Located in central Indiana, this state capital has a metropolitan area topping at 1.8 million people so it's no surprise there are plenty of attractions in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Museum of Art (imamuseum.org; 4000 Michigan Rd.; Indianapolis, Indiana 46208-3326; 317-923-1331) holds more than 50,000 works of art from varying periods and cultures and is one of the largest art museums in the U.S. No trip to Indiana would be complete without a trip to the racetrack, so check out the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (indianapolismotorspeedway.com; 4790 West 16th St., Indianapolis, IN 46222; 317-492-8500), the largest spectator sports facility in the U.S. and host of the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400. Take kids to the Indianapolis Zoo (indianapoliszoo.com; 1200 West Washington St.; Indianapolis, Indiana; 317-630-2001).
Indiana residents love sports, so why not catch a game (or two) while you're in town? If you're into basketball, buy tickets to an Indiana Pacers game (view the home game schedule at www.nba.com/pacers) or if you like football catch an Indianapolis Colts game (www.colts.com). If college sports are more your thing, the Butler University Bulldogs, Notre Dame University Fighting Irish and Indiana University Hoosiers have all made a name for themselves in Division I sports.
Nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts will be happy to know that Indiana has dozens of regional, state, and nationally-protected areas. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (nps.gov/indu/index.htm; 1100 N. Mineral Springs Rd., Porter, IN 46304; 219-926-7561) lies on the banks of Lake Michigan in northern Indiana and offers visitors a sandy beach, hiking trails, bird and wildlife-watching, and tent and RV campsites. Other protected parks include Pokagon State Park (gov/dnr/parklake/2973.htm; 450 Lane 100 Lake James, Angola, IN 46703; 260-833-2012) just outside Angola, McCormick Creek State Park (in.gov/dnr/parklake/2978.htm250; McCormicks Creek Park Road, Spencer, IN 47460; 812-829-2235), and Brown County State Park (in.gov/dnr/parklake/2988.htm; 1810 State Road 46 E, Nashville, IN 47448; 812-988-6406) among several dozen.
Indiana actually has the nation's third largest Amish community with 38,000 members in northern Indiana, mostly in Elkhart and LaGrange County. Here visitors can observe everyday Amish practices and customs that date back over 100 years. A visit to the Elkhart County Visitor Center (amishcountry.org/leisure/elkhart-county-visitor-center; 219 Caravan Dr., Elkhart, IN 46514; 574-262-8161) can net you brochures, maps and attraction information about northern Indiana Amish Country.
