Indianapolis With Kids: Where History, Racing, Science, and Adventure Meet

Indianapolis might be famous for race cars, but after exploring the city with my kids, I quickly realized there is a lot more happening here than engines roaring around an oval.

There are dinosaurs to meet, countries to visit, racing simulators to test, animals to watch, enormous monuments to stand beneath, and streets where simply slowing down and looking up can turn into an unexpected history lesson.

That is one of my favorite things about traveling with kids.

We do not need every hour of a trip filled with scheduled activities. Sometimes the best learning happens when we leave enough space to wander, ask questions, notice the details on an old building, or spend twenty minutes staring at something we had never expected to find interesting.

Indianapolis is particularly good at that.

Affiliate Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase or booking through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. These partnerships help support The Backpacker Mom and allow me to continue creating family travel guides like this one.

For families with curious kids, the city blends history, science, sports, architecture, wildlife, and hands-on learning into a destination that can easily fill a long weekend.

In this Indianapolis family travel guide, you’ll discover:

• Why the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis deserves a whole day
• Why the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum surprised me as a mom
• How to turn a zoo visit into an afternoon of wildlife education
• A simple way to explore downtown Indianapolis on foot
• How Indianapolis works for families traveling with children of different ages
• Where to stay when visiting Indianapolis with kids
• Easy ways to build a three-day Indianapolis family itinerary

Looking for a family-friendly hotel in Indianapolis? Use the map below to compare hotels near downtown Indianapolis, the Children’s Museum, and other family attractions.

Is Indianapolis Worth Visiting With Kids?

Absolutely.

Indianapolis is one of those cities that manages to offer several major family attractions without making a family vacation feel overwhelming or complicated.

You could easily spend three or four days here without running out of things to do, but you also don’t need to race from attraction to attraction. The city works especially well for families because the experiences are genuinely different from one another.

One morning your child can be studying fossils.

That afternoon, you can be standing beside an Indy 500-winning race car.

The following day might involve orangutans, dolphins, or giraffes before heading downtown and walking past buildings that have been part of Indianapolis for more than a century.

For families who believe travel can be part vacation and part education, Indianapolis gives kids plenty to be curious about without ever making the trip feel like school.

And that is exactly my kind of city.

1. Give Yourself Time at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

If you only have time for one major attraction in Indianapolis with kids, make it The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

And don’t schedule two other things for the same day.

Seriously.

This place is enormous. We are talking HALF A MILLION SQUARE FEET!

The museum spans five floors plus a 7.5-acre outdoor sports area, with exhibits covering everything from dinosaurs and space exploration to archaeology, science, sports, art, trains, world cultures, and American history.

It is actually the largest children’s museum in THE WORLD! We arrived just after the doors opened and were there until nearly closing and only covered three of the five floors!

Start With the Dinosaurs

Dinosphere is one of the biggest highlights in the museum. Kids can see real dinosaur fossils, explore the science of paleontology, and even watch experts working with fossils. The museum’s science programming also extends to space travel, engineering, flight, and hands-on experimentation.

Travel Without Leaving Indianapolis

One of my favorite concepts at the Children’s Museum is its Take Me There exhibit series.

These exhibits allow children to step into another part of the world through immersive environments, cultural experiences, food, language, music, and everyday life.

The current experience takes families to Peru, providing an easy way to start conversations about geography and culture, even if an international flight isn’t on your calendar anytime soon.

Even for kids who travel regularly, like mine, this exhibit was still very interesting to see what they recognize and what sparks new questions. That is one reason children’s museums can be such a good addition to family travel. They aren’t simply places to burn energy on rainy days.

Done well, they help kids connect the dots between what they’ve seen in the world and what they’re still learning about it.

Don’t Skip the Outdoor Sports Experience

If everyone starts getting museum fatigue, head outside.

The Riley Children’s Health Sports Experience gives kids room to move through a massive outdoor area dedicated to sports and physical play. Kids can experiment with activities including basketball, football, hockey, golf, tennis, and racing.

Backpacker Mom Tip

Before visiting, look at the museum map and choose your family’s three must-do exhibits. See those first. Everything afterward is a bonus. Trying to “finish” the Children’s Museum is a fantastic way to end the day with tired feet, overstimulated kids, and parents negotiating dinner like international diplomats.

2. Discover Why Indianapolis Is the Racing Capital of the World

I’m going to admit something.

I expected the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum to be one of those attractions that we would visit as a “when you’re here you should see this” location and we wouldn’t spend a lot of time.

I was wrong.

