (in a re-usable coffee mug, obvi) to your breakfast destination.

• Coat Check Coffee | Address: 401 E Michigan St, Indianapolis, IN

Breakfast at Love Handle

Love Handle is one of the best breakfast spots in Indianapolis, and also one of the most unique. A nice way to describe its cuisine is comfort food with an eclectic twist, or perhaps “a modern spin on traditional classics.” Another way to say it is: breakfast, but with weird AF ingredients that totally work together, somehow. 

You’ll see the stuff you expect, like fluffy biscuits and gravy and waffles and eggs. But on any given day, the constantly changing menu may also have grilled beef tongue, roasted pork belly, jellied eggs, sweetbreads (they’re not bread… or sweet), fried schnitzel, skate wing, turkey eggs, or gizzards. You might get butter for your waffles that’s been mixed with miso, or red chili paste. Keep an open mind, and enjoy!

As a bonus, the offal meat – I’m not being rude, that’s what less-frequently-used cuts of meat are called – keeps prices firmly in diner territory.  Oh and hey, don’t forget to try the cheesecake – the pastry chef studied in Louisville, so ya know.

• Love Handle | Address: 877 Massachusetts Ave, Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis is the racing capital of the world and home to the largest single day sporting event in the world: the Indy 500. More than 300,000 fans flock to Indy for “The Greatest Spectacle
in Racing” every year over Memorial Day Weekend. I’m a big fan of themed races – hello, I’m from Louisville, home of the Kentucky Derby. Also, I want to Indiana University, home of Little 5, a bike race made famous in the film Breaking Away. So even though I’ve never actually attended the Indy 500, I was still curious to find out what it’s all about.

•  Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Address: 4790 W 16th St, Indianapolis, IN

I’ll be honest: there’s something really satisfying about very fast cars. Like, I totally get the appeal of The Fast & the Furious franchise. It’s good stuff. I think what surprised me the most about our Indianapolis Motor Speedway Tour is how fun and ridiculous the Indy 500 actually is. From weird traditions like “kissing the bricks” or pouring milk all over the winner (it’s a dairy industry advertisement thing, we found out), our curiosity was firmly piqued on our tour. Also we found out that the actual Indy 500 race is HOURS LONG and there are NO bathroom breaks for the drivers, so. That’s … interesting.

Probably my most “SQUEE” moment other than getting to stand in the winners circle (nobody gave me any milk to pour on myself, sadly) was when we got to walk past Arie Luyendyk Sr.’s special suite. UM, you know who Arie Luyendyk Jr. is, right? HE’S THE MOST RECENT BACHELOR, YOU GUYS. He’s famous for quotes such as  “I love that” and “wow” and “oops I chose the wrong woman, so I’m gonna dump the one I chose on national TV and get with the one I dumped instead, MY BAD EVERYONE.” I flipped my sh*t and everyone else was just like “yeah, they’re here a lot.” So if you’re a Bachelor Nation fangirl (which Jeremy and I most definitely both are), there’s a high chance of seeing Arie and his runner-up-turned-fiance here. That’s a big bonus in my book.

Anyway: no matter which tour you book, prepare to be surprised – and you might even get to kiss the bricks, too. 

Oh, and hey: try not to squeal tires as you peel out of the parking lot. I know, I know – it’s very tempting, but chances are your rental car company and/or mechanic won’t buy your “I went to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway” excuse.

Optional: Explore Broad Ripple 

There’s one last neighborhood in Indianapolis that you haven’t explored: Broad Ripple! It’s a little ways away from the Motor Speedway – and from downtown Indy – but it’s a cute area and worth a stop before you head home, if you have time and/or room for MORE food. Fun fact: this is the neighborhood where David Letterman grew up. 

Grab lunch at Public Greens Urban Kitchen, Indianapolis’ first not-for-profit restaurant. The restaurant grows their own food on site and provides more than 850 meals a week to local underserved youth. 

• Public Greens Urban Kitchen | Address: 900 E 64th St. Indianapolis, Indiana

For one last treat before you leave, head to The Cake Bake Shop, which is where Elton John buys all of his cake.  Yes, really. The shop is absolutely stunning and INCREDIBLY popular. Not just with Indianapolis locals: we mean like, with celebrities. With the WORLD. You might actually want to make a reservation here. Yes, just to eat some cake. That’s how you know it’s real.

• The Cake Bake Shop | Address: 6515 Carrollton Ave. Indianapolis, IN

Your Indianapolis Weekend Getaway Itinerary

I’m the kind of person who likes to carry a list with me at all times (sometimes 2 or 3 of them!) so if you are too, here’s a nice, clean copy-and-paste-able list for your Indianapolis Itinerary.

Friday Night

• Check into your hotel
• Dinner at Livery | Address: 720 N College Ave, Indianapolis, IN
• Explore the Mass Ave Neighborhood

Saturday

• Coffee at Coat Check Coffee | Address: 401 E Michigan St, Indianapolis, IN
• Breakfast at City Market |Address: 222 E Market St, Indianapolis, IN
• Get cultured at Newfields |Address: 4000 Michigan Rd, Indianapolis, IN
• Lunch at Milktooth | Address: 534 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN
• Choose Your Own Adventure
  • Indy Cultural Trail Food Tours
  • Sun King Brewery| Address: 135 N College Ave, Indianapolis, IN
  • Canal Walk | Address: 801 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN
  • Indy’s Teeny Statue of Liberty Museum | Address: E 10th St, Indianapolis, IN
• Dinner at Bluebeard | Address: 653 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN
• Drinks at Hotel Tango| Address: 702 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN
• Duckpin Bowling at Fountain Square | Address: 1111 Prospect St, Indianapolis, IN

Sunday

• Coffee at Coat Check Coffee | Address: 401 E Michigan St, Indianapolis, IN
• Breakfast at Love Handle | Address: 877 Massachusetts Ave, Indianapolis, IN
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Address: 4790 W 16th St, Indianapolis, IN
• Lunch at Public Greens Urban Kitchen | Address: 900 E 64th St. Indianapolis, Indiana
• Cake at The Cake Bake Shop | Address: 6515 Carrollton Ave. Indianapolis, IN
• Explore Broadripple

Wow, that’s a lot! We hope you enjoy exploring Indianapolis!

Which part of our Indianapolis weekend itinerary are you DYING to do? Drop us a comment below!

Hey, looking for some more spots near Indianapolis for a weekend getaway? We’ve got some posts you should check out! Take a look:

• 8 Incredible Weekend Getaways in Indiana
• 15 Lovely Things to Do on a Romantic Getaway to Louisville, Kentucky
• The Perfect Weekend in Nashville, Tennessee: Itinerary & (Massive) Guide
• The Ultimate Self-Guided Tour of Cleveland Breweries (By a Local)

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Disclaimer: This post was created in partnership with Visit Indy. All opinions, bad jokes, and personal feelings about The Bachelor franchise are 100% our own and totally not their fault.