Unwritten Rules You Should Know Before Visiting Indianapolis

Indianapolis might not always get the same attention as larger cities like Chicago and New York, but it's actually a great place to visit, especially for sports fans, as you'll discover in this guide. The city is home to thriving suburbs with great local cafes, a cool downtown culture trail you can explore on foot or by bike, and plenty of can't-miss restaurants thanks to a hip foodie scene. It's also a city with more pop culture ties than many people initially realize. Indianapolis is "home sweet home" to dozens of well-known celebrities like David Letterman, Mike Epps, Vivica A. Fox, Adam Driver, and newcomer Chase Infiniti. Indy also plays host to numerous major events, mostly in the sports world, some of which draw international attention every year.

As a born-and-bred Indy-area local, I know all of the unwritten rules that can make or break your experience in Indiana's capital city. Some are practical, some are cultural, and some are things you just learn by going out downtown almost every weekend of your 20s. If you want to blend in a little, enjoy this Midwest hub like a true local, and experience the very best of what Indianapolis has to offer, these are the 10 things you should know before your next visit to the Circle City.

Calling the city "Indy"? Totally fine. The Indy 500? Obviously. But, calling the Indiana Hoosiers the "Indy Hoosiers" (like way too many of you did when we won the national championship) or referring to the Pacers as the "Indy Pacers"? Absolutely not. Where out-of-staters get in trouble is using "Indy" to refer to things or teams that are very much not in Indianapolis. The Indiana Hoosiers are not the "Indy Hoosiers." Indiana University is in Bloomington. The same applies to the Indiana Pacers. You might hear "Pacers" or "Indiana" used on its own to refer to the NBA team, but "Indy Pacers" will immediately raise eyebrows among residents.

This is something that really matters here. You'll confuse us immensely and maybe raise some hackles if you use "Indy" to refer to the state, not the city of Indianapolis. The singular instance in which "Indy" can be used to shorten "Indiana" is if you happen to be referring to Harrison Ford's legendary character, Indiana Jones. Other than that, it's an abbreviation of "Indianapolis" only. Use "Indy" correctly, and you'll blend in no matter who you're talking to. Use it wrong, and you'll stand out immediately, even if nobody says anything out loud; I promise they're judging you in their mind.

For over 100 years, the Indianapolis 500 has been so much more than an auto race. It's a full-blown cultural event, and in Indianapolis, it's basically a monthlong holiday. Locals don't just show up on race day. We live and breathe the IRL's premier event for the entire "Month of May." Practices, qualifying, Carb Day, the 500 Festival Parade, and the coolest energy all across the city all come together to make for a one-of-a-kind event like nothing else in the world. Even people who don't follow racing closely can't help but get caught up in the excitement, because you simply can't avoid it. If you happen to be visiting Indy in May, you're sure to find yourself in the midst of the 500 hoopla.

It goes so far that, since 1951, the state blacks out the race on local broadcast stations if the Indianapolis Motor Speedway isn't sold out in an effort to encourage locals to attend in person. Neighborhoods in Speedway, the aptly named suburb where the track actually is, start preparing months before the race, with some residents even making their mortgage payments by charging people to park on their lawns. And, while there are plenty of family-friendly activities throughout May, the real party on race day is in the Snake Pit, which is basically a giant mosh pit with live music all day long.

Logistically, for visitors, everything changes as the 500 approaches. Traffic becomes wild, you'll need reservations for restaurants you could normally walk up to, and navigating Indianapolis requires just a bit more planning. In Indianapolis, the Indy 500 isn't just something that happens on Memorial Day weekend. "The Greatest Spectacle In Racing" is a foundational aspect of the city's identity all year.

Indianapolis isn't just about racing. It's one of the most respected sports cities in the world, period. As locals, we take that very seriously. With hometown teams like the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Pacers, and Indiana Fever, plus a constantly rotating calendar of major national sporting events, sports culture is deeply woven into Indy's identity. I've had friends come to downtown bars with us and leave saying, "Wow. I get it now. You guys really like sports here." What really sets Indy apart, though, is its ability to host. The city regularly welcomes some of the biggest events in sports, including the NFL Combine, NCAA Final Fours, Big Ten Championships, the NBA All-Star Game, and even the Olympic Swimming and Diving Trials, which came complete with an Eiffel Tower replica in 2024 to honor Paris, that year's Olympic host city. Even our Super Bowl is still lauded as one of the best of all time.

Downtown Indianapolis is really built for hosting with a walkable, organized design and skybridges that keep event attendees out of the cold weather during winter events. As the nation's No.1 convention city, local officials also know how to handle massive crowds without getting overwhelmed. This is a key reason why sports organizations continue to come back year after year1 often for decades. Then there's the National Collegiate Athletic Association headquarters, which is based right in downtown Indianapolis. The fact that the NCAA calls Indy home speaks volumes about the city's place in the sports world. Even if you're not a huge sports fan, you'll feel the impact that athletics of all kinds have on the culture here.

