One of the truly wonderful things about downtown Indy is the Circle Center mall. This is a four level mall literally ACROSS the street from the Hyatt. Did you see that? Literally, across the street! I love this mall. It’s filled with great stores like Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Gap, Nordstrom’s, and many more. So if you were looking at the free night Saturday night and not sure what to do, wonder no more. Head across the street with a couple new friends and enjoy some shopping. The full list of stores is here: http://www.simon.com/mall/malldirectory.aspx?id=163.
Restaurants
Also included in the Circle Center mall are more than twenty restaurants distributed evenly between a food court that includes one of our family favorites (Chick-Fil-A) and ten fabulous sit down restaurants including PF Changs, Ruth Chris Steak House and Palomino European Bistro. There literally is something for every pocketbook. And while there is a Starbucks on the main floor of the hotel, there is also a Panera across the street where you can get your coffee and pastries and an Einstein Bagels around the corner.
Museums
Downtown Indy is flooded with museums. Unfortunately, the historical museums are closed on Mondays. But that means they are open on the weekends. Here are a few examples you can check out…
o The Eiteljorg Museum of American Art: http://www.eiteljorg.org/: this museum has a western flair and I’ve heard fabulous things about it though I’ve never been.
o The Indiana Historical Museum has some great looking exhibits: http://www.indianahistory.org/ I can’t quite tell if it’s open on Monday…they didn’t seem too interested in a group tour, but if you’re looking for a history experience, check it out.
o The Children’s Museum is fantastic! My kids can’t get enough of it: http://www.childrensmuseum.org/ though it isn’t immediately downtown and would require a short taxi ride.
o Finally, for your consideration I offer the Benjamin Harrison home. This is open on Saturday and Monday and looks fantastic. http://www.presidentbenjaminharrison.org/ The president’s former residence is filled with items from that era and gives you an authentic look at life in the United States in
Learn more about Cara Putman and her books at her website.