Discover Indianapolis and get back to what America is really all about

Irish Daily Mirror

01-07-2025

If your sole bit of go-to knowledge about Indianapolis was that they race cars there for a very long distance in one go, then you're in good company.
I must confess that I hadn't given the place much thought until invited on the inaugural Aer Lingus direct flight from Dublin to the capital of Indiana, known to locals and visitors alike as Indy.
Also historically known as the 'Crossroads of America' thanks to its Midwest location, Indy served as a transport hub for legit and not-so-legit goods for many years — featuring prominently in slave railroad and Prohibition era tales of smuggling, firefights and car chases.
Nowadays it's a prospering Midwest city — the 16th most-populated city in the US — but its unhurried atmosphere and acres of bike trails and walking areas studded with impressive war monuments mean it's a far more relaxing prospect than even its nearby cousin Chicago.
Our journey began with an eight-hour flight from Dublin with Aer Lingus on a brand new A321 XLR (extra long range) aircraft that will be servicing this route as well as Nashville and other similarly distant US cities.
The beauty of leaving from Dublin in these trying times for those across the Atlantic is that you complete all customs and immigration formalities before you even leave Irish soil.
And despite all the recently raised fears around social media checks and interrogations, a brief interview was all it took along with a check of the ESTA (apply at least a week in advance).
On the other side was where this flight really showed its worth. As the only international flight to land at Indy's airport, we found ourselves at the baggage hall before we knew it with no further checks and into a car for the 15-minute transfer downtown.
I don't know any other US city where you'd get even your bag back in that time so this was another major selling point for the route.
Then when we arrived at the stunning Bottleworks Hotel — a sprawling former Coca Cola bottling plant now a painfully cool art deco hotel — we saw they'd lit it up in Irish colours to welcome us to their city. And that, for me, became the theme of the four-day trip to Indy. Welcome.
Everywhere we went from then on, we found an overwhelming welcome from all walks of life, be they working in a cafe offering exotic coffees or running the sprawling NFL Lucas Oil stadium whose towering hulk adds some beef to Indy's delicate skyline.
This city is fond of the arts, with districts offering handmade curiosities, underground music bars and row after row of vintage shops where you can browse to your heart's content.
For those with younger kids, Indy is tailor-made for you with a superb zoo (see below), a gigantic kids' museum and all the biking and walking trails you could ever want.
The Cultural Trail Bike Tour was a highlight one morning and is a great way to get your bearings before stopping for a well-earned coffee.
Another superb way to explore is by canoe and Frank's Paddlesports Livery is the one to look for here, with a guided tour of the White River an absolute highlight of the trip.
Imagine letting the current take you on this historic waterway while all around you basking turtles slither into the water as you pass while above you bald eagles mark their turf with a piercing cry. Bliss.
Indianapolis is a city steeped in history too, with people having lived in this area for millennia.
Even now they are only getting around to excavating some ancient catacombs found under a carpark of all things — while a trip to the iconic Slippery Noodle bar ended in a beer-fuelled tour of its cellars and its past as a stop on the Underground Railway, a place of refuge for hunted slaves desperate to escape snatch squads and make it to freedom in the north.
Or if that's not American enough for you, what about a trip to a baseball game?
Victory Field is smack-bang in the middle of Indy and the spot to watch the Indianapolis Indians take on their foes while chowing down on $1 hot dogs with all the trimmings.
And of course when talking about sport in this sport-mad city, the big dog in the room is the Indy 500 — the largest one-day sporting event in the world, where more than 350,000 fans cram in to watch fearless drivers slug it out over 500 gruelling miles to take the most famous crown in US racing.
A visit to the Speedway is a must with an extensive museum and attraction as well as a display of some of the finest race cars ever built.
When it comes to refuelling yourself after all these exertions, Indy boasts some superb dining options, too with the most famous being St Elmo's Steak House where they serve just one starter — a renowned shrimp cocktail served with an eye-watering sauce that will quite simply explode your sinuses for a few terrifying moments before vanishing entirely.
Or then there's the achingly cool Bluebeard restaurant — named after one of local Kurt Vonnegut's books, he of Slaughterhouse-Five fame — where local and seasonal fare is transformed into mouthwatering delicacies accompanied by an extensive wine list.
Then a gentle walk back to the hotel, passing dive bars playing soft jazz into the warm air of the night. This is the America we all dreamed of as kids growing up on a strict diet of US TV shows. It's not anger and division or fear and mistrust that rule America. To me, it's the people who make you feel welcome. And it's good to know they're still there.
One of the things Indianapolis shares with Dublin, along with a bustling bar scene and friendly natives, is an expansive and state-of-the-art zoo within the city limits.
It's housed along the White River, a short walk from Mile Square, home to the impressive Indiana War and Memorial Museum.
Within its gates it's home to an incredible range of animals from dolphins to giant tortoises, grizzly bears, African elephants, orangutans and even wildebeest, which I have never seen in a zoo before.
However their outstanding feature is an expansive new chimpanzee run, a series of interconnected mesh tunnels that let the giant apes have the full run of the park.
The zoo's Tim Littig was kind enough to show me around and explain how the notoriously tetchy primates are both kept away from each other and allowed to explore and how the management team protect weaker members of the tribe while ensuring a rich environment for the young, strong and boisterous males.
I also got up close and personal with a giant of the zoo, the elephant matriarch who obligingly let me scratch her bristly hide and endured me peering behind her ears without crushing me like a pea.
And that was barely the half of it. We could go on about spotting baby orangutans hiding in the straw or grizzly bears wrestling but to really experience it you have to go.
A simply fantastic day out awaits any family on a trip of a lifetime to Indianapolis.
Getting there:
Aer Lingus fly four times a week direct to Indianapolis, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Fares from €499 return.
In a nutshell:
Indianapolis is a compact gem of a US city, offering a great introduction to American urban life for families and those not yet ready for the chaos of New York, Chicago or LA.
Go to Visit Indy to plan your perfect US getaway.