St. Elmo Steak House is much more than a restaurant. It's part of the foundation of Indianapolis culture. It opened its doors in 1902, and it's a must-do for locals and visitors alike. The attached bar, 1933, is one of my personal haunts. You never know who you'll run into when you go to St. Elmo or its downtown speakeasy, as I have with Colts legend, Reggie Wayne. St. Elmo is where many of Indy's biggest moments happen during post-game dinners, the Combine, and other major sporting events. If you're in town during May or football season, don't be surprised if you see an Andretti or two, or even Peyton Manning dining nearby. The steakhouse has long been a go-to spot for athletes and executives.

It's also where families go to celebrate special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. St. Elmo manages to be both homey and high-end. The main bar is an antique, the lighting is dim, and autographs from sports icons dot the walls. Then, there's the shrimp cocktail. I guarantee you're going to order it. Everyone orders it. Its spiciness is its hallmark, and watching first-timers react is part of the experience for those of us who have been eating at St. Elmo our entire lives. I also highly recommend the Elmo Cola, a Coca-Cola, and cherry-vanilla bourbon concoction that is absolutely delicious. In Indianapolis, getting a table at St. Elmo goes way beyond dinner.

Downtown Indianapolis is clean, convenient, and easy to navigate, which is super appealing to visitors. With the convention center, major hotels like the Omni Severin and the Intercontinental, and dozens of bars and restaurants all within easy walking distance, it's tempting to never venture beyond Meridian Street. And, to be completely fair, there are some great spots downtown, and we go downtown often, even as locals. But we also know that the city's true personality extends well beyond Monument Circle and the surrounding streets. Neighborhoods like Mass Ave, Fountain Square, and Broad Ripple all offer awesome hangouts on Friday or Saturday night (or any night of the week!) In fact, many of Indy's best warm-weather restaurants for outdoor dining, including BRU Burger, Canal Bistro, Fountain Square Rooftop Garden, and La Revolucion, are all located outside of downtown.

Each area has its own vibe. Mass Ave is polished but offbeat, and nearby is the absolutely incredible Bottleworks Hotel, found inside a converted Coke bottling factory. Fountain Square leans eclectic, with regular horror movie screenings and swing dancing nights, while Broad Ripple is artsy and walkable, often catering to the college and recent-grad crowd. The good news for travelers is that none of these neighborhoods is actually all that far from Indy's downtown core, so you can experience more without much effort.

Indianapolis is a driving city, and not just because one of our favorite hobbies is driving 500 miles every May. While rideshares like Uber and Lyft are readily available around the city and its suburbs, Indy is spread out, which can make relying on drivers for an entire trip less practical (and more expensive) than you might expect. For example, it's a tick over 23 miles, and about 30 minutes, to get from downtown's Monument Circle to the popular suburb of Carmel, which is often considered an extension of the city proper. Trips like this can add up fast if you're solely relying on rideshare services. Public transportation exists in Indianapolis, but it's not something most locals depend on for getting around daily if they can help it.

Visitors staying downtown who only plan to check out restaurants and other attractions within walking distance will be fine without a rental car for a short trip. But the moment someone wants to explore anything that requires getting on I-465 or another of the city's many interstates — there's a reason Indiana is called the "Crossroads of America" — they will quickly realize how much easier it is to have access to their own vehicle. That's why locals drive, and why visitors should seriously consider a rental to get from place to place. Using services like Enterprise and Budget can be surprisingly affordable if you know the right rental car hacks, plus you'll enjoy more flexibility and get to experience the city the way people actually live here. 

"Hoosier hospitality" isn't just a phrase. It's a way of life in Indianapolis and throughout the Hoosier State. In fact, this is something you're likely to experience from the moment you arrive in town. This friendliness can sometimes catch visitors off guard in a good way. One Redditor, for example, remarked, "Hoosiers are officially the nicest people to exist on planet Earth. No joke...I've traveled quite a lot and in all honesty haven't met people anywhere as nice as here." Strangers frequently hold doors, offer assistance without being asked, strike up casual conversations, and may even make sure you have breakfast (like in the Reddit tale).

The hospitality is sincere here. It's not performative or over-the-top. It's how we're raised from day one. Being polite, helpful, and approachable is part of the culture not only in Indiana's capital, but all over the state, from small cities with charming, quintessentially Midwestern downtowns to retro beach towns on the outskirts of Chicago. "Hoosier hospitality" shows up in both grand gestures and small, everyday interactions like chatting with someone at a bar, getting local recommendations from a restaurant server, or finding a passerby who is more than willing to help you with directions. Here, being kind is just expected.

