Happily for tourists who don't like driving from place to place, many of the city's cultural institutions are concentrated in White River State Park, a downtown oasis with expansive lawns, gardens, sculptures, fountains and reflecting pools. A short walk west of their downtown hotel, visitors can catch a summer concert in the park, rent a bike or pedal boat, be serenaded on a gondola ride or just take a walk along the winding Central Canal. Among the park's attractions are the Indianapolis Zoo, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indiana State Museum and NCAA Hall of Champions.
For minor league baseball with stunning views of the skyline, families flock to Victory Field, home of the Indianapolis Indians, an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Nearby are the RCA Dome, where the NFL Indianapolis Colts play football, and Conseco Fieldhouse, home court of basketball's Indiana Pacers and the site of the Aug. 10-13 Visa Championships, which will identify front-runners for gymnastics gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Circle Centre, a linear, three-level shopping mall, is another downtown magnet. Its Artsgarden, a glass bubble suspended over a busy intersection, hosts art exhibitions and musical performances. Displayed on sidewalks and plazas throughout the downtown area are 25 whimsical bronze pieces from "Tom Otterness in Indianapolis," the city's largest-ever public sculpture exhibition, which runs through July 31. The show, straight from New York City, is a major part of Indianapolis 2005.
One of the nation's best showplaces of Native American and Western heritage - and the only one of its kind in the Midwest - the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Arton has launched the Perelman Wing, an addition that doubles its public space. A new cafe overlooks gardens and terraces leading down to the canal. An outdoor learning center provides space for artist demonstrations, pit-firing ceramics, Puebloan bread baking, tipi construction and performing arts.
The Indianapolis Children's Museum is the largest children's museum in the country and is hosting the largest exhibition of Norman Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers ever assembled. The illustrator's career with the magazine, now published in Indianapolis, spanned 40 years and reflected his vision of family life in small-town America. A pioneer in hands-on learning, the museum last year opened the $25 million Dinosphere, one of the largest displays of dinosaur fossils in the United States.
One of the Midwest's best and largest art museums just became even better with the May opening of the Indianapolis Museum of Art's $74 million expansion that doubled its size. The museum also has unveiled Puck's, a restaurant operated by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. Views of the museum's new tree-lined mall heighten the dining experience.
Movie fans will come for "The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy" exhibition from Oct. 6 to Jan. 3, 2006, at the Indiana State Museum. The three-year-old museum also draws crowds with giant-screen movies in its IMAX theater. Popular exhibits focus on Hoosiers' passion for basketball and famous folks with Indiana roots, including TV star David Letterman, popcorn king Orville Redenbacher and former Vice President Dan Quayle.
A trip to Indianapolis is not complete without a pilgrimage to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, site of the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend. Even those visiting when no racing events are scheduled can capture much of the excitement at the speedway's Hall of Fame Museum and on a minibus tour of the 96-year-old track.
Here is a look at some of the major cultural and sporting events in Indianapolis this summer:
Through July 31: "Tom Otterness in Indianapolis" outdoor sculpture exhibition.
Through Jan. 14: "Rockwell's America: Celebrating the Art of Norman Rockwell," Children's Museum of Indianapolis.
Aug. 7: Brickyard 400, Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Aug. 10-13: Visa Championships (gymnastics), Conseco Fieldhouse.
Aug. 21: Grand opening of Indianapolis Art Center's ARTSPARK, Broad Ripple Village district.
For information on tourist attractions and Indianapolis 2005 events, contact the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association, (800) 996-INDY; www.indy.org.
Randy Mink is a freelance travel writer.
© Copley News Service
