We visited the great city of Indianapolis as a family and visited so many great spots! Here you will find 11 family friendly places to make a wonderful weekend adventure.
We had such a great time visiting Indianapolis in February. Since we live in Columbus, it was a short road trip, a little less than three hours! Because it’s centrally located in Indiana, you can easily get there to spend a weekend or even a day at some of our favorite family-friendly spots. Here are 11 places that we enjoyed while in Indy!
#1: The Indianapolis Zoo
First up was the Indianapolis Zoo, of course. We loved the Indianapolis Zoo, it was super interactive and the animals were so close! They had some really awesome exhibits like dolphins and orangutans.
There was even a whole area dedicated to nursing mom’s which is definitely helpful for all your breastfeeding mama’s out there. Since we were there in February, we didn’t get to take part in the splash pad or some of the rides, but we’ll definitely be back to enjoy them.
Check out our whole recap of the Indianapolis Zoo here.
#2: Joella’s Hot Chicken
After the Zoo, we were pretty starving so we went up to Joella’s Hot Chicken on E 96th Street. It was delicious and there was something for everyone, including Baby O.
They have a bunch of locations around Kentucky and Indiana and soon Ohio, so if you see one, definitely stop and eat there!
Full recap of our meal at Joella’s Hot Chicken is here.
#3: Indie Coffee Roasters
Since we had been traveling all day and also walking around the zoo, we needed a little coffee pick me up. You guys know we love a good local coffee shop so we stuck to those all weekend.
Our first visit was at the new Indie Coffee Roasters in Carmel, Indiana – a suburb outside of Indianapolis. We obviously picked them because their mascot is a wiener dog just like Herbert.
Their coffee was wonderful and the coffee shop is definitely a place I would like to spend some time at if we lived here. Bonus points because you can walk around in downtown Carmel and visit some other adorable local restaurants and shops.
#4: Charlie Brown’s Pancake & Steak House
On Day Two, I had to do a little bit of work so I met my Chipotle Team at this adorable little diner near the Indy Speedway. Charlie Brown’s Pancake & Steak House is full of race car memorabilia, people drinking black coffee and delicious diner food.
These blueberry pancakes were pretty delicious, the giant amount of whipped cream didn’t hurt either. I can only imagine how packed this place gets on race weekends!
#5: Kaffeine Coffee
Since one of our main food groups is coffee, we had to visit another spot. Kaffeine Coffee was next on our list and it was such a cool spot. It’s located on Fulton Street in an alley near the Mass Ave Arts District.
The decor was super cool inside and the service was awesome, they seem to really take pride in the art of coffee roasting here.
In addition to our super-caffeinated beverages, we also got an almond croissant that was pretty delicious. I’m not sure if they make them our source from a local baker but regardless, it was tasty. Bonus points, you can waltz right on over to the Indianapolis City Market.
#6: Indianapolis City Market
The Indianapolis City Market has about 25 locally owned and operated food stalls, shops and beverage places. We were only in here for a few minutes because it’s not totally stroller friendly but we had an amazing crepe and pretzel. If I worked in downtown Indianapolis, I would definitely stop here for lunch a few times a week.
#7: Taqueria Zamortias
Since we didn’t really eat too much, we grabbed some tacos from a local spot called Taqueria Zamortias, located at 1526 W Washington St. It was absolutely delicious.
Whenever we travel, we always look for the most low-key kind of sketchy looking taco spot and you’ll probably find the tastiest Mexican food. Also, yes, we are eating in the car because Baby O was sleeping and I’m not about to wake her up to eat inside.
#8: Lincoln Square Pancake House
The next day we start breakfast off with these amazing donut biscuits with apple butter from Lincoln Square Pancake House. I love love loved this place (located at 7305 E 21st Stand) and wish we had one in Columbus. It was homey, the food was delicious and great service.
We have more details like my banana bread french toast here on the blog.
#9: Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
We spent a ton of time at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and it was so fun! They have a ton of super interactive activities for kids (and adults) of all ages. The prices vary throughout the year depending on seasonality so be sure to check it out online.
We have a whole blog post dedicated to the largest children’s museum… in the WORLD over here.
#10: Punch Burger
After running around all morning at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, we were pretty hungry. We stopped downtown at Punch Burger for a bite to eat and it was absolutely fabulous. The service was fantastic and the food was delicious.
All their beef is locally sourced in Indiana which is super great and they have a kid-friendly atmosphere which is double great. I got their plain ol’ Punch Cheeseburger but they have some really creative options to go along with their tots, waffle fries, grilled cheeses, and milkshakes!
The whole menu can be viewed here.
#11: Bee Coffee
One last stop on our way out of town was obviously a coffee shop. This time, we visited Bee Coffee near the Convention Center in Downtown Indianapolis. It was a cute little shop that had some fun local items in it too which definitely cater to us tourists.
We hope you enjoyed our list of 11 places to visit in Indianapolis! Share in the comments where else you’d add to the list here!
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