Family travel destinations attractions and things to do with kids in indianapolis

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

The city of Indianapolis has a distinct advantage when it comes to entertaining families: it is the home of the largest childrens museum in the world, plays host to the two largest single-day sporting events worldwide, and offers to all visitors the world-famous Hoosier Hospitality.

The nations twelfth largest city lies directly in the geographical center of Indiana and boasts a population of more than one and a half million people, yet offers a safe, welcoming Midwestern atmosphere to the nearly five million guests who travel there every year.

A quick tour of Indianapolis finds many family-oriented activities and attractions:

THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM AT INDIANAPOLIS

The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis is a 400,000 square foot facility that houses eleven major galleries. Natural and physical sciences, the arts, history and world cultures are the focal points of the museums mission. Literally thousands of programs are offered each year, and many of them are hands-on, giving children a unique opportunity to become physically involved in the process of learning.

Located at 30th and Meridian Streets in downtown Indianapolis, The Childrens Museum is also home to the newly added attraction known as the Dinosphere. The Dinosphere is a one of a kind, permanent addition to the museum that allows children to experience the time when dinosaurs walked the earth, with artifacts, activities, and information to enhance the attraction, including the 12,500 year old Mastodon skeleton found in Greenfield, Indiana.

INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

With an astounding 250,000 permanent seats, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana is the worlds largest sporting facility. Build in 1909 on more than three hundred acres of farmland, the original surface of the world-famous track was once paved with just over three and a quarter million bricks, and the moniker The Brickyard has been synonymous with it ever since.

The traditional running of the Indy 500 is held over the long Memorial Day weekend, except during war years, with the very first race having been run in 1911, when it was known as the International Sweepstakes.

The Indianapolis 500 Hall of Fame and Museum is open year-round, except Christmas Day, and offers guided tours. Some of the attractions include thirty cars that have won the 500, racing memorabilia, gift shops, photo opportunities, and a thirty minute film that depicts both the history of the track and up-to-date information on recent races.

JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY HOME AND MUSEUM

Indianas most famous poet, James Whitcomb Riley, was and remains much revered in the downtown Indianapolis area known as Lockerbie Square, where the museum which both honors Riley and serves as a link to the turn of the century is located.

Rileys first book of poetry, wildly successful, was published in 1883 and boosted his popularity nationwide. Soon after publication, he joined a traveling book tour with another master storyteller, Mark Twain.

The museum, located at 528 Lockerbie Street, stands as the nations only late-Victorian preservation. Built in 1872, it was Rileys own home for the last twenty-three years of his life, and to this day the interior of the home, including carpets, dcor, furnishings and even wallpaper, remains exactly as it was when Riley died from complications of a stroke in 1916. One of the most popular and beloved articles to be found on the museum tour is Rileys last poem, written with his left hand after his right became damaged from the stroke.

Each year thousands of Hoosier fourth-graders visit the home of their most famous poet as part of the states curriculum, being granted the opportunity to tour the home of the man who authored such classics as The Raggedy Man and 'Little Orphan Annie.'

THE INDIANAPOLIS ZOO AND GARDENS

The Indianapolis Zoo, located downtown in the White River State Park area, is celebrating its fortieth anniversary in 2004.

Built with children in mind, the zoo more than doubled its original 1964 size by its twentieth anniversary, having been the benefactor of several dozen generous donators of zebras, alligators, seals, cats, elephants and other exotic animals. In 1982, a symposium was held that included authorities from international zoological, aquarium, and wildlife societies who had one goal in mind, developing a world-class zoo that would be renowned for its efforts in saving endangered species and preserving natural habitats; today, the Indianapolis Zoo and Gardens has been transformed into just such a world-class exhibit and educational experience.

The zoo at Indianapolis offers a truly fun-filled day for families. It is home to more than 350 different animals, including fourteen endangered and three threatened species. Several hands-on exhibits and learning centers are offered, as well as the Waters Building and the Dolphin Pavilion, two very popular attractions with young people especially.

NCAA HALL of CHAMPIONS

For years, Indianapolis has been known universally as the amateur sports capital of the world, so when the city won the bid to become home to the NCAA Hall of Champions, perhaps few Hoosiers were surprised.

The Hall of Champions, opened in March, 2000, pays homage to all 23 NCAA Division I, II, and III sports sanctioned by the NCAA and offers over 25,000 square feet of exhibition space and 3,000 square feet of retail space. Each year 87 different banners are hung from the 50-foot ceiling of the Great Hall honoring all current NCAA national championship winners.

Other features in the Hall of Champions include The Hall of Honor, The Gymnasium, Wrap-Around Video Hall, Areas of Display and Gift Shop. Traveling displays and temporary exhibits also are available for viewing. State-of-the-Art multimedia presentations and fan-friendly interactive displays are just two of the hands-on activities offered at the Hall.

After visitors have toured the two-story building that honors all student-athletes, they may wish to visit The Campus Corner gift shop where gifts and memorabilia of all kinds can be browsed and purchased, including some that are exclusive solely to the Hall of Champions.