Hey, I love my city, and am perplexed by people who say there’s nothing to do. There’s ALWAYS something to do!
I should mention: there’s a couple bike rental places downtown. There’s one by the White River State Park, across from the NCAA headquarters where you can rent bikes and segways (on a guided tour only, unfortunately). There’s a paddle boat and touring car thing (?) on the canal, and there’s bike rentals from the YMCA Bike Hub in the City Market.
The ideas keep coming!
Indianapolis Brew Bus
Comes and picks you up anywhere downtown, and shuttles you between three of the local microbreweries - Sun King, Flat 12 and Bier (or Fountain Square). $30. A little spendy, and doubtful you’ll go for it having to look after kids, but more for those peeking into the thread.
I agree 100% with this. I figure the ones saying there is nothing to do either haven’t been here for 20 years or aren’t trying.
Munch pretty much got the majority… I had just looked to see if by any chance Polka Boy would be at the Biergarten, but you are a week too late. Also the Indians (minor league baseball) are on the road… otherwise they have a really nice stadium right by the zoo.
I’ll elaborate on one thing… I don’t know if you are a beer drinker or not, or if you are you are one who shys away from micro brews thinking they are too bitter/bold/whatever (I know there are lots of these out there… it is why Bud Light sells so well). Anyway, Sun King Cream Ale is a wonderful local brew and I haven’t found anyone who can tolerate beer who didn’t like it. You can find it on tap many places around town.
I don’t get downtown as much as I’d like so I’m not as current on my info as Munch is, but if you do find yourself on the north side I’ll be happy to give you tons of info about things to do up here.
Ooh, thought of some others, for those who like really well mixed alcoholic drinks. Both The Ball & Biscuit and Libertine are “mixology” bars downtown (B&B is on Mass Ave), and I haven’t heard a single word (other than “too expensive” which is 2) negative about them. Drinks will run you $10 or so, but they’re amazing. The small plates at B&B are great, but I haven’t eaten at Libertine.
AND…
There’s a roller derby match up in Fishers on the 16th.
I’m a Cincinnatian and I’ve been to Indy a couple times, being only roughly 90 miles East…the Children’s Museum is really cool although I’m not sure how great it is for adults if you aren’t bringing younger children with you.
And I will second, third or whatever St Elmo’s. Its a pretty damn good steakhouse (not sure if it eclipses our Jeff Ruby’s here) but as with most of these places, its expensive.
I’m not much help other than that. I’ve seen the first round of the NCAA tourney at the RCA dome before, but I don’t think there’s anything going on in that complex right now.
Nope… not much going on in the dome anymore. It was replaced with Lucas Oil Stadium a few years ago. 
FoisGras… we’ll have to trade tips. My kid is going to be going to school in Cinci starting next winter so I’ll be looking for more “insider” tips on things to do since I’ll probably be visiting often. Since we aren’t that far apart, I’m sure I know the major things, but I’d never heard of your steak place before.
Trying to think of things the 16-18 yo boys may enjoy as well. I’ve got a 15 and 16 yo boy so I know their interests can vary greatly but I’ll try to stick with typical “boy” things.
The Eiteljorg has an exhibit called “Steel Ponies” going on that features all sorts of motorcycles, Including one of Evil Knievel’s on loan from the Smithsonian. Also the classic Easy Rider bike is there.
The Children’s Museum has a Hot Wheels exhibit going on that my boys and I plan to go to soon. I grew up collecting the early ones, and my boys had tons of yellow track set up in our basement as well. In addition to the toys, they have several real versions of some of the cars.
The 500 museum is fun but may be harder to get to.
The NCAA Hall of Fame has lots of hands on things to do, like shooting free throws, etc.
Again, it may be harder to get to, but the Monon Center in Carmel just opened one of those surfing simulators. I see your location is California so if you have some surfer boys they could come up and impress all the midwest girls with their skills.
I think you can rent Segway’s around the Canal somewhere.
Is there another Indianapolis in the U.S.? One that’s boring and where there’s nothing to do? Some of you people must be talking about that other one because I spent 5 days in the one in Indiana two summers ago, and there was so much to do I couldn’t fit it all in. And I didn’t go beyond walking distance of the convention center either. My favorite part was walking down by the canal and looking at all of the amazing sculptures and artworks. Everywhere you looked there was something new to be found. Good restaurants, interesting architecture…it was really fun.
