Things to do & places to visit in Indiana, United States

With beaches, boating, and salmon fishing in Michigan City and Gary bordering Lake Michigan, there is more to Indiana than might appear at first glance. The agricultural heartland even has cross country skiing and snowmobiling to go with the Cornball Express. Southwest Indiana near Evansville is renowned for the well-preserved Native American Angel Mounds State Historic Site. The largest city and state capital is famous worldwide for its Indianapolis 500 race. Even locals living in the suburbs often overlook the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Eiteljorg Museum, NCAA Hall of Champions, the old Union Station museum cluster, and downtown Canal Walk, to name but a few landmarks. South Bend is synonymous with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Forested Nashville’s art colony fame dates to the early 1900s when Impressionist Theodore Clement Steele overwintered in The House of the Singing Winds. It is now the T.C. Steele State Historic Site. View paintings and sculpture at the I.M. Pei-designed Indiana University Museum of Art. Attend an IU sports event or an opera, ballet, concert, or theater performance. Treat the family to The Little Nashville Opry or The Bill Monroe Bluegrass Park. For healing mineral springs, head south to Orange County, Indiana’s spa resort center.Enjoy golf, fishing, boating, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, and ice skating in the nation’s agricultural heartland. Monticello and Rensselaer are west of Logansport and north of Lafayette. Take the family on the Cornball Express and Hoosier Hurricane at the Indiana Beach Amusement Resort in Monticello. Play boardwalk carnival games, or let the kids loose on the go-carts. Pile the family into their vehicles for an old-fashioned movie experience at Monticello’s Lake Shore Drive-In. Indulge in a weekend dinner boat cruise to hot band sounds as the Madam Carroll plies Lake Freeman.

Indiana #30 destination in United States 2023. The average rating score is 4.43 based on 143.2k traveler reviews, of 2.429 attractions. Timezone: America/Indiana/Indianapolis, current date and time: Friday, May 03, 2024, 10:29.

Top things to do (38)

Top destinations in Indiana 100

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Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 The Escape Room Indianapolis (6.716 reviews)
- Another Fun Visit
Friday: 10:30 AM - 1:30 AM Spent 1-2 hours Escape Games

Had a great time exploring their 90 minute room. Nina was an awesome host who "clued" us in a timely manner while letting us work through most the escape by ourselves. This was our 6th time at this location and they've all been wonderful! See more..
5.0 The Escape Room Fishers (6.582 reviews)
- A Great Time Had by All
Friday: 9:30 AM - 1:00 AM Spent 1-2 hours Escape Games

The Escape Room Fishers offers a NEW, fun, and interactive adventure game designed for everyone. The concept: You and your team are locked in a themed room where you have 60 minutes to find clues, solve puzzles, and discover keys and combinations to escape the room before your time is up! The Escape Room Fishers is fun with your family, friends, and co-workers! See more..
5.0 Fort Wayne Children's Zoo (1.186 reviews)
- Definitely one of the best zoos!
Friday: Spent More than 3 hours Zoos

#1 Summer "Gotta-Do" Attraction in a contest sponsored by the Indiana Office of Tourism & Development. The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo is operated by the non-profit Fort Wayne Zoological Society under a cooperative agreement with the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreations Department. The zoo receives no tax funding for operations and operates solely on earned revenue and donations. Our Mission: Connecting kids and animals, Strengthening families, Inspiring people to care. See more..
5.0 University of Notre Dame (1.068 reviews)
- Beyond Beautiful
Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:45 PM Spent < 1 hour Universities & Schools

Renowned for its rich athletic tradition, the university is a beautiful place to visit, with such religious attractions as the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, the park-like setting of its huge stadium and the abundant artwork. See more..
5.0 eXplore Brown County at Valley Branch Retreat (988 reviews)
- Zip On Tour absolutely best Mothers Day
Friday: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM 4WD, ATV & Off-Road Tours • Zipline & Aerial Adventure Parks

