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Circle Centre Mall - Anchor stores Nordstrom and Parisian, 100 specialty shops, a multi-screen cinema, interactive entertainment center, night clubs, themed restaurants, a food court and convenient parking. It is connected to the Indianapolis Artsgarden and linked via skywalk to the Indiana Convention Center & RCA Dome and six hotels. The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art - This museum is one of two museums east of the Mississippi River with both Native American and Western Art. Located in downtown Indianapolis within easy walking distance of the major hotels and the Indiana Convention Center, the museum has an outstanding collection of art works and hosts many special events during the year. The new Indiana State Museum opened it's doors on May 22, 2002, and is gaining a national reputation as Indiana's "Smithsonian." It has become an excellent showplace for Indiana's cultural and natural history. The museum is located in the White River State Park complex just west of the Eiteljorg Museum. The IMAX Theater is housed within the new facility. The museum features a three-level, 65,000 square foot permanent exhibit area with an additional 10,000 square feet for temporary displays. Versatile exhibit space designs include 12-foot gallery ceilings and dramatic vistas for exhibits as high as 60 feet. These include two-story display cases displaying "Indiana Treasures," such as Amish quilts and Raggedy Ann and Andy; 92 interpretive architectural elements representing each of Indiana's 92 counties; a "Naturalist's Lab" where visitors can perform geological experiments; a three-story limestone quarry; and a wooden lock from the Wabash and Erie Canal. The museum's fiber-optic connections will link the museum to schools and libraries across Indiana. The building's exterior emphasizes Indiana's building materials industries, including limestone, glass and steel. The museum complex is in two separate buildings - one housing exhibits and programs and the second for collections and administrative offices. A 200-feet glass and steel bridge over the Central Canal connects the two buildings. There is an outdoor sculpture garden and the landscaping depicts the state's geographic, geological, and botanical environment. Founded in 1883, the Indianapolis Museum of Art is the seventh-largest general art museum in the country. It is located at 1200 West 38th Street in Indianapolis. It is just a short drive from the downtown area to the museum. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the world's largest children's museum with a history dating back to 1925. It offers non-traditional learning opportunities for children and their families. It is located north of the downtown area at the corner of 30th and North Meridian Streets. The museum has been voted the 9th best family destination and the number one museum in the Midwest by readers of FamilyFun Magazine. The Indianapolis Zoo is located at 1200 West Washington Street immediately west of the downtown area. The zoo moved from it's previous location and in 1988 the Indianapolis Zoo became the first tenant of White River State Park. With over 3,000 animals in simulated natural habitats and 1,700 species of plants, the zoo is the only facility in the United States to be accredited as a zoological park, botanical garden and aquarium. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built on the northwest fringe of Indianapolis in 1909 as a proving ground for automobiles. It has been the scene of 83 international 500-mile racing events in its history. The Indianapolis 500 runs in May on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway also became the home of the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race in August of 1994. The race is now called Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and will be held on July 29, 2007. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway also hosts the U.S. Grand Prix. After major configuration changes, the first Indianapolis race was held in September 2000. The addition of Formula One further strengthened Indianapolis' position as one of the world's leading auto racing cities. The 2007 race will be on June 17th. Don't miss the racing museum which features many old race cars and racing memorabilia. You can also take a ride around the world-famous "oval" in a special van for a driver's view of the track. The Indiana Historical Society moved into new quarters in July 1999 and is located on the Central Canal in the White River State Park. Since 1830, the Indiana Historical Society, a private, nonprofit membership organization, has worked to collect, preserve, research, and interpret the unique heritage of the nineteenth state. The new building is a truly magnificent addition to the Indianapolis downtown skyline and has it's own restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating (weather permitting) with a wonderful view of the canal and the Indiana Government Center. The building has an impressive dome as well as an excellent gift shop and many interesting exhibits. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and also on Sunday from Noon to 5 p.m. except for the library. Since the Indiana Repertory Theatre was founded in 1972, it has grown into one of the leading regional theaters in the country, as well as one of the top-flight cultural institutions in the city and state. In 1991 Indiana's General Assembly designated the IRT as "Theatre Laureate" of the state of Indiana. The IRT's national reputation has been confirmed by prestigious grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Fund, and the Theatre Communications GroupPew Charitable Trusts. The IRT remains the only fully professional resident not-for-profit theater in the state, attracting audiences of 129,500 annually from across central Indiana, including 45,200 students from 64 counties. A staff of more than 100 seasonal and year-round employees creates nine productions exclusively for Indiana audiences. Actors, directors, and designers are members of professional stage unions. The IRT's history has been enacted in two historic downtown theaters. The Athenaeum Turners Building housed the company's first eight seasons. Since 1980, the IRT has occupied the 1927 Indiana Theatre which was renovated to contain three performance spaces (Mainstage, Upperstage, and Cabaret) and work spaces, reviving this historic downtown entertainment site. The White River State Park is also home to the NCAA Hall of Champions and the beautiful White River Gardens as well as many fine examples of sculptures by Indiana artisans. The River Promenade and the historic Central Canal have become "the" place to walk or jog for many downtown workers and visitors in all kinds of weather. Victory Field, home of the Indians, is often referred to as the "best minor league ballpark in America" and is also part of White River State Park. The 2000 Triple A World Series Winners will delight fans of all ages. The nation's only memorial honoring all recipients of the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest award for military valor, is located in White River State Park. On May 28, 1999, ninety-six of the 157 then-living recipients, met in Indiana's capital to participate in a dedication ceremony for the new Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial. This elite group of American heroes were singled out for gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty for their actions in combat. It features the names of the 3,432 people who have received the medal since it was first awarded during the Civil War. The memorial is composed of 27 curved walls of glass, each between 7 and 10 feet high and representing specific conflicts in which the medal was awarded. The glass walls feature the names of the recipients, along with their branch of service and the location of their heroic action. Each day at dusk, the memorial's sound system will play recorded stories of medal winners or of the conflicts in which they fought. IPL Enterprises, an Indianapolis-based energy company, contributed the $2.5 million memorial - including design, construction and future maintenance - as a gift to the country and each Medal of Honor recipient. A "must see" for all Indianapolis visitors. |
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