Free & Cheap Things to Do in Indianapolis

Parks & Nature

An 8-mile landscaped path threading downtown's six cultural districts and lined with $26 million in public art, connecting Mass Ave, Fountain Square, the canal, and Indiana Avenue. Walk, run, or grab a Pacers Bikeshare cycle and link nearly every downtown attraction without ever touching a car.

Address: Downtown loop, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Tip: Free to walk or bike anytime. The Glick Peace Walk near the canal honors 12 humanitarians with interactive sculptures. Pacers Bikeshare stations sit along the route if you want to cover more ground for a few dollars.

Parks & Nature

Downtown Indy's 250-acre backyard, where a flat 3-mile canal loop passes pedal boats, gondolas, and Venetian-style bridges. The free green space ties together the zoo, Eiteljorg, and state museum, with riverside lawns, public art, and a packed summer calendar of free events.

Address: 801 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Tip: The Canal Walk is free and stroller-friendly day or night. Paid pedal boats and gondola rides are optional. Downtown parking is limited — arrive early on event weekends or walk in via the Cultural Trail.

Iconic Landmarks

The 284-foot limestone monument anchoring Monument Circle is Indiana's Civil War memorial and the symbolic heart of downtown — just 15 feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty. The circle itself is a free, walkable hub ringed by historic buildings, cafes, and seasonal light shows.

Address: 1 Monument Circle, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Tip: Free to admire and circle anytime. Note: the interior observation tower is closed until further notice for repairs, so the climb and deck view aren't available now — but the plaza, architecture, and winter 'Circle of Lights' display remain.

History & Museums

A monumental 1920s shrine modeled on the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, holding three floors of military history from the Revolution to today. Indianapolis dedicates more acres to veterans than any US city but Washington, D.C., and admission to the entire museum is free.

Address: 431 N Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Tip: Free, open Wednesday–Sunday 9am–5pm. The soaring Shrine Room upstairs is the highlight. The surrounding five-block Memorial Plaza district includes the USS Indianapolis and Medal of Honor memorials — all free to walk.

History & Architecture

Indiana's 1888 limestone-and-marble capitol gleams beneath a stained-glass rotunda dome. Free guided tours walk visitors through the House, Senate, Supreme Court, and governor's offices while covering the building's architecture and all three branches of state government.

Address: 200 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Tip: Tours are free, 30–45 minutes, weekdays — call ahead to confirm times. Self-guided visits are welcome during business hours. Pair it with the neighboring Indiana State Library's stained glass and murals, also free.

Parks & Nature

A 94-acre wooded park along the White River whose centerpiece is 'The Ruins' — salvaged neoclassical statues and columns from a demolished 1890s New York skyscraper, arranged into a dramatic free sculpture garden with fountains. Miles of nature trails and a free nature center round it out.

Address: 6363 Spring Mill Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46260

Tip: Free, dawn to dusk. The Ruins photograph best in late-afternoon light. The nature center has hands-on exhibits and is free. Trails lead down to the river — wear sturdy shoes after rain.

Arts & Culture

One of the country's largest art-and-nature parks, free year-round on the Newfields campus. Wander 100 acres of woods, wetlands, and a 35-acre lake dotted with large-scale contemporary sculptures you can climb and explore — no ticket needed, unlike the adjacent museum and gardens.

Address: 1850 W 38th St, Indianapolis, IN 46208

Tip: Free, dawn to dusk, with free parking off 38th Street. This is separate from the paid Newfields galleries and Lume. The visitor pavilion restrooms close November 1–April 1. Great for kids and easy strolling.

Parks & Gardens

Indianapolis's oldest city park centers on three restored European-style Sunken Gardens — symmetrical beds, fountains, and arbors that are free to stroll and a longtime favorite for photos. The surrounding park adds trails, an arts center, and a historic pagoda.

Address: 2505 Conservatory Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46203

Tip: The Sunken Gardens are free to walk Tuesday–Sunday. Note the indoor tropical Conservatory is currently closed for construction; admission was $5 when open. Blake's Garden, a free children's space, sits just east.

History & Cemeteries

The nation's third-largest cemetery doubles as a 555-acre arboretum and open-air history museum, free to walk among the graves of President Benjamin Harrison, poet James Whitcomb Riley, and outlaw John Dillinger. Riley's hilltop tomb offers a sweeping 360-degree downtown panorama.

Address: 700 W 38th St, Indianapolis, IN 46208

Tip: Grounds are free to wander dawn to dusk. The Foundation's guided Heritage, Dillinger, and tree tours run $15 (advance online only). The Gothic gates and Riley's crown-of-the-hill tomb are the landmark stops.

