Seven things to do and see in Indianapolis as IndyCar visits this historic oval course
As the capital of the ‘Hoosier State’, Indianapolis has a variety of attractions for travellers from museums to historical landmarks to sports venues.
Indianapolis is known as the home of motorsport in the United States, with the annual oval race that is a part of the triple crown in racing - the Indianapolis 500.
Here, Travel News Blitz’s Ayla Vaughan explores seven things to do and see in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum showcases the history of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and of the automotive industry in Indiana - perfect for motorsports fans.
Inside there are vehicles, race trophies and memorabilia from race events around the world largely from the 20th century (such as A. J. Foyt’s and Jacque Villenueve’s Indy 500 winning cars).
Newfields
This art museum has an impressive collection of more than 54,000 works of art from a variety of time periods such as Neo-Impressionist paintings, Japanese paintings of the Edo period and Chinese ceramics and bronzes.
Newfields is an early-20th-century estate (the ninth oldest and eighth largest encyclopedic art museum in the US) that has 152 acres of gardens and grounds, including an outdoor art and nature park.
Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is a museum and memorial to the only U.S. President elected from the State of Indiana, the 23rd president who served from 1889 to 1893 as a Republican.
The Italianate architecture style red brick house has 16 rooms and is all decorated in the Victorian style typical of the time - with 75% of the 3,700 pieces of memorabilia actually belonging to Benjamin Harrison and his family.
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Watch the Indy 500
Every Memorial Day Weekend brings the internationally acclaimed Indy 500 to the Brickyard in Indianapolis - the most prestigious race in the US with its four corners banked at 9 degrees.
This 200-lap oval race will run for the 109th time as the drivers battle to win the $1 million Borg-Warner Trophy, along with a huge cash prize, but most importantly the title as an Indy 500 winner.
Penske’s Josef Newgarden has won the last two Indy 500s, so he will be eager to win for a third time, but three time IndyCar champion Alex Palou will be keen to get this exclusive achievement.
Indiana War Memorial
This memorial is a tribute to Indiana war veterans, from World War I to the Vietnam War - built back in 1919 as Indianapolis became the headquarters of the American Legion (an organization of veterans that helps veterans and promotes patriotism).
Besides the American Legion Mall, it also houses a military museum, auditorium, several monuments engraved with the names of soldiers who died at war, Cenotaph Square and a University Park, home to statues and a fountain.
Oldfields-Lilly House and Gardens
It was constructed in 1913 by architect Lewis Ketcham Davis for the family of Hugh McKennan Landon, who occupied the home from 1913 until 1932 when it was sold to Josiah K. Lilly Jr (the chairman and president of the board of Eli Lilly and Company, the pharmaceutical firm).
The Lilly House is a 22-room mansion that is currently interpreted to reflect the 1930s era when the Lilly family occupied the residence, with the exterior modelling a French Châteauesque style.
Indiana State Capitol
The Indiana State Capitol building of the U.S. state of Indiana houses the Indiana General Assembly, the office of the Governor of Indiana, the Indiana Supreme Court and other state officials.
The Italian Renaissance style building is designed in the shape of a cross, has a large central rotunda with a glass domed ceiling that connects the four wings, has several pillars and arches and is four stories high.
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