Pride Journey Outdoors: Indianapolis, Indiana

I may be partial to Indianapolis, as I currently do reside here. There are tons of fun activities to do outdoors during the summer. A blue dot in a red state, Indy is overcome with rainbows during Pride month. Almost every business along Mass Ave. is adorned with a rainbow flag. Here are just a few things visitors can do during their visit.

Indianapolis Cultural Trail

Back in 2013, the city took out one lane of vehicular traffic to make way for the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, a downtown addition that breathed new life into neighborhoods and reinvigorated cultural districts throughout the city. Deemed "the biggest and boldest step by any American city" by Project for Public Spaces, the 8-mile Indianapolis Cultural Trail now connects all seven of Indy's Cultural Districts. From Mass Ave or White River State Park to Fletcher Place and Fountain Square, the trail is a safe, healthy and convenient way to explore the city. From its inception, the Cultural Trail was planned as a place for public art. Rather than focusing entirely on the destination, the Cultural Trail encourages you to enjoy the journey along the way. If you’re up for a ride, the Indiana Pacers Bikeshare offers more than 50 stations throughout the city with 525 bikes available for daily rental.

White River State Park

One stop along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail will take you into White River State Park, the 250-acre greenspace in the middle of downtown Indy. White River State Park is home to several of the city’s top tourist attractions including the Indy Zoo, The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, The NCAA Hall of Champions, The Indiana State Museum, Indiana Historical Society, a concert venue and Victory Field, home to AAA baseball’s Indianapolis Indians. Aside from the cultural attractions, White River State Park is also a great spot for a leisurely stroll, a picnic or a game of catch in the lawn. Within the park, visitors will find the Central Canal, which serves the downtown community as a waterside promenade for walkers, runners, bikers and sightseers. When the weather is hot and the days are long, you may find the canal itself packed with paddle boats, kayaks and Italian-imported gondolas.

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Photos Courtesy of Visit Indy

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