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Quick Answer: Top Indianapolis Landmarks
Indianapolis is packed with iconic landmarks. The best known include Monument Circle and its 284-foot Soldiers and Sailors Monument, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its Yard of Bricks, and the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, the world's largest. Another must-see is the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, home to Robert Indiana's original LOVE sculpture. Most downtown landmarks sit within a short walk of one another along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.
Best for history: Indiana State Capitol, Lockerbie Square, Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. Best for families: Children's Museum, White River State Park, Indianapolis Zoo. Best for culture: Eiteljorg Museum, Madame Walker Legacy Center, Fountain Square.
Free to visit: Monument Circle, the Indiana State Capitol, the Cultural Trail, the Central Canal walkway, the War Memorial Plaza, and the 100-acre art park at Newfields. Hours and admission at paid attractions change seasonally, so confirm details on each venue's official site before you go.
Indianapolis, affectionately known as Indy, is far more than the capital of Indiana. The city has deep roots, a strong arts scene, and a walkable downtown core. In fact, it packs an unusual number of attractions into a small footprint. What began as a frontier town is now a Midwest hub. As a result, it draws visitors from Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville, and well beyond.
Whether you lean toward history, architecture, or sports, there is something here for you. The neighborhoods matter as much as the monuments. Places like Mass Ave, Fountain Square, and Broad Ripple each have their own character. So below is a guide to 17 landmarks worth your time, grouped so you can plan around where you are and what you feel like doing.
All 17 Indianapolis Landmarks at a Glance
This table is a quick orientation tool. Admission appears as a general category rather than a fixed price, since costs shift over time and many sites bundle multiple venues. Confirm current pricing and hours on each official site before visiting.
| Landmark | Admission | Typical Visit | Downtown? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monument Circle | Free | 30 to 60 min | Yes (center) |
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Paid (museum) | 2 to 4 hours | No (~15 min) |
| White River State Park | Free + paid venues | 2 to 4 hours | Yes |
| Children's Museum | Paid | 4 to 6 hours | No (~10 min) |
| Indiana State Capitol | Free | 45 to 90 min | Yes |
| Eiteljorg Museum | Paid | 2 to 3 hours | Yes |
| Lucas Oil Stadium | Paid (tours) | 60 to 90 min | Yes |
| Newfields (IMA) | Paid (park free) | 3 to 5 hours | No (~10 min) |
| Central Canal | Free | 1 to 3 hours | Yes |
| Fountain Square | Free to explore | 2 to 4 hours | Near (~5 min) |
| Lockerbie Square | Free to walk | 45 to 60 min | Yes |
| Crown Hill Cemetery | Free | 1 to 3 hours | No (~10 min) |
| Cultural Trail | Free | 2 to 6 hours | Yes |
| Benjamin Harrison Site | Paid | ~90 min | Near (~5 min) |
| Madame Walker Legacy Center | Varies by event | 60 to 90 min | Yes |
| War Memorial Plaza | Free | 1 to 2 hours | Yes |
| Garfield Park | Free (conservatory paid) | 2 to 4 hours | No (~10 min) |
Downtown Core Landmarks
If your time is limited, start here. These sit within walking distance of one another, and the Cultural Trail connects most of them.
1. Monument Circle
At the heart of downtown sits Monument Circle, the most recognizable of all Indianapolis landmarks. Its centerpiece is the 284-foot Soldiers and Sailors Monument, which honors the Indiana soldiers who served in the Civil War. It is also one of the largest monuments to the common soldier in the country. Near the top, an observation level offers a wide view across downtown, reached by elevator or by the interior stairs. A small Civil War museum sits at the base. Each November, meanwhile, the Circle hosts the long-running Circle of Lights, when the monument glows with thousands of holiday lights.
2. Indiana State Capitol
A few blocks west, at 200 West Washington Street, stands the Indiana State Capitol, also called the Statehouse. This Renaissance Revival building was completed in 1888. It houses the Indiana General Assembly, the Governor's office, and the state Supreme Court. The central rotunda and dome are the architectural highlights. Free guided and self-guided tours run on weekdays. When the General Assembly meets early in the year, visitors can watch sessions from the gallery. Tour times shift, so check with the Statehouse tour office before visiting.
3. Lucas Oil Stadium
Home to the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium opened in 2008 with a retractable roof. It replaced the older RCA Dome. Besides Colts games, it hosts the NFL Scouting Combine, the Big Ten Football Championship, and major concerts. It has also hosted the NCAA Final Four. When the event schedule allows, guided tours take visitors onto the field and through the locker rooms and press areas.
