3 days of monuments, race cars and the Brown County hills

Downtown Indianapolis, on foot and on the flat. A tall monument on a brick circle, a memorial plaza of stone and lawns a few blocks north, then the state museum and the riverside park on the west edge of downtown.

1. Breakfast

   Pancakes, bacon and coffee

   A plate of pancakes with syrup and a side of bacon, a plain, filling start before a day of walking downtown.

   Local tip Share a stack with the children, and ask for the syrup on the side.
2. 1
   Morning

   Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument

   A tall neoclassical monument on Monument Circle, the brick-paved ring at the center of downtown, dedicated in 1902 to Indiana's soldiers and sailors. Walk once around the circle and read the carved figures at its base. It is a memorial, so keep voices low near the steps. Check ahead on whether the inside can be visited.

   Go when Morning, or evening (about 7:53 PM) when the monument is lit.

   Local tip Walk once around the circle, then read the carved figures at the base. It is a memorial, so keep voices low near the steps and check ahead on whether the inside can be visited.

   

   About 7 min walk0.4 mi
3. 2
   Morning

   Indiana World War Memorial Plaza

   A memorial plaza of lawns, fountains and stone a few blocks north of the circle, built to honor the veterans of World War I. Its focal point is a stone memorial modeled on an ancient tomb, with a military museum inside. Open space for children to stretch their legs, in a place that asks for respect. Check ahead on the museum.

   Go when Late morning, once the lawns are in the sun.

   Local tip The lawns give children room to run, but this is a place of remembrance, so keep it calm near the memorial. Check ahead on the military museum inside.

   

4. Lunch

   Pork tenderloin sandwich

   A breaded, fried pork cutlet, pounded thin and often wider than the bun, served with pickles and onion. A sandwich the Midwest takes seriously and Indiana claims as its own.

   Local tip Cut it in half to share, or eat the overhanging edge with a fork.

   About 15 min walk0.7 mi
5. 3
   MiddayIndoor

   Indiana State Museum

   A museum on the west edge of downtown about the science, art, culture and history of Indiana, from the Ice Age to today. A good indoor stop for the middle of the day. Check ahead on the exhibits and on any ticket.

   Go when Midday, as an indoor stop.

   Local tip Pick a few galleries and follow what the children ask about rather than trying to see everything. Check ahead on the exhibits and on any ticket.

   

   About 3 min walk0.1 mi
6. 4
   Afternoon

   White River State Park

   An urban park along the White River that holds the state museum, a zoo and a gardens, with paths, lawns and water. Walk the riverside paths and let children run. Check ahead on events, since the park hosts concerts and festivals.

   Go when Afternoon, on the paths along the water (about 7:53 PM).

   Local tip Let the children run on the lawns and walk the riverside path. The park hosts concerts and festivals, so check ahead on events and on closed paths.

   

7. Dinner

   Hoosier-style chili

   A bowl of beef and bean chili, ladled hot with crackers on the side, a simple supper for a cool evening after a day on foot.

   Local tip Ask for the mild bowl if children are at the table, and add the toppings yourself.

A day by car, with short drives between stops. The race track on the west side, the children's museum north of downtown, then an art campus with gardens and a nature park a few miles away.

1. Travel from White River State ParkAbout 17 min by car or transit4.0 mi

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Scrambled eggs, sausage and toast

   A plain, filling plate of eggs, sausage and buttered toast with a glass of milk or a coffee, before a day of driving and queues.

   Local tip Eat a full breakfast, since the track and the museum have long walks.
3. 1
   Morning

   Indianapolis Motor Speedway

   The home of the Indianapolis 500, a banked oval racing circuit in the town of Speedway, west of downtown, built in 1909. What you can see depends on events, so check ahead on tours, on the museum in the infield and on any race or practice days that close parts of the grounds. Children who like cars will want a long look.

   Go when Morning, on a day when the grounds are open.

   Local tip What you can see depends on events, so check ahead on tours, on the museum in the infield and on any race or practice day that closes parts of the grounds. The kids will want to see the track itself.

   

4. Lunch

   Breaded tenderloin plate

   The same breaded pork cutlet as the sandwich, served as a plate with fries or a side, for those who want to skip the bun.

   Local tip Ask whether the cutlet is cut thin, since the thin ones fry crisp.

   About 17 min by car or transit4.1 mi
5. 2
   MiddayBook aheadIndoor

   The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

   A museum made for families, said to be the largest children's museum in the world, with five floors of mostly hands-on exhibits. Dinosaur settings, a carousel, a steam locomotive and a tall glass sculpture are among them. Check ahead on tickets and timed entry.

