Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Bureau One RCA Dome #100 Indianapolis, IN 46225 (317) 639-4282 Population 731327 Time Zone East. Standard Latitude/Longitude 39.76° /-86.13° Today's Forecast HIGH: 66 LOW: 47

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Attractions

Indianapolis' nickname "Circle City" comes from Alexander Ralston's 19th-century street layout based on concentric circles. At the its very center, the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument towers 284 feet over Monument Circle. Nearby, visitors will find cultural and entertainment venues, upscale downtown shopping at Circle Centre as well as the major sports facilities of Conseco Fieldhouse (home of the NBA Pacers and WNBA Fever) and the RCA Dome (home the NFL Colts).

A short distance west, many of the city's most interesting stops are clustered near the banks of the Central Canal and White River State Park. Ensconced in a building that is itself an example of Southwestern architecture, the Eiteljorg Museum offers an impressive collection of Indian basketry, clothing, and pottery, with a Western art collection that includes bronzes and paintings by Frederic Remington and Georgia O'Keeffe. The adjacent Indiana State Museum, which first threw open the doors of its new facility in 2002, recounts the natural and cultural history of Indiana through three floors of artifacts, dioramas and interactive exhibits. White River State Park is also the site of the NCAA Hall of Champions and the Indianapolis Zoo, which has more than 2,000 animals, a dolphin pavilion, desert conservatory, and lovely botanical gardens.

On the north side, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, said to be the world's largest, lets youngsters and their parents dig for fossils, explore a mummy's tomb, ride an antique carousel, or take a space journey at the planetarium, amid hundreds of other hands-on activities. The Indianapolis Museum of Art is set on 150 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds that encompass an art and nature park (in development) and formal gardens. Its vast collection includes European and American paintings, contemporary art, Asian art, and textiles. Lovers of art can also go to the Herron Gallery, which features recent work by local, regional, national, and international artists.

In addition to its big league football and basketball teams, Indianapolis is of course the home of the Indy 500 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Speedway Hall of Fame Museum is open year round, featuring a self-guided tour, 75 race cars (including 30 winners), and a collection of racing clothing, awards, artwork and memorabilia. Track tours originate at the museum.

Indianapolis offers a wide variety of music, theater, and dance in both historic and modern, state-of-the-art facilities. The beautifully restored Hilbert Circle Theatre is the home of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. A few blocks away, the Indiana Repertory Theatre produces classic, contemporary, and family plays on three stages housed in an opulent 1927 Spanish Baroque movie palace. Dance Kaleidoscope, a modern dance group, also performs here. The American Cabaret Theatre produces evenings of original cabaret-style entertainment in intimate downtown surroundings in the restored Athenaeum building. Of more recent vintage, Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University hosts the Indianapolis Opera.

Visitors with an interest in government and history can tour the State Capitol building and War Memorial Plaza, where the American Legion National Headquarters has a "Founding Fathers" exhibit and a research library open to the public, and the Scottish Rite Cathedral offers tours of the imposing Gothic structure. In the historic Lockerbie Square district, a restored 19th-century downtown neighborhood, you can visit the home of Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley. Other historic locales include the Morris-Butler House and and the home of President Benjamin Harrison. Sixteen miles north of the city, near Fishers, the historic re-creations at Conner Prairie include a rural village, Indian encampment, and homestead, all representing life in the early years of the 19th century.

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