We did the Zip On Tour! Took my 81 year old mom for Mother's Day. We had the absolute best time ever. I can't say enough good things about the Zip Line Guides we had. They were absolutely wonderful with my mom from helping her step up on the bases, cheering her on and making her feel special. My Mom thanked me so many times for taking her to eXplore Brown County. See more..
5.0 Rockin Thunder River Tours (718 reviews)
- Trip to Madison, In.
Friday: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Historical & Heritage Tours • Boat Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Nature & Wildlife Tours • Speed Boats Tours

A wonderful adventure when visiting Madison, indiana. We stayed at Cliffty Falls and visited the city, Rock n Thunder tours was well worth it. We saw 3 bald eagles on the tours and learned some great history of the area. See more..
5.0 Basilica of the Sacred Heart (694 reviews)
- Spectacular - A Must See
Churches & Cathedrals

This is a highlight of the Notre Dame campus. As someone who is not religious I still had a very peaceful and spiritual feeling. From the moment you walk through the cathedral doors you can begin appreciating the time and work that went into it. This cathedral has the most stained glass in the United States (or so we were told). The paintings are breathtaking and I could not take my eyes off of them. If you are in the area I would recommend moving this to the top of your must see list. See more..
5.0 The Escape Room USA - Westfield (690 reviews)
- Challenging and Fun Time
Escape Games

Really enjoyed their creativity! Christian was an absolute baller of a host. He made it more fun. We ended up doing the harder one and almost got it. Very fun and challenging would recommend the KGB event if you think you can handle a challenge. :) See more..
5.0 Parkview Field (687 reviews)
- Feel good about baseball again!
Friday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Arenas & Stadiums

I like to go to a game in Fort Wayne as this stadium is a feel good place! Clean, bright and not a bad baseball watching venue. Good reasonably price food and beverage options . This is where time stops as you watch the games and forget about life for awhile. Lots of fun games for fans and amazing skyline of Fort Wayne akin to the best parks in America. The baseball is good noting the Padres often send or start number 1 picks in Fort Wayne. The Tin Caps have awesome garb to buy. They shoot free t-shirts into the stands during the game! There is no surprise why this is one of the number one ballparks in America any level. Big city baseball at a reasonable price If your lucky a fireworks display beyond reasonable in downtown Fort Wayne follows the game! Take me out to the game soon! See more..
5.0 Indiana University (649 reviews)
- OUR INDIANA UNIVERSITY
Educational sites

Center of many activities in Bloomington - arts, music, sports and events. See more..
5.0 Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum (609 reviews) from $12.83
- Worth stopping to see
Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Speciality Museums

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum - where the world's finest cars of yesterday live today! Over 120 classic, antique, vintage and special interest cars are displayed with other automotive related exhibits on three floors. The museum is located in the original 1930s national headquarters of the legendary Auburn Automobile Company and is a National Historic Landmark. Visit the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, a place where automotive history comes to life See more..
5.0 Indiana Zipline Tours, Inc. (555 reviews)
- So much fun
Temporarily closed - Closed until further notice Zipline & Aerial Adventure Parks

Me and my three high school age sons had a great time here. The youngest has been afraid of heights in the past, but felt very secure and had a great time. The first few lines get progressively longer, so we got the change to get used to the experience before going on a long one. We plan to come back and try it at night! See more..
5.0 Skydive Windy City (521 reviews)
- No feeling like jumping out of a plane
Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Skydiving

This is my 2nd visit to Skydive Windy City, This time I brought friends and my son who turned 18. It's always a great time and the staff and environment is perfect. Thye view is amazing and will come back with more friends. Thanks for always keeping us safe See more..
5.0 Columbus Visitors Center (508 reviews)
- Wonderful Tours
Friday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Visitor Centers

See the architecture that made Columbus, Indiana famous. Find out why the American Institute of Architects ranked Columbus 6th in the nation for innovation and design with significant structures and works of art by modern masters such as Eero Saarinen, I.M.Pei, Robert Venturi, Robert A.M. Stern and Henry Moore, Jean Tinguely, and Dale Chihuly. Check out guided tours at The Columbus Visitors Center at 506 5th Street. Tour dates and times vary by seasons, please visit website to see availability and make reservations. See more..
4.5 Blue Gate Theatre (5.098 reviews)
- Great food, wonderful concerts and unique shopping
Friday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Concerts • Theaters • Theatre & Performances

