Downtown Indianapolis' Cool Culture Trail Has Art, Gardens, And A Promenade With Bike Rentals

In a destination as big as Indianapolis (with a 2025 population of almost 900,000, according to the World Population Review), it can be difficult to find your way around when exploring the city for the first time. Luckily, Indy boasts a multi-use trail that weaves through multiple downtown districts, featuring public art, gardens, and greenery, and proximity to the city's top sights. Officially named the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick, the Indy Cultural Trail spans 10 miles, passing through six downtown neighborhoods: Massachusetts Avenue, Fountain Square, White River State Park and The Canal, Indiana Avenue, Wholesale District, and Market East. 

Created as an 8-mile trail in 2013, the Indy Cultural Trail has since expanded and is continuing to develop into other areas of downtown. There's no official starting or ending point, but there is a useful online map of the trail, which includes markers for public art, Pacer Bikeshare stations, and top city attractions. A couple of routes that you can follow are also marked on the Cultural Trail website. If you're walking, there are suggested routes calculated for 20 minutes per mile, and the loop mapped out on AllTrails takes about two to three hours to complete. On a bike, one Tripadvisor reviewer writes that they spent about two hours doing a loop on the trail starting from White River State Park. If you need more guidance, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail Office offers walking and biking tours, with different options depending on what you'd like to see along the way. 

Art and nature play an integral part in your experience on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, with many public artworks and installations dotted throughout the various neighborhoods, pieces curated and created by local artists and professionals. There's the Glick Peace Walk, comprised of 12 sculptural luminary gardens honoring prominent figures in society, including Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mark Twain. You can find 10 of the works on the stretch between Meridian Street and Capitol Avenue, while Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s luminary gardens are on Washington Street.

Along the trail, you'll see the Indianapolis Cultural Trail gardens, meticulously designed to provide green spaces, wildlife habitats, and pedestrian-friendly lanes. The gardens total 5 acres, along with a 25,000-square-foot adjacent rain garden. There you'll find perennial plants, shrubs, and tree-lined walkways. On the trail, you'll also pass through one of Indianapolis' most underrated neighborhoods, the historic Fletcher Place. The area is home to two significant spots of greenery: the Fletcher Woods Trail and Edna Balz Lacy Park, a neighborhood park where you can take a break. The trail also connects to other parks and nature areas in the city, including White River State Park and the Monon Trail, which connects to the Central Canal Towpath and Broad Ripple, an artsy, walkable neighborhood.

If cycling is your preferred way to explore, it's easy to rent a bike through Pacers Bikeshare. The bike-sharing system lets you rent your own two wheels, with a choice of a classic bike or an e-bike. You'll need to download the BCycle App to start and head to one of the many stations throughout the city. At the time of writing, there are more than 50 stations available, with a classic bike going for $2 to check out, then $0.20 per minute.

Don't want to ride alone? The Pacers Bikeshare has tours and group rides every Thursday evening and Saturday morning from May through September. Tours typically take about two to three hours and are beginner-friendly, with a tour guide to give you more insights at each stop. If you're traveling with friends, you can also book a private tour with the Indy Cultural Trail Office (for a minimum of five people). 

If you're biking your way across Indianapolis, don't miss the Downtown Canal, which connects to the cultural trail at two locations. The promenade covers the historic Central Canal from 11th Street to White River State Park and is a spot for relaxation or recreation. You can go paddleboarding or kayaking, check out the nearby museums and memorials, or just enjoy the scenic bike ride. Further north, you can extend your Indiana adventure by visiting Carmel, an unexpected artsy biker's paradise located about 30 minutes from Indianapolis.