Indianapolis, the Hoosier State’s cosmopolitan center, is a thriving city filled with art, architecture and history. The surrounding region includes beautiful conservatories, thrilling racetracks and enticing chocolate factories.
Duration: 4 Days
Available: Year-round
This Itinerary is Ideal For: All ages
Itinerary Details
Day 1
Start your tour in Fort Wayne at the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, a downtown oasis with four outdoor gardens in addition to the Tropical Garden with orchids and palms and the Sonoran Desert Garden. Afterwards, walk over to the Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library. Centered in downtown Fort Wayne, this impressive structure contains one of the world’s largest research collections on
genealogy.
Afternoon: Visit Sweetwater, considered the Amazon.com of the live music industry. This massive
DeBrand Fine Chocolates
campus features recording studios, extensive collections of musical instruments for sale, and expansive fulfillment center. And, if your group is lucky, live musical performances. For another side of sweet, visit the DeBrand Fine Chocolates for a tour and tasting.
Evening: Travel south to the Muncie area and enjoy live gaming action and dinner at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, where your group can try their luck at the slots or watch harness racing.
Day 2
Morning: Start the day in Alexandria at Gaither Family Resources. Gospel singers Bill and Gloria Gaither have dozens of top Christian music hits. A guided tour includes their studio, the house where Bill grew up and the school where Bill and Gloria met.
Continue to Indianapolis and the NCAA Hall of Champions, which boasts two levels of interactive exhibits that explain what it takes to make the grade. All 24 NCAA sports are represented. The museum offers a trivia challenge, current team rankings, video highlights and artifacts donated by colleges around the nation.
Afternoon: Enjoy lunch and a visit to the Indianapolis Zoo. Home to over 2,000 animals and Indiana’s largest aquarium, this 64-acre zoo has wild animals roaming through natural settings. Don’t miss the world’s largest enclosed dolphin show.
Evening: Before dinner, take in an Italian gondola ride under Venetian-style bridges on the Indianapolis Canal Walk. Dinner is at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre where amphitheater seating gives everyone a terrific seat for tonight’s performance.
Day 3
Morning: Begin the day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Museum. Its amazing car collection includes more than 30 racecars that won the Indianapolis 500. Explore the Speedway’s grounds on a narrated bus ride around the track and stop for a quick photo at the famous Yard of Bricks. The tour also visits the media center, Pagoda, victory platform, garage area and a Gasoline Alley suite.
More car history awaits at the Dallara IndyCar Factory. On a factory tour you’ll see the technology engineering used in manufacturing today’s IndyCars.
Afternoon: Grab lunch at City Market. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the market features a wide variety of local eateries, retailers, coffee and a craft beer bar.
Next, visit the Indiana Medical History Museum, the oldest freestanding pathology facility in the nation, which intrigues visitors with its anatomical displays.
Evening: After a short drive to Terre Haute, take an evening Outdoor Sculpture Tour. Terre Haute is proud of its public art and 18 unique public sculptures, including one of NBA legend and Indiana State University graduate Larry Bird. Stop for photos beneath The Chorus of Trumpets, The Flame of the Millennium or The Spirit of Space.
Day 4
Morning: Visit CANDLES Holocaust Museum. Founded by Eva Kor in 1984 to locate twins who survived the experiments of Nazi doctor Joseph Mengele, here you’ll learn the story of this Holocaust survivor from before the war and through the rise of Nazism to her time in the Auschwitz concentration camp and journey of forgiveness.
Later, visit the Swope Art Museum. The museum is known for its collection of nearly 2,500 works of American art. Your tour offers insight into the rise of American artists and the artistic process.
Afternoon: Enjoy lunch at M. Mogger’s Restaurant & Pub, located in the historic E. Bleemel Building, circa 1837. Housed in this same building are a brewery museum and Civil War museum. After lunch, depart for home along I-70 with fond memories of your journey.