The Blue Gate Theatre is the best place for fun, wholesome entertainment in Shipshewana and is fast becoming a household name in the Midwest. With two venues, Blue Gate Music Hall and Blue Gate Performing Arts Center, we feature over 300 shows per year including 70-80 headlining concerts, 3 hit musicals, variety shows, and much more. Enjoy concerts by multiple Grammy-winning artists in a wide variety of genres, hilarious comedians, Southern Gospel favorites and other family-friendly entertainment. See more..
4.5 Children's Museum of Indianapolis (3.941 reviews)
- Place to go with kids of all ages
Friday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Children's Museums

The largest children's museum in the world just got even bigger with the addition of a new 7.5-acre outdoor health and fitness area that encourages activity through multiple sports. The new space, called Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience includes basketball, football, hockey, soccer, pedal car racing (drag strip and oval track), golf, baseball, and tennis. The indoor portion of the new area includes the National Art Museum of Sport along with the World of Sport and History of Hoops. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis itself is made up of 500,000 square feet with exhibits and activities that are fun and interesting for the entire family as they explore the physical and natural sciences, history, world cultures and the arts through exciting interactive exhibits on five floors. Families will discover some of the most rare dinosaur fossils in the world and see what it's like to live and work in space. There's also a theater with children's plays and live entertainment. See more..
4.5 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum (2.864 reviews)
- Kiss the bricks
Friday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums • Auto Racing Tracks

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum presents the stories of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the history of the automotive industry in Indiana, and has vehicles and race trophies and memorabilia from race events around the world. It houses one of the most important collections of racing vehicles and memorabilia in the world. See more..
4.5 Holiday World & Splashin' Safari (2.766 reviews)
- Always a great time
Temporarily closed - Closed until May 13, 2023 Spent More than 3 hours Amusement & Theme Parks • Water Parks

Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari are a family-owned theme park and water park combo located in Santa Claus, Indiana. Home of Thunderbird - America’s only launched wing roller coaster, Holiday World celebrates Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving and the 4th of July with roller coasters, family rides, a huge water park, live entertainment, games, attractions - and Santa Claus, himself! Splashin’ Safari, ranked one of the nation’s Top Water Parks by TripAdvisor and USA Today, includes the two longest water coasters in the world, family water slides, two wave pools, plus water activities for children. Both parks have been voted the World's Cleanest for more than a dozen years. In 2016, Guinness World Records certified Mammoth as the World's Longest Water Coaster and in 2013, TIME magazine named The Voyage the nation’s #1 wooden coaster. Live entertainment includes musical shows, a high dive show, and Santa's Storytime. Both parks offer free soft drinks, free parking, and free sunscreen. See more..
4.5 Lucas Oil Stadium (1.612 reviews)
- Stunningly beautiful stadium!!!
Sports Complexes

Lucas Oil Stadium is a state-of-the-art, 67,000-seat, retractable roof, multi-purpose stadium featuring spectacular views of the Indianapolis skyline. See more..
4.5 Indianapolis Museum of Art (1.464 reviews)
- Concise but effective exhibits
Friday: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Speciality Museums • Historic Sites • Gardens

With a collection of more than 54,000 works of art, an early-20th-century estate, 152 acres of gardens and grounds, including an outdoor art and nature park, the IMA campus offers experiences that feed both the heart and mind. See more..
4.5 Victory Field (1.283 reviews)
- WOW! Great Baseball at Family Friendly Prices!
Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Arenas & Stadiums

Loved it from the beginning to the end. Hot Dogs, Cracker Jacks, Beer and Coke abound! Also, a lot of more diverse food and snack choices are available at very reasonable prices. A family of 4 for just about $150 is an amazing experience. Hard to find better entertainment for the $. See more..
4.5 Central Canal (1.155 reviews)
- Beautiful views of Indy!
Points of Interest & Landmarks

