I went there for a conference a while back. It was the most boring place Ive been to.
Thank you for the lovely threadshit.
Sounds like a (tentative) plan. On the larger gathering, I’ve been wanting to have a Dopefest again; the last Indy Dopefest was 3 years ago or so. I think the idea has potential. Plans shall occur…
Not much to add… well, a little. Mass Ave and the Rathskellar are both quite within walking distance of the convention center, as long as your shoes are comfortable and it’s daylight. I’d frankly avoid walking to and from those areas at night from your location downtown, though-- there’s a dead zone between those areas and the bar/restaurant/mall zones in the heart of downtown, with few pedestrians. I’ve known a few people who’ve been mugged going to and fro; a cab’s a good idea then.
I’m on the southside of Indianapolis, in downtown nearly every day. Could be up for a mini Dopefest if one’s in the planning stages, though with juggling school, work, and student teaching, my schedule’s packed.
They have a terrific art museum that,at least when I was there,gave outdoor concerts in the summer. They also have a race track of some kind. You can take a bus trip around it.
The museum was beautiful, the paintings not so much.
Well, not the Super Bowl parade, that’s for sure.
Hmm…when was the last time you were here? The IMA has really put a lot of money into getting traveling exhibits, and their permanent stash has a fair Impressionist collection. They also recently added a very large outdoor nature park, which will be opening this June (20th).
But it’s another cab ride, and you’d have more fun walking over to the Eiteljorg and/or the Indiana State Museum.
If you’re a war buff at all, GB, there’s a lot to find. Monument Circle is easy - it’s the heart of downtown. The Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial is across the canal from the State Museum, and is spectacular at night. A bit further up the canal is a small dedication to the USS Indianapolis (if you’ve seen Jaws, you’ve heard the story of the Indianapolis), which is worth a 5 minute stop while walking the canal (which you should do at some point). If you’re with a friend, there are paddle boats to rent, or you can take a gondola for a bit more money.
I’ve lived in Indy my whole life, and would be willing to be a “tour guide” if you’re interested and don’t mind kids! I think a Dopefest sounds fabulous - no need for anything mini. The last one I attended was almost five years ago.
What days will you be in town? I like to hit the farmer’s market on Wednesday mornings when possible. There’s always a booth run by some Amish ladies who make amazing single-serving pies.
For tons of information, check out www.indydt.com
Were you downtown, at the airport, or on the east side? Because if you got stuck at the Marriott on east 21st Street, yeah that’s not a fun place to be at all.
Well, if we’re doing the farmer’s market, I can’t exactly come up with a reason to say no - I work 10 feet away (and 20 floors up). 
I’ve lived in and about Indy for most of my life, and I’d love to join a Dopefest but realistically with three active kids I barely have time to fit everything in. And for some reason the neighbors think I should spend the few hours I don’t have already comitted in caring for the house/yard.
A couple of other things I thought of if you are interested in History and/or interesting architecture… the Scottich Rite Cathedral is about 6-7 blocks north of the circle on Meridian (the North spoke of the circle), and the Lockerbie area is an interesting restored neighborhood. James Whitcomb Riley’s home is in this neighborhood.
Take a look at the link that Avarie gave and find the map of Downtown… this will give you a good orientation of where things are.
Not too long ago, maybe 30 years. I spent 2 weeks there . They seemed quite proud of the LOVE sculpture.
http://www.scottsdalepublicart.org/collection/love.php This thing.
I’d love to be a part of a dopefest if we have enough people/the time!
Just reviving a thread about my hometown as the time for the visit draws ever closer.
I was going to mention the children’s museum, although that’s a misnomer. The place is very interesting for adults, and I didn’t see one child on display 
You crack me up, gonzomax. In what world is 30 years “not too long ago”? Cities can change dramatically in that timespan!
Anyway, while I live near neighboring Cincinnati (about 90 miles east), I’ve been to some of these places and I’d second any of these recommendations. Indy is a really nice, clean, small-ish Midwestern town with more to do than you’d think. In that respect its not too different than Cincinnati, although I think here we’re a bit older/industrialized than Indianapolis.
While you don’t have kids, the Children’s Museum is really cool and a first-rate facility. Its probably the best museum of its kind in the USA. I felt like a kid all over again as I wandered through it. The fact that they had a King Tut exhibit there at the time was pretty sweet.
In a nutshell.
Indy is a small town masquerading as a big city.
Any news on the potential dopefest?
Dope Fest! Dope Fest! I live here in Indy.
If you’re into history, the Indiana Historical Society is wonderful (and not just because I work there.) It’s right on the canal just a few blocks from the convention center. The admission is cheap (7 bucks) and the exhibits are really cool- we have a great one where we recreated some photos from our archives and populated them with actors, set in several different eras (it sounds kinda lame but it’s actually really fascinating.) The architecture is also beautiful.
Mass. Ave is the most fun cultural district downtown, if you ask me. Since the weather is nice, if you wear comfortable shoes it’s in walking distance. There are bars, theaters, restaurants, etc.
Ooh ooh ooh - if we go to Mass Ave we can go to Yat’s. EVERYone who visits Indy needs to go to Yat’s!
I’m all in favor of a Dopefest - I think out of this thread, Avarie is the only one I’ve ever met.