My husband and I will be coming in Indy in November for the Pats vs Colts game (we are Colts fans!) for the weekend and staying at the Conrad Indianapolis. Is there anything that is a must see/do while we are there? We have both never been in Indy before and want to see and do as much as possible during our stay.
What to do in Indy in November???Well, first off, enjoy a Colts romp over the NE Patriots (I%26#39;ll suspend disbelief for the moment, and trust that you are, indeed, a Colts fan ...).
Among the things to do on the weekend of November 2nd, 3rd, %26amp; 4th:
Comedian Lewis Black will be at the Murat Theater, in the heart of the vibrant Mass Avenue district (Saturday).
John Mellencamp will be performing at Conseco Fieldhouse (Saturday).
The Indianapolis Museum of Art is always interesting - they%26#39;ll be featuring an artist (don%26#39;t remember her / his? name) who will be taking tracings and drawings from innocuous items such as scratches on the bleachers, marks on the retaining walls, oil stains in the pits/garages, etc. from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and converting them to art. This exhibit starts the week prior to the Colts/Pats game. There is MUCH more at this museum, but this exhibit is one I%26#39;ve been looking forward to.
The Pacers play the Heat (Shaq %26amp; Dwayne Wade) on Friday night at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is interesting, and they typically have bus tours of the track.
You%26#39;re staying at one of the best hotels in town, smack in the middle of the weekend%26#39;s festivities. There should be a number of Colts v. Pats related events announced as the game draws closer.
Have fun - and wear your Colts blue!
What to do in Indy in November???Even if you were a Patriot%26#39;s fan, you will find the people of the city welcoming. We are gracious, even while competitive. If you%26#39;re interested in Native American %26amp; western art, the Eiteljorg Museum is right downtown. Mass. Ave on the northeast end of downtown has lots of shops, galleries %26amp; places to eat, including the Rathskeller (German food) in a beautiful historic building designed by Kurt Vonnegut%26#39;s father.
If shopping is important, you%26#39;ll be staying next to Circle Center Mall.
Fountain Square is another fun area with galleries %26amp; restaurants on the southeast end of downtown. Radio Radio is a very hip, fun club that has live music %26amp; usually low cover charges in that area. You will have to drive to some of the areas, but the city is easy to navigate %26amp; the two art districts mentioned have free parking at night. Have fun.
... well, not all of us are so welcoming to Pats fans. Hoosier hospitality has its limits for even some of the most died-in-the-wool hoosiers. Colts v. Patriots probes those limits.
Good suggestion re: the Rathskellar! My favorite bar in town (old brick and wood bavarian affair with a great selection of draft euro and local brews. The food in the restaurant (and bar) is only passable, IMO. But the bar is not to be missed.
Seriously, ... you%26#39;re not a Pats fan, right?
Thank you for all your wonderful information.
Serious, we are Colts fans (and let me tell you, people here make it hard to be a Colts fan in New England!) We will be going to the game decked out in Blue %26amp; White. :)
Are there any good Sports Bars in the vincinity to the RCA Dome? Also, can we walk right from our hotel on a skywalk over to the Dome?
There are plenty of bars that are within easy walking distance. I don%26#39;t think you can walk inside the whole way to the dome. Hopefully that time of year the weather won%26#39;t be too bad (maybe in the 40%26#39;s by game time) For a possible tailgate party check out stable18.com
You can walk all the way from the Conrad TO the Dome in the skyways. If memory serves, you%26#39;ll have to exit the convention center and walk (exposed) to the Dome, but it%26#39;s just 200 yards or so.
I know there is a way to get into the Dome from the convention center - they are attached and often used jointly for larger conventions; but, I think they restrict or prohibit use of these hallways on game days. Ask the hotel concierge - she%26#39;ll likely know if those connections are open (or may arrange for you to be able to use them).
Just go into Circle Center Mall, walk to the halfway point in the mall and take the skyway there west to the parking garages, then take the parking garage walkway to the skyway connecting to the convention center. You%26#39;ll be following a crowd, who will then lead you through a corner of the convention center to the exit closest to the Dome.
As for sports bars in town I recomend the original unionjack pub or average joes. Those are the most authentically Indy sportsbars and are known hangouts for racers may-august.
Close to the stadium however are gladughs irish pub, the whistle stop in, and Champs Stadium Tavern.
For art close to downtown and authentically indy head to fountain square its slightly larger than mass ave and the traffic will be lighter. Gallery Penumbra, Classic Virtue, Alchemy Art and Aesthetics, Big Car, and the music rich bar RadioRadio are located there.
Champs is a nice sports bar opposite the Conrad in Circle Center Mall. There is a Rock Bottom also just a few doors down from the Conrad that is good, too.
As other people have mentioned, Mass Ave. is a great for an evening. The Rathskellar frequentlt has music outdoors in their beer garden, esp. on Friday nights. Also good along Mass Ave. are MacNivens and Chatham Tap (good bar food and great domestic and foreign beer selections), ComedySportz (improv comedy club), Scholars Inn and Agio (great food, fancier and pricier than MacNivens and Chatham Tap), the Chatterbox (jazz club), and Bazbeaux Pizza (pizza, of course).
I also recommend checking out Mass Ave. There are lots of greats shops for walking around during the day and it the neighborhood as nice character to it. I think Chatham Tap is one of the best restuarants in the area but I agree that the Rathskellar is worth checking out for drinks. Chatham Tap is a nice English style pub with great food and big flat screens for watching sports. Also it%26#39;s smoke-free until 11pm!
I recommend the wings!
