I just took a trip to Indianapolis with a toddler and it was fantastic. My three year old and I recently tagged along with my husband to Indianapolis. He had a seminar for work so my little buddy and I took the chance to see what Indy had to offer. I love traveling with my son and showing him new experiences but he’s three and does best with a routine so this was a great quick trip option. The first thing I did in preparing for our trip was to search what to do in Indianapolis with a toddler. Turns out, there’s quite a lot!
We arrived on a Thursday and left on a Sunday. This gave us two full days to explore. We decided on the Indianapolis Zoo for the first day and the Indianapolis Children’s Museum for the second.
DAY 1
We arrived at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis on a Thursday evening. Our room was lovely, very spacious, and had a beautiful view. My only complaint was that the windows were able to be opened. They were small and the kind where you pulled the lever towards you like you would if you were dropping mail in a drop box. So it would take effort for someone to get through but when you have a toddler, anything can happen. It wasn’t a deal breaker but I never felt safe having my son near the window.
The hotel had a Starbucks inside the lobby and several great restaurants to choose from. We had dinner that night from Level One. My husband and I shared the shrimp tacos and they were fantastic, I would absolutely get them again. None of the restaurants had kids menus so not the ideal place for family travel but we were there for my husbands seminar so we made it work. I highly recommend the hotel if you’re looking for something conveniently located to lots of shopping and restaurants. If you’re traveling to Indianapolis with a toddler however, it’s not the most child friendly option.
Day 2 Indianapolis Zoo
We spent five hot and sweaty hours at the Indianapolis Zoo. My son LOVES animals so taking him here was a no brainer. Here is what I loved and what wasn’t my favorite…
What I loved
We go to the Detroit Zoo several days a week when the weather is nice. By nice I mean mid 60’s to mid 70’s kind of weather. This was a very hot 90 degree weather kind of day so I was very grateful that the zoo was not near as big as the Detroit Zoo. It was a great size for walking around with a three year old.
There were also several exhibits that were indoors so it gave us a break from the heat. My son really loved the butterflies, stingrays and sharks, dolphin show and Chimpanzees. The stingray and shark touch pool was so fun. My son could have spent all day there. The Chimpanzee exhibit was probably his favorite. It was so special to see them swinging around and being so active.
What Wasn’t My Favorite
Okay, hear me out. I’m about to get picky. I am a former 13 year Disney Cast Member so I’ve gotten accustomed to being in a place with a lot of clear signage. Which turns out, is something I really appreciate. There was several times where we had the option to go right or left and there wasn’t any sort of sign letting us know what was in either direction. I know it’s not just a Disney thing because the Detroit Zoo has these signs at every corner. So yes, we did get out our app or find a map and figure it out. But when you’re traveling through a new place with a toddler, it’s nice to keep things moving efficiently and not knowing where to go made that difficult.
The only other thing I didn’t LOVE was that some of the exhibits seems so small for the animals. I have ZERO authority or knowledge on what is the appropriate amount of space for them. I’m solely basing that on what I’ve grown accustomed to at Disney and the Detroit Zoo. So by comparison, the space allowed for the tigers for instance, seemed very small.
Day 3 Indianapolis Children’s Museum
The Indianapolis Children’s Museum is massive! We spent over four hours here and didn’t come close to seeing everything. I’m a big advocate for choosing what your child will truly enjoy and only doing those things. That plan served us well. There were some areas that my son couldn’t care less about and others that we back to multiple times. The toddler room was his favorite. There was a water table, sand table, playscape, music room, art room and more.
A Few Tips
Parking is free in the parking garage.The best places to park in it are on the second floor near the walkway or on the third floor near the stairs to the walkway.
Pack lots of snacks to be able to push lunch a little later if you can. My son and I bought lunch there right around noon and it was absolutely packed. The lines were long and it was hard to find a seat.
If you’re a sports loving family, be mindful of the weather. The area that is available for sports is massive and looked amazing. We didn’t end up spending any time there because it was blazing hot outside. I’d love to go back in the fall to be able to enjoy those specific exhibits.
Heading Home
Before we left we had a lovely breakfast at Cafe Patachou. We shared the Double Major, Cinnamon Toast and Patawich. All were fantastic. My son had the waffle with fruit and loved it. We got there before they opened and I’m not sorry we did. We weren’t the only ones and it became very busy within the first 15 minutes they were open.
Overall, we had a great time. I’d gladly experience Indianapolis with a toddler again. In fact, we’re planning on going back when the weather cools to finish what we started at the Children’s Museum. If you have any recommendations for our next quick trip, send me a message! I’d love your input! Happy travels!