This link is geared towards dates, but is still a great list of ideas. http://www.indydt.com/50datesunder$50.cfm?&lm=vd
Not sure if Diosa ever came back to read any of these suggestions or not, but on the off chance she sees this today… head to monument circle for the Strawberry festival that is going on today. Strawberry shortcakes galore.
Best day on the Circle! The strawberries are even somewhat fresh.
You can come to my apartment and watch movies. I have most of the Friday the 13th franchise on DVD. I miss being creepy. I’ve become so boring these last few years.
Wow, am I really the first to mention the Rhythm Discovery Center? My wife and I took my kids there back in January, and we all had a blast. It’s an interactive museum dedicated to percussion instruments.
I’ve read everything and am in Indy now! I saw the Strawberry Festival on the news this morning, but we were busy at the tournament until the festival was over :(.
I’m trying to figure out what to do with the kids tomorrow, as they’ve shot down many suggestions. They went to the zoo on Tuesday, they think their prarie thing sounds boring and. . . well, they are being teenagers. I was thinking of doing the Children’s Museum, but doing some sort of photo scavenger hunt while we’re there— will a bunch of teenagers get in the way of the actual little kids there on a Friday morning? I don’t want to take away any enjoyment from the proper age group by having my 17 year olds (who are polite, but 17 year old boys) running around. Thoughts?
I actually just saw this today while looking stuff up. Their website made it look somewhat. . . bare. Is it a good way to kill a few hours?
FWIW: We’re downtown, right by Monument Circle. I do have a car, too!
Last minute suggestions: GO!
I think they’ll be fine. The Children’s Museum really targets a broad spectrum - they won’t even notice the fact that they’re the core audience. I don’t know what crowds there are like during the day, but school’s out, so no huge field trips. I’d think the family trips would come later in the day.
And if you want to make them feel cool and hip, you can take them for coffee at the Earth House Collective. They just started serving breakfast today, but have always been serving coffee. There’s a cool art exhibit there as well they might actually enjoy.
I have been to Indy several times and the closest thing to fun I found there was a strip joint. In the days before Mapquest I drove all over town trying to find the Speedway so I could go to the museum. I finally asked at a gas station. Cletus the Slack-Jawed Hoosier asked, “You mean the Speedway Bar and Grill?”
“No, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Greatest Spectacle in Motor Racing.”
“I dunno.”
Maybe he was just greening a tourist–God knows there is nothing else to do there–because I found a map and it was a half mile from the gas station.
Diosa, if they are 17-yr-old boys you can’t miss taking them to the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home. Ah, the memories of your kids’ previous lives will come flooding back! Not their last lives–the poems are too old for that–the lives before that.
Or you could drop them at a strip club for the day. It’s Indiana so they probably won’t get carded. 
I always look for a baseball game when I’m traveling, and Victory Field is one of my favorite Minor League parks. Unfortunately, the Indians are out of town until next Friday. Too bad, as that may have gone over well with teenaged boys.
I’m posting this anyway in case Skammer is a baseball fan.
DiosaBellisima:
Hmm…hard to say for sure, because we only got there less than an hour before closing. I’d say anyone could easily kill ONE hour there, just on the museum exhibits. How much more time you could kill depends on how much fun you’d have playing with a VERY wide variety of percussion noisemakers.
If you have an interest in music, you’ll certainly find you can spend more time than someone who’s in it just the pure joy of noise. Percussion isn’t just rhythm - steel drums, xylophones and bells can be used to make actual music. When we were there, my 5-year-old saw the letters (notes) on different portions of the steel drum, and she tried to play the alphabet, until she realized there was no “H”. (I explained musical scale to her after that.)
Oh, you’ve met Cletus too! Hell of a guy, isn’t he? He was just kidding around with you; every Hoosier knows of the Speedway since watching cars drive loops is the official state pastime.
I must have been sleepy or drunk when I first posted in this thread; while I indeed grew up near Indianapolis, I wasn’t even born in the same state.