Attend professional sports events, tour parks filled with museums and historical landmarks and enjoy both traditional and contemporary theatre scenes.

With excellent art and museum exhibitions, picturesque parks, theatres, basketball and football, a visit to Downtown Indianapolis has enough to keep you busy for days. The Indianapolis Cultural Trail is an 8-mile-long (13-kilometre) biking and walking route connecting the many attractions and diverse districts of Downtown Indianapolis.

The Indian State Capitol, a grand neoclassical masterpiece at the heart of the district, is open for guided tours. Walk to Monument Circle, where the Soldiers and Sailors Monument has Civil War exhibits and panoramic views from an observation deck. Watch a show at the Hilbert Circle Theatre, home of the Indiana Symphony Orchestra.

The imposing Indiana War Memorial commemorates American war veterans. Delve into Confederate and Union military history at the memorial’s Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum. Pretty plazas decorated with fountains and statues frame the memorial. Enjoy the serene ambiance of University Park and Obelisk Square.

Make your way to the Wholesale District for basketball, live music and theatre. The NBA Indiana Pacers play at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Book tickets for a play at the Indiana Repertory Theatre. Dine on international cuisine, sample craft beers and shop for organic produce at Indianapolis City Market.

In the Lockerbie Square district, striking Italianate, Queen Anne and Victorian homes line leafy streets. Visit the former residence of a revered children’s poet at the James Whitcomb Riley Museum. Performing arts venues, pubs and varied restaurants spread along nearby Massachusetts Avenue.

Be sure to spend a day at the 250-acre (100-hectare) White River State Park. This popular park features museums such as the Indiana State Museum and Eiteljorg Museum, which celebrates cultures of the American West. See a baseball game at Victory Field and spot over 200 species of animals at Indianapolis Zoo. NFL fans flock to the Lucas Oil Stadium to watch the Indianapolis Colts play football.

Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses serve the city, stopping at Union Station, a short walk from Downtown Indianapolis attractions. Use the low-cost Indiana Pacers Bikeshare system while here.