Had so much fun exploring Indianapolis while walking the city walk through the canal. You are able to see so many parts of the city that can’t be seen from the streets. There are bikes and boats for rental to enjoy, as well as vendors selling drinks and ice cream novelties. The views of Indianapolis from the canal were absolutely beautiful! See more..
4.5 Monument Circle (916 reviews)
- Cute area, lots of cafes
Friday: 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues

I was here for work so I just had a few hours downtown. I found Indianapolis to be surprisingly cute. This statue was enormous and you can visit inside but I decided not to pay the entrence fee. This area has a lot of cute cafes and stores to check out. See more..
4.5 Indiana Dunes State Park (880 reviews)
- A visit to the State Park
Friday: 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM State Parks • Parks

Indiana Dunes State Park consists of 2,182 acres of primitive, beautiful, historic and unique Hoosier landscape. It lies at the north end of State Road 49 in Porter County, and includes more than three miles of beautiful beach along Lake Michigan’s southern shore. In the early 1900s scientists, recreationists and nature enthusiasts, recognizing the value and potential of the Indiana dunes area, fought to have the region preserved. As a result, in 1925, the state park was established.Large sand dunes, located beyond the entire shoreline, have taken thousands of years to form, and tower nearly 200 feet above Lake Michigan. A wide range of habitats and plant species are found in the park, with vegetation stabilizing some of the sand. These habitats provide homes for many types of plants and animals. The lake also provides habitat for many aquatic species, as well as a constantly changing fishery.Indiana Dunes State Park features a wide variety of habitats, including beach, sand dunes, black oak forest, wooded wetlands, and a button-bush marsh. Together, these areas contain some of the most diverse flora and fauna in the Midwest. Botanists from across the country enjoy studying the unusual collection of plant life. Other interesting features include “tree graveyards” (places where forests have been buried by sand and then, more recently, re-exposed by wind erosion). “Tree graveyards” can be seen in Big Blowout, near Trail 10. The Indiana Dunes area also is renowned throughout the Midwest for its birding. Visit the Nature Center to ask about good birding locations.Indiana Dunes State Park is surrounded by Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, a federally administered park comprising approximately 15,000 acres. See more..
4.5 The Eiteljorg Museum (866 reviews)
- Excellent experience!
Friday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Speciality Museums

The museum houses Indian artifacts, as well as works by famous Western artists. See more..
4.5 Brown County State Park (842 reviews)
- Beautiful Park close to Little Nashville
Friday: 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM Parks

Nicknamed the "Little Smokies" because of the area's resemblance to the Great Smoky Mountains, Brown County encompasses nearly 16,000 acres of rugged hills, ridges and fog-shrouded ravines. Glaciers from the most recent ice ages stopped short of the "hills o' Brown," but their meltwaters helped create the narrow ridges, steep slopes and deep gullies of Brown County State Park. Indiana's largest park is a traditional fall color hot spot, with nearly 20 miles of tree-lined roads and many scenic vistas overlooking miles of uninterrupted forestland. See more..
4.5 Turkey Run State Park (676 reviews)
- Indiana’s best kept secret
Friday: 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours State Parks

Indiana’s best kept secret! Gorgeous trails, in all seasons, moderate to very rugged. We love Trail 3, because of its topography, but have recently discovered that Trail 2, Trail 9, and Trail 6 are thrilling as well. The Turkey Run Inn is available to park visitors, with a great game room, relaxing room with fireplace and piano, and a restaurant that will pack a picnic lunch for your hiking trip. See more..
4.5 Indiana War Memorial (666 reviews)
- A MUST SEE!!
Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Military Museums • Monuments & Statues

A tribute to Indiana war veterans, from World War I to the Vietnam War. See more..
4.5 Clifty Falls State Park (661 reviews)
- Great couple of days but wish people would pop the masks on when passing other hikers.
State Parks

This scenic area, known for its hiking, has beautiful waterfalls and a canyon. See more..
4.5 Bankers Life Fieldhouse (637 reviews)
- Pacers Palace
Arenas & Stadiums

The whole experience was amazing! Security was on point and everyone go in quickly. They had live music, games, and meet and greets with the cheerleaders before the game. Food looked great and our seats were easy to find. See more..