While You’re in Indy...

If you’re in Indianapolis for the Solheim Cup, or frankly for any reason this season, there’s much to do outside of playing golf or cheering on the Solheim Cuppers.

You’re well aware of the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway (whose museums open year-round just a driver-and-a-wedge from the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course). Besides the pro sports teams, the Colts and Pacers, there are horses of a different breed to watch from early September through late November at Hoosier Park in Anderson. For more information, visit www.hoosierpark.com.

Indianapolis has often touted itself as the amateur sports capital of the country. Its now home of the NCAA’s Hall of Champions, an incredible multi-media extravaganza that brings together more of the stories, and the memorabilia, of college sports under one roof than anywhere else in the country. 

Indianapolis has often touted itself as the amateur sports capital of the country. Its now home of the NCAA’s Hall of Champions, an incredible multi-media extravaganza that brings together more of the stories, and the memorabilia, of college sports under one roof than anywhere else in the country. Mascot mania is on display in the late summer and early fall with stories and displays about our obsession with collegiate traditions, and a new interactive opportunity to mix sports with scientific topics like geometry and physics. You can learn more about specific exhibits at www.ncaahallofchampions.org.

The depth and variety of the arts community in Indianapolis is sometimes a surprise to outsiders. Home to its own symphony orchestra (http://www.indianapolissymphony.org/ the recently renovated Indianapolis Museum of Art (http://www.imamuseum.org/) that has added 164,000 square feet of new gallery, special event and education space at a cost of $74-million; a new pavilion for the dolphins at the world-renowned Indianapolis Zoo (http://www.indyzoo.com/); and a new exhibit celebrating the Saturday Evening Post cover paintings of quintessential American artist Norman Rockwell at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (www.childrensmuseum.org).

Indianapolis is also celebrating the opening of its new 12-acre ARTSPARK, a multi-sensory, outdoor sculpture garden/educational space that is supposed to offer incredible hands-on artistic opportunities for children and adults (www.indplsartcenter.org).

And all we’ve mentioned are some of the “places” that make Indianapolis a true metro-polis. St. Elmo’s Steak House might be its most famous eatery, but the city has dozens of great hometown restaurants, many in the city’s many culturally-diverse neighborhoods. Nightclubs, jazz joints and comedy clubs abound. In fact, Indianapolis brags that it has a “getaway” for every weekend of the year and invites you to investigate at http://www.indy.org/. If you can tear yourself away from the great golf.