Even if no one in your family follows motorsports, the newly renovated museum does an excellent job of explaining why racing is about much more than driving a car really, really fast.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum reopened in 2025 after an extensive renovation that dramatically expanded its exhibit space and added new immersive experiences.

And for kids? This place is far more interactive than I expected.

Put Kids Into the Race

The Starting Line Experience recreates the moments leading up to the Indianapolis 500 using massive screens, race cars, sound, and video.

Then there is the Qualifying Zone, where kids can learn about racing through pit-stop challenges, driving simulators, strategy activities, and displays that break down how an IndyCar actually works. There is even a soft-play area designed for the museum’s youngest visitors.

That last detail matters. Because “family-friendly” should mean more than simply allowing children through the front door.

The museum gives kids ways to participate.

Racing Is Also a Science Lesson

Look beyond the trophies and racing becomes an enormous STEM lesson.

• Aerodynamics.
• Engineering.
• Fuel.
• Tire technology.
• Reaction time.
• Safety innovation.
• Physics.
• Data.
• Strategy.
• Even milliseconds matter.

Suddenly the race car isn’t simply a cool machine. It becomes a way to show kids how engineers solve problems when the stakes—and the speeds—are extraordinarily high.

Gasoline Alley also walks visitors through different eras of Indianapolis Motor Speedway history, while exhibits throughout the museum explore drivers, technology, safety improvements, traditions, and the evolution of the sport.

Add a Track Tour

If schedules allow, consider adding an Indianapolis Motor Speedway track tour after visiting the museum.

Depending on track activity and availability, tours can give visitors a closer look at portions of the Speedway itself.

And yes, some experiences include that famous Yard of Bricks.

Because if you’re going to Indianapolis, you might as well lean into the racing traditions for a few hours.

3. Spend an Afternoon at the Indianapolis Zoo

After museums and race cars, give everyone a change of scenery at the Indianapolis Zoo.

Zoo visits are one of those travel experiences that are always a fun way for a family to spend a day.

Families can explore animal habitats and enjoy interactive experiences, including seasonal feeding opportunities for giraffes, kangaroos, flamingos, birds, and rays.

4. Slow Down With a Self-Guided Walk Through Downtown Indianapolis

Some of the best things we did in Indianapolis didn’t require an admission ticket at all. After several days of attractions, museums, exhibits, and scheduled experiences, spending time simply walking through downtown Indianapolis offered a completely different perspective on the city.

This is where I would intentionally leave a hole in your itinerary.

Don’t book anything.

Grab something to drink.

Put comfortable shoes on everyone.

And start walking.

Begin at Monument Circle

Start at Monument Circle, the symbolic heart of Indianapolis.

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument dominates the Circle and immediately gives kids some sense of scale.

Designed by German architect Bruno Schmitz and constructed between 1887 and 1902, the limestone monument has become one of the city’s defining landmarks.

Don’t simply take a picture and move on.

Walk around it.

Look at the sculptures.

Indianapolis reveals a surprising amount of its history through its architecture.

Around downtown, families can spot buildings dating to different periods of the city’s growth, from 19th-century landmarks to grand civic structures and modern skyscrapers. Historic buildings and landmarks in and around downtown include Christ Church Cathedral, Union Station, the Indiana Statehouse, and numerous memorials.

Turn the Walk Into a Game

With kids, architecture becomes much more interesting when you stop calling it architecture.

Try giving everyone something to find:

• The oldest-looking building
• The tallest building
• A building with columns
• An unusual sculpture
• An animal carved into a building
• A date written in stone
• A flag they recognize
• A building that looks completely different from everything beside it

Suddenly you’re not dragging children around downtown looking at buildings.

You’re hunting for clues.

Stop at Indiana’s Memorials

Indianapolis has an extraordinary concentration of monuments and memorials.

In fact, Indianapolis devotes more acreage to honoring veterans than any other U.S. city and ranks behind only Washington, D.C., in its number of war memorials.

Allowing kids to encounter history in the actual places where communities have chosen to remember it can make the subject far more tangible than seeing a photograph in a textbook.

Let Downtown Be the Activity

There is something wonderfully underrated about not having an agenda.

Stop for ice cream. Sit somewhere for fifteen minutes.

Let a toddler chase a pigeon with an unreasonable amount of determination.

Look at the buildings.

Watch people.

Check out the public art.

Talk about what makes Indianapolis different from your hometown.

This is still travel.

In fact, this might be some of the best travel we do with our kids.

Want a Little More Structure?

