The ultimate weekend in Indianapolis

Truthfully, at this point, if you haven’t considered Indianapolis for a weekend getaway, the problem lies with you.

The Midwest metropolis offers a delightful combination of historic touchpoints that span centuries, a lively arts scene and restaurants that guarantee that sigh you make after a particularly tasty meal. 

• When to arrive: Arriving late Thursday evening saves you from wasting precious Friday hours fighting with luggage, waiting to check into your hotel and getting settled. 

• How to get from the airport: The more convenient option is an approximately 20-minute rideshare or taxi, but for the budget-friendly traveler, the IndyGo bus service has routes from the airport to downtown Indianapolis.

• Getting around town: If you’re staying in the metropolitan area of Indianapolis, the best options are walking, booking a rideshare for places outside of downtown or trying out the ever-expanding Pacers Bikeshare.  

• Where to stay: The Alexander, located in the heart of downtown and close to the city’s most popular attractions, is a mix artsy boutique with business-minded amenities like a 16,500 sq ft event space and a fitness center. There's also The Intercontinental, a luxury-forward establishment in the historic Illinois Building that houses the stunning Astrea Rooftop Bar. And lastly, for the budget-friendly traveler there's the JW Marriott Indianapolis – a favorite spot for big events.    

• What to pack: Always bring a jacket and layers. The Midwest weather, particularly in the spring and fall months, can widely fluctuate between comfortably balmy to downright icicles over the span of a day. Expect to do lots of walking in Indianapolis, so a pair of comfortable shoes is crucial. In terms of fashion, low-key and comfortable is always the vibe.

Day 1

Morning 

Start the day at Cafe Patachou, a breakfast-and-lunch spot with a trio of locations around Indianapolis. 

The menu consists of from-scratch dishes like Cuban Breakfast (one fried egg served over seasoned black beans and rice, topped with fresh avocado, white cheddar, sour cream and the cafe's signature spinach-jalapeno pesto), The McKenzie omelet (pork sausage, goat cheese, caramelized onions, chimichurri) or the croissant French toast served with powdered sugar, pecans, syrup and fresh fruit. 

For drinks, try the lavender latte or stick to the traditional house-brewed coffee.  

The restaurant’s motto is “a student union for adults,” and the downtown Indy location fits the bill with its booth and table seating, minimal design and open atmosphere. Doors open at 7am Monday-Friday and 8am on the weekends. 

If you time your breakfast (or lunch) just right, the Washington St location means you’re just a six-minute walk to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. The museum is open from 10am-5pm Monday-Saturday and noon-5pm on Sundays, with extended Friday hours from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Avoid any stress and confusion by purchasing tickets online. If you insist on buying in person, the museum is cashless.

Eiteljorg houses over 10,000 works of art that highlight Western and Native American pieces. There are permanent collections like “Expressions of Life: Native Art in North America” and temporary exhibitions like the “Cowboy Couture” which showcases the beautiful work of fashion designer Jerry Lee Atwood who has designed pieces for music artists like Lil Nas X, Post Malone and Orville Peck.

In the mood for more history? The Indiana State Museum is right next door.  

How to spend the day 

For a nice dose of fresh air – and, if Indianapolis is feeling generous, a little sunshine – White River State Park is a few feet from both museums. The 250-acre urban state park is the perfect place for an afternoon stroll on the Urban Wilderness Trail, a bike ride on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail or a kayak excursion down the city’s canal. 

You can also access the Indianapolis Zoo or catch a show at the Everwise Amphitheater. 

There are plenty of places to dine directly around the state park, but for something quick, try either of the small cafes inside the Eiteljorg or the state museum.   

Dinner

There’s really no better combination than live music, a good meal and a smooth drink. The Jazz Kitchen, about a 25-minute drive north of downtown Indianapolis, has been around since 1994, serving excellent cuisine (try the short rib and grits or the walnut-crusted salmon) with a heaping portion of jazz. And don’t forget the cocktails. (Mocktails are also on the menu.)   

You can walk in and enjoy the bar and the lounge toward the back of the establishment. But for shows, particularly with well-known artists, it's best to buy tickets online. 

Day 2

Morning

Garden Table on Mass Ave offers locally sourced, seasonal brunch options, and its lighter fare makes it a perfect way to begin the day.

A few favorite menu options include the breakfast burrito (egg, chorizo, sweet potato, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, side of salsa verde), the quinoa breakfast bowl (quinoa, sun dried tomato, arugula, brussel sprouts, black beans, agave drizzle, avocado) or the croissant french toast (butter croissant gently dipped in custard, topped with chantilly cream cheese, strawberries, powdered sugar).

