"Indianapolis - The Circle City" Indianapolis by PKCass

My parents are both from Indiana, and some of my earliest childhood memories are of going to Indianapolis to visit relatives. It wasn't until I was an adult that I actually had a chance to stay in downtown Indianapolis. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of things there were to do downtown. Though my main purpose on my visit was to do some genealogical research at the state library, it was easy to see that Indianapolis would be a fun place for a family vacation.

Indianapolis is a pedestrian friendly city. There is a large mall (Circle Centre) located right downtown. If like me you are interested in Indiana genealogy, the state library is very nice and has microfilm copies of newspapers from all over the state.

Part of the Soldier's and Sailor's Monument

Indianapolis is called "The Circle City" because of the Monument Circle in the center of the city. Originally, the governor's house was inside the circle, but now there's a impressive limestone monument to the Indiana soldiers and sailors who fought in the American Revolution, War of 1812, Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War. There's a museum in the bottom of this monument, and it's also possible take an elevator to the top of the monument. The elevator trip is not advisable during the summer as it gets quite hot at the top of the monument.

• Pros:Pedestrian friendly, many restaraunts, plenty of shopping