If you’d rather explore Indianapolis with a guide, use the widget below to look for walking tours, food tours, scavenger hunts, and other downtown experiences.

Where to Stay in Indianapolis With Kids

For a first family trip to Indianapolis, I would strongly consider staying downtown.

You will be within easy reach of restaurants, Monument Circle, museums, and many of the city’s central attractions.

Downtown also makes it much easier to incorporate those unscheduled walks into your trip.

Instead of getting into the car every time you leave the hotel, you can walk out the door and explore.

If the Children’s Museum is your highest priority, you can also search slightly north of downtown.

Families planning to spend considerable time at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway may prefer accommodations west of downtown or near Speedway.

But for an all-around first visit?

Downtown is hard to beat.

Traveling to Indianapolis With a Toddler and an Older Child

Indianapolis works surprisingly well when you’re traveling with kids who aren’t remotely in the same stage of childhood. That matters to me because an activity that fascinates an older child doesn’t necessarily impress a toddler—and vice versa.

The Children’s Museum solves much of that problem through its combination of imaginative play, science, cultural exhibits, dinosaurs, sports, and hands-on activities.

The Motor Speedway Museum surprised me even more.

There are impressive cars and stories for older kids and adults, but interactive spaces and play opportunities make the museum much easier with younger visitors too. The renovated museum specifically includes features such as a soft-play area for young children and accessible interactive experiences.

The zoo naturally works across ages.

And walking downtown?

That one costs nothing and can be as short or long as your family’s mood allows.

That flexibility is a big reason Indianapolis works so well for a family weekend.

More Things to Do in Indianapolis With Kids

If you have four or five days in Indianapolis instead of three, you can easily expand your trip.

Depending on your children’s ages and interests, consider adding:

• Indiana State Museum
• Eiteljorg Museum
• Indiana Historical Society
• Newfields
• White River State Park
• Canal Walk
• More of Indianapolis’ monuments and memorials
• A downtown food experience
• Conner Prairie as an additional day trip

This is where Indianapolis becomes especially useful for families who enjoy educational travel.

Science kid?

Covered.

History kid?

Definitely.

Sports kid?

You’re in Indianapolis.

Animal lover?

Easy.

Child who has absolutely no interest in anything you’ve carefully planned but spots a fountain six blocks away?

Also covered.

When Is the Best Time to Visit Indianapolis With Kids?

Spring through fall works particularly well for families because you can combine indoor museums with outdoor attractions and walking.

Summer gives you the most flexibility for outdoor activities, but expect hotter temperatures.

Spring and fall can make downtown walking much more pleasant.

And if racing is the reason you’re coming, May is obviously a completely different Indianapolis experience thanks to the Indianapolis 500.

If you specifically aren’t coming for the race, check the Speedway calendar anyway.

Track events may affect Motor Speedway Museum tours and availability.

It is always smart to verify current operating hours, ticket prices, temporary exhibits, and attraction closures directly with each attraction before your trip.

Do You Need a Car in Indianapolis?

It depends on your itinerary.

If you’re primarily exploring downtown Indianapolis, you’ll find plenty that can be reached on foot.

However, a car makes a family trip considerably easier if you’re combining downtown with:

• The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
• Indianapolis Zoo
• Attractions farther outside the central downtown area

For our style of family travel, I like having the flexibility of a car while still intentionally building walking time into the itinerary.

Planning Your Indianapolis Family Vacation?

Use the interactive map below to compare hotels near the places you want to visit.

Suggested map focus: Downtown Indianapolis + Children’s Museum + Indianapolis Motor Speedway

---

Why Indianapolis Surprised Me as a Family Destination

Before visiting Indianapolis, I knew about the race.

I knew about the Children’s Museum. But until we visited, I didn’t understand the grandeur of the museum.

What I didn’t fully appreciate was how easily all the different pieces of Indianapolis would fit together for a family trip.

We could go from dinosaurs to race cars.

From racing technology to architecture.

From wildlife conservation to American history.

And then we could simply walk.

No timed ticket. No reservation.

No carefully organized educational activity.

Just kids looking around a city and asking questions.

That may be what I loved most about Indianapolis.

Because travel with curious kids isn’t really about how many attractions you can fit into an itinerary. It is about giving them opportunities to notice the world.

A race car becomes engineering.

A dinosaur becomes science.

A monument becomes history.

A giraffe becomes a conversation about conservation.

An old building becomes a reason to look up.

And sometimes a family trip becomes educational without anyone realizing they’re learning at all.

That is the kind of classroom I will choose every single time.

Indianapolis With Kids: Frequently Asked Questions