4. Central Canal
The Central Canal traces back to a 19th-century canal project. Today it runs as a restored waterway through downtown. The roughly three-mile Canal Walk draws walkers, runners, and cyclists. In warmer months, for example, you can rent a pedal boat or take a gondola ride. Public art and waterfront patios line the route, which eventually links into White River State Park.
5. War Memorial Plaza
Spanning several downtown blocks, the Indiana War Memorial Plaza honors the state's military history. It does so through a series of monuments, museums, and green spaces. The central War Memorial building draws its design in part from the ancient Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. Inside are a military museum and a shrine room. The grounds also include the American Legion Mall and a memorial to the USS Indianapolis. Notably, Indianapolis is often cited as having more war memorial acreage than any U.S. city except Washington, D.C.
6. Lockerbie Square Historic District
Just east of downtown, Lockerbie Square is the oldest surviving residential neighborhood in the city. Preserved 19th-century homes, mature trees, and original cobblestone streets fill the district. In particular, the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home anchors it and is open for tours. Riley was a well-known Hoosier poet, and this was his former residence. The square is still an active neighborhood, so be respectful when walking through.
Museums and Cultural Landmarks
Indianapolis has an unusually strong museum scene for its size. Several sit inside or near White River State Park, so you can easily combine them into one day.
7. White River State Park
This downtown park covers more than 250 acres along the White River. It serves as a hub for several of the city's top attractions. Inside you will find the Indianapolis Zoo and the adjacent White River Gardens, the Indiana State Museum, the Eiteljorg Museum, and the NCAA Hall of Champions. Victory Field is here too, home to the Indianapolis Indians minor league baseball team. Overall, so much sits within walking distance that the park is an easy place to spend a full day.
8. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
This museum sits north of downtown at 3000 North Meridian Street. Founded in 1925, it is the largest children's museum in the world, with five floors and a 7.5-acre campus. The headline exhibit is Dinosphere, a darkened hall of real and replica dinosaur skeletons in a Cretaceous setting. There you can even watch staff paleontologists work on real fossils in the on-site lab. The top floor, meanwhile, holds the restored 1917 Broad Ripple Park Carousel, a National Historic Landmark that still gives rides. Down in the atrium, you will find North America's largest water clock, a 30-foot piece by French artist Bernard Gitton. Nearby stands a soaring Dale Chihuly glass sculpture called Fireworks of Glass.
Outside, the Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience adds 7.5 acres of pedal-car racing and kid-sized sports. General admission usually runs roughly $23 to $38 depending on the day. Parking is free, and children under 2 get in at no charge. For the most part, families spend the better part of a day here, so plan accordingly. Of course, there is also a reduced $6 admission on the first Thursday evening of each month, from 4 to 8 p.m.
9. Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
The Eiteljorg sits inside White River State Park at 500 West Washington Street and was founded in 1989. It holds a notable collection of Native American and Western art, both traditional and contemporary. The galleries cover paintings, sculpture, and artifacts. Each summer, for instance, the museum hosts an Indian Market and Festival with artists from across North America. The riverside setting makes it easy to pair with other downtown stops. Note that the museum usually opens at noon on Sundays.
10. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Newfields sits on a 152-acre campus at 4000 Michigan Road, north of downtown. The Indianapolis Museum of Art here ranks among the ten oldest and ten largest general art museums in the country. Its permanent collection holds more than 50,000 works. The piece most visitors come for, though, is Robert Indiana's original LOVE sculpture, the first and largest version of that famous design. Indiana himself grew up in Indianapolis.
Still, the grounds are as much a draw as the galleries. They include the 22-room Lilly House, a restored 1930s estate and National Historic Landmark, together with gardens originally laid out by the Olmsted Brothers firm. Beyond them lies the 100-acre Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park, home to the much-photographed Funky Bones sculpture. The art park has its own entrance and is free, so it makes an easy stop even if you skip the galleries. Each winter, finally, the Winterlights display turns the gardens into one of the city's signature holiday outings.
11. Madame Walker Legacy Center
On historic Indiana Avenue, the Madame Walker Legacy Center honors Madam C.J. Walker. She is widely recognized as the first self-made female millionaire in America. The four-story Art Deco building opened in 1927 as the headquarters of her manufacturing company. Today it is a National Historic Landmark. It now serves as a cultural center for the arts. In particular, it hosts performances, films, and programming tied to the avenue's deep jazz and Black entrepreneurial history.