   Go when Midday, as an indoor stop. Weekends are busy.

   Local tip Choose two or three floors and let the children set the pace. There are stairs and long walks between exhibits, so wear comfortable shoes, and check ahead on tickets and timed entry.

   

   About 10 min by car or transit1.8 mi
6. 3
   Afternoon

   Newfields

   The campus of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, about three miles north of downtown, with an art museum, a historic house and gardens, and a nature park with trails and outdoor art. Choose the art, the gardens or the park, depending on the mood and the weather. Check ahead on tickets and on what is on.

   Go when Afternoon, in the gardens if it is dry (about 7:53 PM).

   Local tip The campus is large, so choose between the art museum, the gardens and the nature park rather than all three. Check ahead on tickets and on what is on.

   

7. Dinner

   Sweet corn, in season

   Sweet corn boiled or grilled on the cob with butter and salt, a summer plate in Indiana, served with grilled chicken or a burger.

   Local tip The corn is freshest from a farm stand in summer, and there is no point chasing it out of season.

A day south by car, into the wooded hills of Brown County. A small art colony town, a large state park, then an artist's home and studio and a state forest. It is a drive from the city, so go early, check the road and take water.

1. Drive from NewfieldsAbout 1 h 11 min by car42.7 mi

   Where Day 2 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Fried biscuits and apple butter

   Hot, fried rounds of biscuit dough served with a spoon of apple butter, a thick, slow-cooked, spiced spread. A sweet hill-country breakfast for the road to Brown County.

   Local tip Spread the apple butter while the biscuit is still hot.
3. 1
   Morning

   Nashville, Indiana

   The small town and county seat of Brown County, in the hills of southern Indiana, known as the center of the Brown County Art Colony and as a tourist destination. This is Nashville, Indiana, not the city in Tennessee. Walk its streets, look at the old courthouse square and the local galleries, and take your time. Weekends in the fall are busy, so check ahead on parking.

   Go when Morning, before the streets fill.

   Local tip Walk the streets and the courthouse square and look at the local galleries. It is Nashville, Indiana, not the city in Tennessee. Weekends in the fall are busy, so check ahead on parking.

   

   About 25 min by car or transit6.7 mi
4. 2
   Midday

   Brown County State Park

   The largest state park in Indiana, on the edge of the town of Nashville, opened in 1929 and named a memorial to the Indiana humorist Kin Hubbard. Wooded ridges, lookouts and trails make it a place for a short walk or a long one. The hills are steep in places, so wear shoes with a grip, and check ahead on the entry rules and on the trails.

   Go when Midday into afternoon, in dry weather.

   Local tip Drive to a lookout, then take a short trail. The hills are steep and slick after rain, so wear shoes with a grip, carry water, and check ahead on the entry rules and on the trails.

   

5. Lunch

   Persimmon pudding

   A baked pudding made from the pulp of wild persimmons, dense and spiced with cinnamon, a regional dessert of the Midwest and of the Indiana hills in the fall.

   Local tip Eat it warm with whipped cream, and share, since one slice goes a long way.

   About 17 min by car or transit4.1 mi
6. 3
   AfternoonIndoor

   T. C. Steele State Historic Site

   The home and studio of the painter Theodore Clement Steele, who settled in Brown County and painted its hills, run as a state historic site. Look at the house, the studio and the gardens and trails around them. Check ahead on the opening and on tours.

   Go when Afternoon, as a gentle stop between the hills.

   Local tip Look at the studio first, then walk the gardens and the short trails. It is run as a state historic site, so check ahead on the opening and on tours.

   

   About 17 min by car or transit4.2 mi
7. 4
   Afternoon

   Yellowwood State Forest

   A large state forest in the hills of Brown County, with hiking trails, built partly by work crews in the Great Depression, and named for the yellowwood tree. Take a short trail and a picnic if the weather holds. Wear boots, check ahead on trail conditions and leave before dark.

   Go when Late afternoon (about 7:53 PM), for a short trail.

   Local tip Take a short, well-marked trail and keep the group together. Wear boots, carry water, and check ahead on trail conditions. Leave before dark.

   

8. Dinner

   Sugar cream pie

   A custard pie of cream, sugar and cornstarch, sometimes called Hoosier pie, made in Indiana since the state was founded. Plain and sweet, a good end to a day in the hills.

   Local tip Take a slice with coffee, and ask for it cold or at room temperature.