The museum provides intimate access to the motorsports heritage that defines Indianapolis globally, one of Levingston’s top recommended stops in Indy. Home to the world’s most famous auto race, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has guided tours and an extensive museum dedicated to racing history, iconic cars, and the legendary 500-mile tradition. Honoring America’s first self-made woman millionaire, this museum documents Madam C.J. Walker’s entrepreneurial legacy as she built her empire of haircare products. During his yours, you can get to know Indianapolis on a deeper level as you see the city through his historian’s lens. Sampson Levingston’s Walk & Talk tours have garnered national recognition as he takes people through the hidden history of Indianapolis streets. Highlights include real fossils, a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and hands-on science demonstrations.
The library collection contains nearly 1.7 million materials staffed by 410 full-time employees and has a circulation of 14.6 million, making it the ninth largest library by circulation in the U.S. Central Library’s special collections include the Center for Black Literature & Culture, the Chris Gonzalez Collection, and the Nina Mason Pulliam Indianapolis Special Collections Room. Three religiously affiliated universities based in the city are Indiana Bible College, the University of Indianapolis, and Marian University. Martin University, Indiana’s only Predominantly Black Institution, was founded in 1977 and is located in the Martindale–Brightwood neighborhood. IU Indianapolis is an R1 urban research university that enrolls about 25,000 students in 330 different bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs. According to the Indiana Department of Education, about 75 private, parochial, and independent charter schools operate throughout Marion County.
Transportation
Notable independent private schools include the International School of Indiana, the Orchard School, and Park Tudor School in Meridian Hills. Indianapolis Public Schools is the largest district in the city, enrolling about 23,000 students across 60 schools. Nine K–12 public school districts serve residents of the consolidated city as defined by the U.S. Unlike other major Midwest cities like Detroit and Chicago, the homicide rate for Indianapolis remained below the national average throughout the 1990s.
- Environmental Protection Agency’s alternative classification system, the city is located in the Eastern Corn Belt Plains, an area of the country known for its fertile soil.
- Bart Peterson took office in 2000, the first Democrat elected to the post since John J. Barton’s 1963 election.
- #18 Noradead link will take you north on Meridian St past the Children’s Museum and near a large shopping district on the northside.
- Broad Ripple Village has a dense cluster of bars, restaurants, galleries, and shops centered around Broad Ripple Park, a 62‑acre park bordering the White River.
- The city’s balance excludes the populations of ten semi-autonomous municipalities that are included in totals for the consolidated city.
- Other skyscrapers include the BMO Plaza 401 ft (122 m) and the JW Marriott Indianapolis 376 ft (115 m), which is the tallest hotel in the state and the largest JW Marriott in the world.
- White River’s 250 acres (100 ha) are home to several attractions, including the Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens.
White River State Park
- Beginning in the 1880s, meatpacking and metalworking emerged as major industries.
- The Red Line rapid transit connects downtown to some of the most popular neighborhoods, although you’ll need either cash or the MyKey App to pay for rides.
- Indianapolis is also within driving distance of major Midwest cities, including Chicago (three hours); Louisville, Kentucky (two hours); and Nashville (4.5 hours).
- The restaurant emphasizes community connection in its menu and partners with local farms to source ingredients.
- As of 2021, Indianapolis had more than 3,000 documented works of public art, over one-third of which are located in the downtown area.
- Severe weather is not uncommon, particularly in the spring and summer months.
- Major collections include the Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis Public Art Collection, the Indiana Statehouse Public Art Collection, and installations along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.
According to 2014 research published in the American Political Science Review, the city’s policy preferences are less conservative than the national mean when compared with other large U.S. cities. The Indiana Governor’s Residence is on Meridian Street in the Butler–Tarkington neighborhood, about 5 miles (8.0 km) north of downtown. The executive branch is headed by an elected mayor who serves as the chief executive of both the city and county. The city has a strong mayor–council system of government which oversees six administrative departments. Indianapolis—officially the Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County—has a consolidated city-county form of government, a status it has held since 1970 under Indiana Code’s Unigov provision.
By bike
The company’s thermal division operates the Perry K. Generating Station which produces and distributes steam for heating and cooling to about 160 customers in downtown Indianapolis. AES Indiana supplies electricity to more than 500,000 Indianapolis customers and maintains 90,000 street lights. Indianapolis Union Station is the state’s primary intercity bus transfer hub, served by seven carriers operating 12 routes. As home to the second largest FedEx Express hub in the world, it ranks https://www.royalspiniacasino.org/ among the ten busiest U.S. airports in terms of air cargo throughput. In 2024, the airport served 10.5 million passengers and offered nonstop service to 53 domestic and international destinations.
Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library
14.7% of families and 18.9% of the city’s total population lived below the poverty line. Indianapolis’s Hispanic or Latino community was 9.4% of the city’s population in the 2010 U.S. At the 2020 census, Indianapolis had a population of 887,642 and a population density of 2,455 people per square mile (948/km2). Indianapolis is home to one of the largest concentrations of Chin people outside of Myanmar (formerly Burma), with an estimated population ranging from 17,000 to 24,000.