12. Indianapolis Motor Speedway
No trip is really complete without the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the legendary home of the Indianapolis 500. The track opened in 1909 and earned the nickname The Brickyard. Its surface was originally paved with more than 3.2 million bricks. Asphalt later covered nearly all of them. One three-foot strip still sits exposed at the start-finish line, though, and that Yard of Bricks is now famous across motorsport. Race winners kneel and kiss it, a tradition NASCAR's Dale Jarrett started on the spot in 1996.
The on-site museum sits at 4750 West 16th Street in the town of Speedway and reopened in 2025 after a major renovation. Inside, it displays a deep collection of race cars and the Borg-Warner Trophy, which carries a sculpted face of every Indy 500 winner. The museum usually opens daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission recently ran about $25 for adults and $18 for youth ages 6 to 16, and it is free for children under 5. A track tour requires museum admission and includes a lap of the 2.5-mile oval. Meanwhile, the longer golf-cart and grounds tours add stops at the Pagoda, Gasoline Alley, and the Victory Podium. Grounds parking is free on non-event days.
Parks and Historic Sites
For green space, quieter history, and a feel for the city beyond downtown, these are worth the short drive.
13. Crown Hill Cemetery
Crown Hill was established in 1863 and covers some 555 acres at 700 West 38th Street. It is one of the largest non-government cemeteries in the country. It also doubles as a park-like space rich in history and woodland. The grounds hold the graves of President Benjamin Harrison, pharmaceutical founder Eli Lilly, and the gangster John Dillinger, among others. Poet James Whitcomb Riley is buried here too, at the highest natural point in the city. The cemetery offers themed history tours, and a map from the gatehouse makes self-guided exploration easy.
14. Indianapolis Cultural Trail
The Indianapolis Cultural Trail is an eight-mile urban path. It links the city's main cultural districts, including Mass Ave, Fountain Square, Indiana Avenue, and the canal area. The design has earned national recognition. Pacers Bikeshare stations along the route make it easy to cover more ground on two wheels. Public art appears throughout, and the trail ultimately connects many of the landmarks in this guide.
15. Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
This restored Victorian Italianate mansion was built in 1875. It was the home of Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States. Harrison famously ran much of his 1888 campaign from the front porch. Guided tours walk visitors through period rooms, many furnished with original Harrison family pieces. The collection also includes documents and artifacts from his life and presidency. Afterward, the site pairs naturally with a visit to nearby Lockerbie Square.
16. Fountain Square
Fountain Square sits southeast of downtown and is reachable on the Cultural Trail. The historic district takes its name from the fountain built here in 1886 as a public gathering spot. Today it is one of the city's liveliest neighborhoods. It is known for international food, vintage shops, music venues, and street art. The Fountain Square Theatre Building is a destination in itself, with a restored ballroom and two floors of vintage duckpin bowling. That old-school version of the game has largely disappeared elsewhere. Besides the bowling, the surrounding blocks are dense with restaurants, breweries, and galleries.
17. Garfield Park
Garfield Park is the city's oldest public park, established in 1873 and named for President James A. Garfield. It spans well over 100 acres south of downtown. Its standout features are the conservatory, with tropical plants and seasonal displays, and the adjacent Sunken Garden. The park also includes an arts center and the MacAllister Amphitheater for summer performances. Naturally, you will find the usual mix of playgrounds, courts, and trails too.
Planning Your Visit
With a single day, the most efficient plan is to anchor downtown. First, start at Monument Circle and walk to the Indiana State Capitol. From there, follow the Cultural Trail toward White River State Park and the Eiteljorg. Then save the Motor Speedway for the afternoon. For dinner, downtown's Wholesale District puts you near St. Elmo Steak House, an Indianapolis institution since 1902. Its shrimp cocktail, served with a fiery, sinus-clearing horseradish sauce, is practically a rite of passage for visitors.
If you have more time, the neighborhoods are where Indy's personality really shows. Mass Ave is the downtown arts and theater stretch, lined with boutiques and restaurants. Fountain Square, by contrast, leans eclectic and international, with that vintage duckpin alley as a centerpiece. Broad Ripple sits about 20 minutes north along the Central Canal. It is the more laid-back, late-night district of craft breweries and casual spots. Outdoor landmarks like White River State Park and Garfield Park are best from late spring through early fall. The museums, however, work year-round and shine in winter, when crowds thin out. For example, indoor displays like Winterlights at Newfields and the Circle of Lights downtown come into their own. Since hours and admission prices change with the season, confirm details on each venue's official site before you set out.
