Indianapolis has been on a 50-year path to assuring its downtown remains vital and inviting. More than a billion dollars has been spent in downtown development, which included its successful early efforts to become a sports mecca (it\u2019s home to the National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Federation of State High School Associations).<\/p>\n
In the last decade, the city has created 150 miles of bike lanes and trails. The award-winning Cultural Trail<\/a> alone has generated about $300 million in new development. Opened in 2013, this wide pedestrian and bicycle path makes an eight-mile loop around the city\u2019s center, linking the Capitol, the Indianapolis Zoo (Luckily we didn’t go there on the day we visited downtown. A cheetah got loose\u2014no end to the excitement in Indy!), the Canal and White River State Park, six cultural districts, and major museums.<\/p>\n One of these is the Eiteljorg Museum<\/a> of American Indians and Western Art\u2014an unexpected delight in this flat Midwestern city. Noteworthy paintings and bronze sculptures in the downstairs galleries provide a mostly romanticized view of their subjects\u2014settlers, Indians, cowboys, and the landscape. Such works were how Americans on the East Coast first came to appreciate the beauty of America west of the Mississippi.<\/p>\n Upstairs are beautiful photographic portraits and artifacts from many American Indian cultures. The museum offers hands-on demonstrations for kids, too, as well as special exhibits and sales throughout the year. The museum\u2019s indoor-outdoor cafe overlooks the canal and offers southwestern cuisine. A great stop. Also see my review of the Eiteljorg\u2019s neighbor, the Indianapolis State Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n Your Travel Circles:<\/p>\n Indianapolis has been on a 50-year path to assuring its downtown remains vital and inviting. More than a billion dollars has been spent in downtown development, which included its successful early efforts to become a sports mecca (it\u2019s home to … Continue reading \n