Apart from one or two museums, much of the city’s charm lies in its many historic neighbourhoods, which are fun to explore. The Lockerbie Square district is full of restored Victorian homes along cobblestone streets and Broad Ripple Village is a charming neighborhood along the canal bursting with shops, bars and restaurants.

Children’s Museum
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is one of the world’s largest children’s museums, but the entertaining and educational interactive exhibits will fascinate both kids and adults alike. The informative displays cover everything from archaeology to biotechnology. There is an extensive exhibit of historical toys and dolls, and the recently opened Dinosphere has proven to be very popular. The multisensory dinosaur exhibit combines serious science with kid-friendly interactive displays, something that is not as easy as it sounds. The museum’s working laboratory, coupled with the largest display of juvenile and family dinosaur fossils in America, makes the museum a worthwhile trip for everyone.

Conner Prairie Pioneer Settlement
This is a wonderfully restored 19th century frontier village is set on 1,400 acres. It accurately reproduces the village environment of pioneer life between 1820 and 1840 through its 36 authentically restored buildings. Traditional craft demonstrations and re-enactments of common frontier events add to the fun of the experience. During the summer, the Indiana Symphony Orchestra performs at the village’s amphitheatre to the delight of music fans. This open-air living museum is one of the best ways to learn about pioneer life in Indiana.

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
This is the city’s most impressive museum dedicated to the original inhabitants of North America. It is home to one of the country’s most famous collections of Western and Native American art. A collection named ‘Art of the American West’ offers an excellent insight to the artistic minds of the early white settlers in the western part of the country. Works by Frederic Remington and Georgia O’Keefe are outstanding visions into a land which has long since disappeared. But it’s the Native American collection that really stands out. This important collection contains artefacts such as clothing, beadwork and pottery from all over North America, providing an excellent insight into their heritage of craft and culture.

Indianapolis Eagle Creek Park
Although not known for having large and impressive animals in its territory, Indiana does have an extensive community of birds, many of which are not found anywhere else in the world. Indianapolis Eagle Creek Park is the best place to see this wildlife, with over 3,900 acres of dry parkland bordered by 1,400 acres of water. Natural wetlands abound here, with marshes, lakes and rivers contributing to the diversity of the environment. Some of the best bird watching in the state is in the park’s marshlands, which are a protected wildlife sanctuary. An informative visitor’s centre and special viewing areas make it easy to know what you’re looking at.

Experience the other Indiana passion: basketball
Perhaps even surpassing Indy racing for the sheer number of fans, Indiana is crazy for basketball. Starting at the high school level, local teams are supported with a zeal usually reserved for the professional ranks. The pride of the state is the Indiana Hoosiers college team, who have a long and storied history in the sport, with such enigmatic figures as coach Bobby Knight. The Pacers are the city’s professional basketball team, and they play their home games at Conseco Fieldhouse from November to April. Even women play professional ball in Indiana. They also play their home games at Conseco Fieldhouse from May to August. It’s likely that there will be some level of basketball happening during your visit and this is one of the world’s premier sites to experience it. So get out there and see what all the fuss is about.

Put some green in your diet
Indianapolis’ greatest feature is arguably the extensive and well-developed public park system. The most stunning is White River State Park, located right in the heart of the downtown district. Like a green lung for the city, this park provides dozens of green spaces for relaxing, paths for biking or walking and a central canal with pedal boats for hire. If you want something a bit more spectacular, consider renting a private gondola complete with gondolier to ferry you around the canal.

The city’s original purpose was as a transportation hub for the central Midwest and this heritage can still be seen in the canals which crisscross the urban landscape. The Canal Walk, which is part of the city’s historic Central Canal, stretches through White River State Park northwards to 11t Street. This charming 19th century canal has paths along its banks which are ideal for walking, biking, or jogging. Dotted along the way are old buildings, monuments and bridges which offer a glimpse at the early days of this waterway. And of course, you should consider renting a boat for a truly unique perspective of this underrated city.

Test your driving skills
If there’s one thing Indianapolis is famous for, it’s racing. While you’re here you should test your own driving skills at the Fastimes Indoor Karting centre. The split level facility offers visitors the chance to satisfy their need for speed in a variety of different vehicles, some of which can reach 60kms per hour. Digital timing devices in each car allow drivers to keep track of their lap times and compete against friends or their own best personal times.

Watch how the pros do it
Nearly every auto racing fan will say that the Indy Speedway is right there at the top of their list of hallowed raceways and most of them will try at least once to make the pilgrimage to this sacred racing site. Indy is one of the most famous auto racetracks on the planet, attracting over 40,000 spectators each May to watch the Indianapolis 500, which is the largest single-day sporting event in the world, as well as having the biggest purse of any racing event. The atmosphere is loud, powerful and electric and will give you an experience you won’t forget in a hurry. This legendary oval course also hosts a Formula One Grand Prix in June and the NASCAR Brickyard 400 in August. If you really want to know what Indianapolis is all about, join the fans at Indy.