Frequently Asked Questions About Indianapolis Landmarks
What are the most famous Indianapolis landmarks?
The best-known Indianapolis landmarks include Monument Circle, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, and Lucas Oil Stadium. The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields ranks high too, home to Robert Indiana's original LOVE sculpture. In particular, Monument Circle anchors the downtown core. Overall, the Motor Speedway remains one of the most recognizable sports venues in the country.
How many days do I need to see the main Indianapolis landmarks?
A trip of two or three days covers the major downtown sites plus a museum or two. Four to five days is comfortable for working through most of the 17 landmarks here, with time to explore the neighborhoods. Families with young children should budget extra time for the Children's Museum, which can fill most of a day. The Motor Speedway usually takes a half day with the museum and a track tour.
Which Indianapolis landmarks are free to visit?
Several landmarks are completely free. They include Monument Circle, the Indiana State Capitol, the Cultural Trail, the Central Canal walkway, the War Memorial Plaza, Crown Hill Cemetery, Lockerbie Square, and the Garfield Park grounds. The 100-acre Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park at Newfields is free too and has its own entrance, though the main galleries charge admission. Many outdoor areas inside White River State Park are free as well, while venues such as the Indianapolis Zoo charge separately. The Children's Museum offers a reduced $6 admission on the first Thursday evening of each month.
Are the Indianapolis landmarks walkable from downtown?
Most are. In fact, the downtown cluster sits within a 15 to 20 minute walk, linked by the Cultural Trail. That includes Monument Circle, the State Capitol, Lucas Oil Stadium, the Central Canal, White River State Park, the Eiteljorg, Lockerbie Square, and the War Memorial Plaza. The Motor Speedway, Children's Museum, Newfields, Crown Hill, and Garfield Park are a short drive or rideshare from the core. Overall, downtown Indianapolis is among the more pedestrian-friendly Midwest city centers.
What is the oldest landmark in Indianapolis?
Lockerbie Square is the oldest surviving residential neighborhood, with homes dating to the mid-1800s. For example, the Central Canal traces back to a canal project begun in the 1830s. Among formal sites still operating, Crown Hill Cemetery dates to 1863 and Garfield Park to 1873. The Indiana State Capitol, completed in 1888, is one of the oldest government buildings in the city still in regular use.
When is the Indianapolis 500 held?
The Indianapolis 500 runs every year on Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race itself usually falls on the Sunday before Memorial Day, with practice and qualifying across the prior two weeks. It has run annually since 1911 and is one of the longest-running motorsport events in the world. Hotels across central Indiana fill quickly during race week, so book well ahead.
What should I see at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis?
The signature stop is Dinosphere, a hall of real and replica dinosaur skeletons. There, staff paleontologists work on fossils in view of visitors. In addition, other highlights include the restored 1917 Broad Ripple Park Carousel and North America's largest water clock. Don't miss the Fireworks of Glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly or the outdoor Sports Legends Experience with its pedal-car track. The museum spans five floors and a 7.5-acre campus, so most families plan for most of a day.
Where should I eat near downtown Indianapolis?
St. Elmo Steak House in the downtown Wholesale District is the classic choice, open since 1902 and known for steaks and a famously spicy shrimp cocktail. Mass Ave offers theaters and restaurants within walking distance of Monument Circle. Fountain Square, by contrast, leans international, with everything from arepas to banh mi. Broad Ripple, about 20 minutes north, is the casual craft-brewery district. Our guide to the best restaurants in Indianapolis covers more options across these neighborhoods.
Can you tour the Indiana State Capitol?
Yes. The Statehouse at 200 West Washington Street offers free guided tours on weekdays, and self-guided visits are welcome during business hours. When the General Assembly is in session, usually early in the year, visitors can watch from the gallery. Tour times can change, so check with the tour office before visiting. Photography is allowed in most of the building.
Exploring Indianapolis, From the Ground Up
Indianapolis rewards visitors who mix the big-ticket landmarks with the quieter corners. That ranges from the monuments downtown to the streets of Lockerbie Square and the gardens at Garfield Park. Ultimately, there is more to the city than first meets the eye.
And if you happen to be a homeowner here rather than a visitor, the team at Indy Roof and Restoration is glad to handle the less scenic side of life in Indy, keeping your roof and home exterior in good shape so you can spend your time enjoying the city. Reach out anytime to learn more.