Almost as popular as the entrees are the cold-pressed juice options like the tropic tonic (pineapple, kale, spinach, parsley, lemon, aloe, mint) or the Hoosier heater (apple, orange, spinach, kale, cilantro, jalapeño, lime).

From Garden Table, take a 14-minute rideshare or a nearly half-hour bus ride to Newfields: Indianapolis Museum of Art Campus on the northwest side of Indianapolis. This unique 152-acre campus features a museum, a 52-acre garden, and the historic Lily House, built in 1907.

The Indianapolis Art Museum houses over 50,000 works in its permanent collection, while traveling exhibitions showcase dynamic contemporary artists. Check out "Bold: New Voices in Contemporary Art" – a vibrant collection of pieces from African artists.

If hunger strikes, there's a cafe with ample seating to grab a sandwich, salad, snack or drink.

How to spend the day

The artistic day continues with a 12-minute car ride to Kicasso Sneaker Art Bar on Ferguson Street. Here, visitors can custom-design their own canvas or leather sneakers. Self-guided sessions last about 2 hours and 30 minutes, with assistance from the artists on site.

Visitors get an art kit that includes paints, brushes, an apron and other materials. Book a class beforehand (Wednesday-Saturday, 25-person cap). For the leather class option, you must bring your own, clean white sneakers. For the canvas class, sneakers are provided, but you can bring your own clean canvas sneakers. Pricing, schedules and booking calendar are on Kicasso's website.

Dinner

About 9 minutes from downtown, Tinker Street Restaurant is a fine-dining establishment between Herron-Morton Place and Old Northside.

Don't let the cozy, neighborhood atmosphere fool you. The menu here is filled with elevated dishes like pork belly with garlic confit mashed potatoes, smoked onions, carrots, red currant truffle demi, red currant sumac syrup and parsley; center cut ribeye with potato rösti, broccolini, mushroom mix, bulgogi, pickled cucumber and topped with fried rice noodles; and for non-meat eaters, a curried cauliflower steak with saffron rice, marbled potatoes, kaeng kari, pickled apple pearls, pomegranate molasses, cilantro and mint.

The robust drink menu includes local Indiana beers, a collection of wines and creative cocktails.

For dessert, the peanut parfait (chocolate mousse, peanut butter mousse, marshmallow fluff and toasted peanuts) is a sure bet.

Day 3

Morning

On a menu crammed with loaded biscuit bowls, smoked salmon rillette tartine and a classic breakfast plate (sausage, toast, eggs and potato), it’s the fried to order doughnuts at Borage Café that will linger in your dreams long after you leave. The pair of sourdough brioche doughnuts is doused in apricot-hibiscus glaze and lemon-vanilla yogurt, then served warm. 

Located in the town of Speedway, about 12 minutes (via a car) from downtown Indianapolis, Borage has three sections: a café, a bakery and a market. Ingredients are seasonal and locally sourced. 

How to spend the day

Since you’re already in Speedway, there’s only one place to spend the afternoon: Indianapolis Motor Speedway. At over 110 years old (as of May 2026), the Speedway is the oldest continuously operating racetrack in the United States. 

Every year, it hosts this little race in May known as the Indianapolis 500 which draws an estimated 350,000 people. If that feels like too much, but you still want to learn the history and see the pageantry of the event, pop into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.  

Open every day but Thanksgiving and Christmas, the immersive museum has over 55,000 items in its collection, including race cars dating back 100 years, trophies and art pieces. There are interactive activities for the kids and a huge LED wall that projects the opening moments of the Indy 500 from a 360-degree angle. 

But arguably, the best part of a trip to the Speedway is taking one of a series of behind-the-scenes track tours that allow visitors to see things like the victory podium, the snakepit and of course, the infamous brick start/finish line. Yes, you can kiss them. 

Dinner 

Out of the gate, Bluebeard set a standard in the culinary world. The farm-to-table restaurant was a James Beard semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in the US in its first year. Despite all the accolades, Bluebeard isn't some stuffy, white-tablecloth establishment; the atmosphere is comfortable and relaxed. 

Located in the Holy Rosary neighborhood within downtown Indianapolis, Bluebeard changes its menu every day. (I ordered from the 74th menu of the year.) All the bread is made in-house, so make sure to order something like the grilled bread as a snack.

A few other standouts that day were the General Tso’s cauliflower, fried brussels sprouts, goat cheese ravioli and the semi-boneless half chicken with farro, barley, smoked carrots, orange honey glaze, mint, dill and sorrel. 

Alicia Johnson traveled to Indianapolis with support from Visit Indy . Lonely Planet contributors do not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.