Pay a visit to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Plan ahead to go during Memorial Day weekend, when race cars zoom around the 2.5-mile oval track as part of the Indianapolis 500. If you’re not in town when there’s a race going on, you can still enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the historic 1909 venue and stop by the on-site museum. The racetrack seats more than 250,000 people, making it the world’s largest spectator sporting venue. If you’re traveling with kids, be sure to visit the massive Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Measuring 472,900 square feet, and home to more than 120,000 historical artifacts, the facility is the largest children’s museum in the world. Kids can examine dinosaur fossils, take a spin on a 1917 carousel, build a model airplane and explore an 1890s steam train engine.
Take in views of St. Louis and portions of Illinois from atop the iconic Gateway Arch. Towering 630 feet above the city, the steel arch sits along the banks of the Mississippi River, serving as a symbol of national pride and a celebration of westward expansion. Trams travel to the top of the arch, taking you to a small observation deck. St. Louis shows a lot of love for its baseball team, the legendary Cardinals. In April of 2006, the storied franchise replaced its old ballpark with a newer, more high-tech version. Named Busch Stadium, like its predecessor, the ballpark provides luxury suites and sweeping vistas of the downtown skyline and Gateway Arch. Tours are available year-round.
Examine a dark moment from global history at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, the only museum in the United States dedicated to the Great War. Peruse the largest collection of WW I artifacts, including artwork, photographs, tanks and life-size trenches. Outside the museum, you’ll find the Liberty Memorial Tower, a 200-plus-square-foot cylinder tower honoring the war’s fallen heroes. Spanning the ancient world to modern day, the fine art collection at Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art includes more than 33,500 pieces, including works by masters such as Monet, Rodin, O’Keeffe, Pollock and Warhol. Get some fresh air as you stroll through the 22-acre sculpture park, highlighted by Claes Oldenburg's enormous "Shuttlecocks" piece. The museum is free to the public.
Learn more about the historic U.S. Supreme Court case at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. The landmark decision, which deemed school segregation unconstitutional, stemmed from a series of cases, including one originating in Topeka. Housed in the former segregated Monroe Elementary School, the site includes exhibits and films on the famed case. See government at work with a visit to the Kansas State Capitol, a domed limestone building that began construction in 1866. You can book a tour of the facility, which includes stops at the Representative Hall and Senate Chamber, the Governor's ceremonial office and John Steuart Curry’s famed murals. Admission and tours of the capitol are free but require advance reservations.
