City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 650 W. Washington St.
62. Indiana Transportation Museum
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (317) 773-6000
Description: Railroads are fascinating to kids, and the Indiana Transportation Museum lets them get up close and personal with the transportation giants. Examine steam, diesel, and electric trains and even take a ride on the former Nickel Plate Railroad. A train runs on Saturday from Labor Day through Halloween. A special Polar Express with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the Polar Bear delights during the Christmas holiday. During the two-hour trip, children hear a train-related story and enjoy goodies. Polar Express tickets cost about $18.
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 1204 N. Park Ave.
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
65. Conner Prairie
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (800) 966-1836
Address: 13400 Allisonville Rd.
Description: Children can explore their inner adventurer or budding artist at Conner Prairie summer day camps in June and July. For children ages 5 to 14, Adventure Camp explores from water to land. Conquer the White River by canoe, tube, or pedal boat. Then get down and dirty on the challenge course, hike the backwoods of Conner Prairie, or fish for big-mouth bass in the pond. At Art Camp, children ages 8 to 14 can try weaving, painting, drawing, acting, pottery, crafts, and more. Prices are about $185 for a week of day camp. Conner Prairie offers many other programs and activities. Check out the Web site to see what is happening.
66. Stonycreek Farm
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (317) 773-3344
Address: 11366 SR 38 East
Description: What started as a small pumpkin patch has grown to become a place where children can have a real farm experience. The 1860s-era farm situated on 50 acres of rolling farmland and woods is now the home of the annual Pumpkin Harvest Festival. The farm was named after Stony Creek, which meanders through the property. The creek was an Indian trade route and site of an old gristmill. The annual festival runs from the last week in Sept through the end of Oct. Visitors can take a hayride through the woods to a secluded pumpkin patch to pick their own pumpkin. Other attractions include face painting, farm animals, pony rides, and a fishing pond. The parking fee is $5 per car and $1 for the hayride to the pumpkin patch. Other activities have additional charges.
67. Kids Ink Children’s Bookstore
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (317) 255-2598
Address: 5619 N. Illinois St.
Description: Find favorite books and toys at this shop, where kids can browse to their hearts’ content.
68. Mudsock Books & Curiosity Shoppe
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (317) 579-9822
Address: 11631 Fishers Station Dr.
Description: Mudsock Books & Curiosity Shoppe provides a mix of new and used books, family games, puzzles, science kits, and other gift items. If you want to take your time, the shop has a warm cozy atmosphere, comfy chairs, a cup of coffee, and more.
69. Wayne’s Trains
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (317) 375-0832
Address: 6742 E. Washington St.
Description: Train fans will love this place. Wayne’s features a large selection of model railroad supplies and detail parts, books, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, die-cast race cars, rockets, and free-flight and die-cast model airplanes.
70. Crowne Plaza at Historic Union Station
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (317) 631-2221
Address: 123 W. Louisiana St.
Description: Kids will get a kick out of sleeping in a real railroad car still resting on its original track. Located in the midst of downtown Indy, the Crowne Plaza is housed within America’s first Union Station. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Crowne Plaza offers 273 rooms, including 26 authentic Pullman train car sleepers. The railcars are named and decorated in honor of prominent personalities from the early 1900s, such as Louis Armstrong. Look for the white fiberglass ghost travelers dressed in period clothing and still lovingly haunting the premises. The hotel features an indoor swimming pool and a restaurant with a nice breakfast buffet.
71. Holiday Inn North at the Pyramids
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (317) 872-9790
Address: 3850 DePauw Blvd.
Description: Spend the night at Holiday Inn North and enjoy the exciting fun of the Caribbean Cove Indoor Water Park. The attached 50,000-square-foot indoor water park features swimming pools, water and tube slides, a leisure river, and a sports activity pool. The hotel is near I-465, the circular interstate that surrounds the city, so you’ll have easy access to everything. Reserve the Caribbean Cove Package at the hotel. You can also grab a bite to eat the Calypso Cafe, then enjoy more fun at Crazy CoCo’s Arcade.
72. Indianapolis Indians
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (317) 269-3545
Description: Buy the cheap seats, spread a blanket on the lawn, and let the kids enjoy an old-fashioned baseball game. There are a number of fun things for little kids to do if the action on the field slows down. Speed pitch, basketball games, and Rowdie the mascot keep folks entertained. A great family value and entertainment, the Indians also have activities for fans throughout the game—footraces on the field, ball pitches, T-shirt tosses, and much more. Visit on a $1 night and eat cheaper than you can cook.
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 4790 W. 16th St.
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 700 W. Washington St.
75. Soldiers and Sailors Monument
City: Indianapolis, IN
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (317) 232-7615
Address: 1 Monument Circle
Description: Kids can burn off energy and get some exercise at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Monument Circle. Located at the geographic center of Indianapolis on Monument Circle, this 284-foot-tall limestone monument was dedicated in 1902 and stands as a tribute to the valor of Indiana’s soldiers and sailors who served in the Civil and Spanish American Wars. An observation tower, accessible by elevator or 32 flights of stairs, provides a panoramic view of the city skyline. Let older kids climb 333 stairs (parents can pay $1 to ride the elevator or hike along) to the top. Constructed of Indiana limestone and featuring exterior historical and mythological sculptures, the monument is crowned by “Miss Victory.”