Adventure Details

Activity:
Running, Biking
Trail:
Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Monon Trail, Central Canal Towpath, White River Greenway (Central)
Interest:
Parks & Nature, Art & History, Kids & Family
Region:
Central, North

From sculptures suspended in midair to bold murals and nature-infused installations, this artful trailway adventure connects the city’s most vibrant creative neighborhoods. Lace up or roll out on a curated ride that showcases the power of art in Indianapolis.

Stops on this adventure

This map highlights the stops along the itinerary and their proximity to the Trailways.

  1. Indianapolis Artsgarden

    Website
    Suspended above downtown streets, this glass landmark beautifully blends art, music, and city views.
    • Bench
    • Trash Can

  2. Ann Dancing

    Website
    A glowing, ever-moving art piece that captures Indy’s rhythm and playful personality along the trail.
    • Bench

  3. Rainbow Bridge

    Website
    Bright and photo-ready, this colorful span has become a symbol of Indy’s creative spirit.
    • River/Lake/Canal Access

  4. Indy Art Center & ARTSPARK

    Website
    The Indianapolis Art Center is a community hub for art exhibitions, classes, and studios—set along the White River—while ARTSPARK is its outdoor riverside sculpture park with trails, gardens, and rotating public art to explore year-round.
    • Bench
    • Bike Parking
    • Boat/Kayak Launch
    • Parking Lot
    • Restroom
    • River/Lake/Canal Access
    • Trash Can
    • Water Fountain

  5. Newfields Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park

    Website
    Explore 100-acres of riverfront art, gardens, and nature trails that invite you to slow down and take it all in.
    • Bench
    • Bike Parking
    • Parking Lot
    • Restroom
    • River/Lake/Canal Access
    • Trash Can

  6. Taggart Memorial

    Website
    A peaceful historic site turned state-of-the-art outdoor amphitheater framed by grand stone architecture and green open spaces near the river.
    • Parking Lot
    • Trash Can

  7. The AMP at 16 Tech

    Website
    Packed with local flavor and live energy, this open-air food hall buzzes with creativity.
    • Bench
    • Bike Parking
    • Fee
    • Recycling Can
    • Restaurant
    • Restroom
    • Trash Can
    • Water Fountain
Couple walking near Indianapolis Arts Garden
The Indianapolis Artsgarden
A couple embracing along the Rainbow Bridge in Broad Ripple
Rainbow Bridge in Broad Ripple
Two boys climbing on the large black-and-white bones of the Funky Bones art piece with trees and plants all around.
Newfields Virginia B Fairbanks Art & Nature Park
View of the AMP building at 16 Tech with outdoor seating along the 16 Tech trail.
The AMP at 16 Tech
Ann Dancing along Mass Ave
Ann Dancing along Mass Ave

Start your journey at the Indianapolis Artsgarden, a glassed-in cultural hub hovering above Washington and Illinois Streets. This aerial venue regularly hosts exhibitions and performances—and it’s just steps from the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, your gateway to a day of discovery. The Cultural Trail is an 10-mile urban trail and open-air art gallery linking all of downtown’s cultural districts.

Follow the trail east along Washington Street. You’ll pass by the iconic Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Monument Circle before heading north into the Mass Ave Cultural Arts District. As the trail winds through this historic district, you’ll find incredible art pieces like the glowing Chatham Passage or playful Ann Dancing. Be sure to look up to find plenty of colorful murals.

At the north end of Mass Ave, you’ll connect with the Monon Trail. Head north and you’ll end up in Broad Ripple Village, another cultural district. Here, a few steps off the trail, you can pause at the now-iconic Rainbow Bridge, a public art piece reborn with kaleidoscopic color. You can also hit up the Indy Art Center, a community art hub with a riverfront arts park. Grab coffee or a snack from a nearby café before veering west onto the Central Canal Towpath, where water, wildlife, and serenity accompany your ride. The canal-side towpath is a water-friendly crushed-limestone path.

You might see some “Art 2 Art” signs, signifying that the Towpath connects the Indy Art Center and the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. You’ll reach the free Newfields’ Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres, one of the nation’s largest museum art parks. Here, giant skeletal trees, whimsical benches, and interactive sculptures invite you to linger and explore.

Return to the Towpath and follow it south until it merges with the White River Greenway near Riverside Park. You’ll see the beautiful historic 30th Street Bridge over the White River as well as the stunning Art Moderne Heslar Naval Armory, now repurposed into Riverside High School. Here you can follow the Greenway or take a detour down the Riverside Promenade connector trail along Riverside Drive. Either way, you’ll pass by the Taggart Memorial, a stunning neoclassical monument to a former mayor that has been transformed into a state-of-the-art amphitheater that hosts concerts and community performances. Continue down the Greenway past 16th Street, where you’ll find the AMP at 16 Tech just east of the trail, a modern food hall built in a former factory space—perfect for a creative bite to eat.

Hop back on the White River Greenway and continue heading south. The trail will take you into White River State Park, home to a public art collection as well as the Indiana State Museum and Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. In White River State Park, you’ll reconnect with the Cultural Trail and head east, where you’ll pass the historic Indiana Statehouse before finding yourself back at the Artsgarden.

You’ve just experienced Indy’s artscape from pavement to paintbrush—no ticket required.