Healthcare
Manufacturing has historically played a central role in Indianapolis’s economy; however, following mid-20th-century deindustrialization, the city experienced substantial industrial job losses and economic restructuring. Other major life sciences employers include Corteva, Fortrea, and Roche’s North American diagnostics headquarters. Indianapolis’s central location and extensive highway, rail, and air cargo infrastructure have positioned the city as a major logistics hub. By population, Indianapolis is the state’s largest city and the country’s 16th largest. The city’s balance excludes the populations of ten semi-autonomous municipalities that are included in totals for the consolidated city. The city of Indianapolis maintains 212 public parks, totaling 11,258 acres (4,556 ha) or about 5.1% of the city’s land area.
Best Restaurants
Starting in the mid-20th century, the post–World War II economic expansion and subsequent suburbanization greatly influenced the city’s development patterns. In the 2020 census, Indianapolis was among the 20 largest cities in the U.S. by both population and land area. The city’s address numbering system originates at the intersection of Washington (running east–west) and Meridian streets (running north–south). The grid plan called for a town of 1 square mile (2.6 km2) centered on a traffic circle (from which Indianapolis’s “Circle City” nickname originates). Nine civil townships form the broadest geographic divisions within the city and county; these are Center, Decatur, Franklin, Lawrence, Perry, Pike, Warren, Washington, and Wayne townships.
Experience Indianapolis the local way and discover the neighborhoods and lifestyle of some of Indy’s coolest and most historic areas. Other major hospitals include Ascension St. Vincent Hospital – Indianapolis, Community Hospital East, Community Hospital North, and Franciscan Health Indianapolis. Other public hospitals include the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center (managed by the Veterans Health Administration) and the NeuroDiagnostic Institute (managed by the State of Indiana). Eskenazi Health operates ten primary care sites across the city, including the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital. The Indiana Department of Transportation manages all Interstates, U.S. Highways, and state roads within the city.
Broad Ripple Village has a dense cluster of bars, restaurants, galleries, and shops centered around Broad Ripple Park, a 62‑acre park bordering the White River. Indianapolis is also within driving distance of major Midwest cities, including Chicago (three hours); Louisville, Kentucky (two hours); and Nashville (4.5 hours). The restaurant emphasizes community connection in its menu and partners with local farms to source ingredients.
North of 18th Street, the canal retains much of its original appearance, flowing through the north side neighborhoods of Riverside, Butler–Tarkington, Rocky Ripple, and Broad Ripple. Between 1985 and 2001, nearly 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of the former canal in downtown Indianapolis were redeveloped into a cultural and recreational amenity. Since the 2000s, downtown Indianapolis and surrounding neighborhoods have seen increased reinvestment mirroring nationwide market trends, driven by empty nesters and millennials. Notable streetcar suburbs include Broad Ripple, Irvington, and University Heights.
Indianapolis International Airport’s Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal contains two concourses and 40 gates. The Julia M. Carson Transit Center serves as the downtown hub for 27 of its 31 fixed routes. The privately managed Indianapolis Cultural Trail operates Indiana Pacers Bikeshare, the city’s bicycle-sharing system, which consists of 525 bicycles and 50 stations. Popular routes include the Fall Creek Greenway, Monon Trail, and Pleasant Run Greenway. About 110 miles (180 km) of trails and greenways form the core of the city’s active transportation network, connecting into 115 miles (185 km) of on-street bike lanes. However, city officials have increased investments in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in recent years.
The Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League have been based in the city since relocating from Baltimore in 1984. Since 2016, more than 350 film and media projects have been produced in the Indianapolis region with a collective economic impact of $24.1 million and the creation of 1,900 local jobs. Founded in 2018, the Indy Shorts International Film Festival is one of 34 film festivals in the world used to qualify for the Academy Awards. Three motion pictures filmed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway include Speedway (1929), To Please a Lady (1950), and Winning (1969). The city’s sports venues have served as backdrops for such films as Hoosiers (1986) and Eight Men Out (1988).
Some federally-designated endangered and threatened species are native to the Indianapolis area, including several species of freshwater mussels, the rusty patched bumble bee, Indiana bat, northern long-eared bat, and the running buffalo clover. Some 57 species of fish can be found in the city’s waterways, including bass and sunfish. Birds native to the area include the northern cardinal, wood thrush, eastern screech owl, mourning dove, pileated and red-bellied woodpeckers, and wild turkey. In recent years, local raccoon and groundhog populations have increased alongside sightings of American badgers, beavers, mink, coyotes, and red fox.
Within a few years, more than 200 families were tending 600 garden plots on nearly 100 acres (40 ha) of land on the city’s near north side. As consumer habits evolved and residents moved from the central city, City Market transitioned from a traditional marketplace to a food hall. Founded in 1821 as the city’s public market, the Indianapolis City Market has served the community from its current building since 1886. Other notable sites in the city include Crown Hill National Cemetery, the Indiana 9/11 Memorial, the Medal of Honor Memorial, and the USS Indianapolis National Memorial. State-specific historical institutions based in Indianapolis include the Indiana Historical Society, Indiana Humanities, the Indiana Jewish Historical Society, Indiana Landmarks, the Indiana Medical History Museum, and the Indiana State Museum.
It is among the largest privately funded zoos in the U.S. and one of the city’s most visited attractions, with 1.1 million guests in 2023. Key literary sites in the city include the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home, the Ray Bradbury Center at IU Indianapolis, and the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library. Major recurring events include the Drum Corps International World Class Championships, the Indianapolis Early Music Festival, and Indy Jazz Fest. Indianapolis is home to several national and international music organizations, including the American Piano Awards, Bands of America, Drum Corps International, and the Percussive Arts Society.