Shopping & Strolling

A restored 1930s Coca-Cola bottling plant turned Art Deco entertainment hub on the Mass Ave corridor. Wandering the terra-cotta halls, Garage Food Hall, and shops is free; you pay only if you eat, bowl at Pins Mechanical, or catch a film at the boutique cinema.

Address: 850 Massachusetts Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Tip: Free to explore. The Garage Food Hall has 20-plus affordable vendors — a solid budget lunch stop. The Cultural Trail and Monon Trail meet here, so you can walk or bike in from downtown.

Parks & Nature

One of the ten largest municipal parks in the country — roughly 3,900 acres of forest, trails, and a 1,400-acre reservoir on the city's northwest side. Two free nature centers, a swimming beach, and miles of hiking and paved trails fill a full day for the price of parking.

Address: 7840 W 56th St, Indianapolis, IN 46254

Tip: $6 per car for Marion County residents, $8 out-of-county, or just $1 to walk or bike in. Nature centers are free with admission. Free weekend 'Meet a Raptor' sessions run at the Ornithology Center.

Museums & Galleries

A small, characterful museum on Indiana Avenue celebrating the Indianapolis-born author of Slaughterhouse-Five, with his typewriter, rejection letters, drawings, and Purple Heart on display. Free self-guided audio tours and a wall-length Tralfamadorian timeline make it punch well above its size.

Address: 543 Indiana Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Tip: $12 adults, $8 students; free the first Monday of each month. Self-guided audio tours are included; a noon guided tour adds $5. Closed Tuesdays. Allow about an hour.

Family Fun

Two floors of interactive exhibits in White River State Park celebrating all 24 NCAA sports — try the simulators, shoot hoops in a 1930s-style retro gym, and test your sports trivia. A fun, affordable stop in the heart of the downtown attraction cluster.

Address: 700 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Tip: $10 adults, $5 youth 6–17, under 5 free, with free-admission days on MLK Day, Presidents Day, and Juneteenth. Open Wednesday–Sunday. Budget about 90 minutes for the hands-on exhibits.

Museums & Galleries

Inside the 1896 pathology building of the former Central State Hospital, this eerie, fascinating museum preserves original labs, a 19th-century teaching amphitheater, and antique instruments exactly as they were. Guided tours bring the history of early psychiatry and medicine to vivid life.

Address: 3270 Kirkbride Way, Indianapolis, IN 46222

Tip: $10 adults, $5 under 18; tours by appointment only, capped at 8, on the hour Wednesday–Saturday. The two-floor tour has no elevator. Intense subject matter may not suit young children.

Historic Sites

The restored 16-room Italianate mansion of the 23rd president, packed with original Harrison family furnishings, art, and some 10,000 artifacts. Guided tours walk through the Gilded Age home where Harrison ran his 1888 'front porch' campaign for the White House.

Address: 1230 N Delaware St, Indianapolis, IN 46202

Tip: $12 adults, $7 youth 5–17, under 5 free; visits are by timed guided tour. Special programs and a seasonal murder-mystery theater cost extra. Check hours before visiting — it's closed some weekdays.

Arts & Culture

A standout museum in White River State Park pairing Native American art and artifacts with one of the finest collections of Western and cowboy art east of the Rockies. Galleries span historic to contemporary Indigenous voices inside a striking adobe-style building.

Address: 500 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Tip: $20 adults, $12 youth 5–17, under 5 free; Indiana college students are free with ID, and enrolled tribal members enter free. Buy online two weeks ahead to save up to 20%.

History & Museums

Indiana's flagship museum on the downtown canal tells the state's story across natural history, science, and culture — from Ice Age mastodons to an immersive look at all 92 counties — plus a giant-screen IMAX theater, all under one roof.

Address: 650 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Tip: $23 adults, $17 youth 3–17, and just $5 for Indiana college students; periodic free museum days are listed on the calendar. A $4 parking validation comes with admission. Buy online to save $1.

Museums & Galleries

Freshly reopened after an $89 million renovation and named one of Time's World's Greatest Places of 2026, the museum inside the legendary Brickyard displays Indy 500-winning cars, racing history, and an immersive Starting Line experience at the home of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Address: 4750 W 16th St, Indianapolis, IN 46222

Tip: $25 adults, $18 youth 6–16, under 6 free — the priciest stop here, but a bucket-list pick for race fans. Track tours and the kiss-the-bricks experience cost extra. Reserve a timed-entry slot ahead.