Indianapolis is one serious sports town. The Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city in May and August. The city also bills itself as the "Amateur Sports Capital of the World," and boasts world-class sports facilities. Indy natives rally behind the city's pro franchises--the NBA's Indiana Pacers, the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, and the Indianapolis Indians, whose beautiful, cozy downtown stadium has been voted one of the "best small ballparks in America." Hoosiers also fervently follow their local high school teams, especially the basketball team--the annual championship tournament gave rise to the term "Hoosier Hysteria."

In its passion for sports, however, the city does not neglect the arts. In addition to a few notable art museums, Indianapolis also has neighborhoods worth exploring: the Lockerbie Square district downtown with renovated Victorian homes on cobblestoned streets; Broad Ripple Village, a canal-side neighborhood with boutiques, restaurants, and nightlife; and the historic village of Zionsville, 20 minutes north of Indianapolis, with Victorian homes, antiques shops, and brick-paved streets.