Kilroy's Bar N' Grill's breadsticks may have started in Bloomington in 1975, but at this point, they're also a centerpiece of Indianapolis food culture. There are two Kilroy's outposts in Indy — the Broad Ripple location and the brand's downtown hotspot. If you spend any time out in the city, especially at night, someone is going to tell you to step into Kilroy's. The breadsticks themselves are exactly what people expect. They're soft, buttery, stuffed to a slightly ridiculous degree with pepperoni and cheese, and unapologetically iconic in local circles. One of the best parts for people who come here often is that there's a "Breadstick of the Month" that takes the breadstick concept to new heights. Past flavors have included a crab rangoon concoction, a jalapeno popper style, a coney dog option, and, perhaps most unique of all, a version simply called "pickle."

Ordering the breadsticks (or one of their famous Long Island iced teas or anything else, frankly) at Kilroy's isn't about fine dining or checking out Michelin-star establishments. It's about understanding a very specific piece of Indiana culture. The breadsticks at this bar are tied to many patrons' college memories at IU and a shared sense of nostalgia. Personally, I even met my husband at the downtown spot, our "home bar," before a Colts game. If you want to really live like an Indy local, you can't skip Kilroy's.

Basketball isn't just a sport in Indiana. It's one of the main things that defines the state, and you'll feel it in every detail in Indianapolis. The adage, "In 49 states it's just basketball... but this is Indiana," is a deep-seated belief in Hoosier hearts more than a mere slogan. The history, pride, and cultural cache of this game in Indiana show up just about everywhere you look. From a massive mural paying tribute to Pacers great Reggie Miller to the John Wooden statue on Georgia Street (just catty-corner from Kilroy's, ironically), you can't escape the hardwood here. If you listen in, conversations around Indy casually reference high school games throughout the state, March Madness runs, or players from decades ago.

Basketball is part of daily life here in a way that feels different from anywhere else. I often have people ask me if I played, and my response, more often than not, is, "I'm five-foot-ten and from Indiana," which fully answers the question. The obsession isn't limited to one level of play. People still treat the players from the undefeated 1976 Indiana University team like celebrities, and there's an entire museum dedicated to the team from the film "Hoosiers" in Milan, Indiana. Even if you don't care about basketball when you arrive in Indianapolis, there's no doubt that you'll leave understanding why everyone else here really does.

The pork tenderloin is an incredibly popular menu item in Indianapolis and all over Indiana, and there's a good reason why. It's literally the state sandwich. Though this sandwich was actually invented in 1908, about an hour and 45 minutes northeast of Indy, its popularity has since spread to all 92 Indiana counties. Believe it or not, there's a rather funny unwritten rule that comes with preparing a pork tenderloin. If the breaded pork doesn't extend comically far past the bun on all sides, Hoosiers will probably feel like it's a job poorly done. As a matter of fact, the more disproportionate it looks, the better.

The best part of the entire experience is that, no matter where you are in the state, as long as you're dining with Hoosiers, nobody will say one word about the absurd appearance of these giant pork patties. There are several stops to make if you want to try the best pork tenderloin sandwiches in Indianapolis. At the Aristocrat Pub & Oxford Room, the meal has been called "delicious but humongous," and at the Blind Owl Brewery, there are both traditional and chipotle spice options. C.R. Heroes Family Pub in the Indianapolis suburb of Fishers, though, has perhaps the most well-known version with their "Hoosier Daddy" sandwich. If you want to experience Indiana food culture in its most authentic form, the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is it.

I mentioned Carmel a while ago, and the odds are good that you'll find yourself venturing here if you spend more than a day or two in the Indianapolis area. Located just north of the city, Carmel, which is arguably one of America's coolest suburbs, has an oddly specific feature that defines its roads: an overwhelming number of roundabouts. With over 150 of these European-inspired driving circles, Carmel is the undisputed "roundabout capital of the United States." Some of my personal favorite places, like the annual Carmel Christkindlmarkt and The Cake Bake Shop, are located here, which means I have to navigate the roundabout maze regularly. I've been driving them for years, and the roundabouts still humble me more frequently than I'd like to admit.

The trick, though, is to commit to your lane, keep moving, and trust that everything will be fine. Hesitating is what usually gets people into trouble. And, don't fret if you miss your exit. You just drive around again, easy as can be. The roundabouts are a uniquely Indy-area experience, and once you get the hang of them, you might even start to wish your own hometown would give them a try for the sake of efficiency and traffic flow.

Much of this guide was taken from my own knowledge as a born-and-bred Indianapolis-area local. These are the places I go out on the weekend, the sports teams I live and breathe, and my home city through and through. I also used certain Reddit and Quora threads to corroborate some "rules," as well as high-authority tourism and news sites like Visit Indiana and the Indianapolis Star, and major sites like Mashed.