Itching to get out of town, Louisvillians? Skip those pesky airport security lines and jump in your car for a road trip to Newfields: A Place for Nature & the Arts in Indianapolis.
Anchored by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Newfields has 100+ acres of experiences to explore — from an outdoor sculpture park to a historic mid-century modern house.
We’re giving you the insider details on how to have an unforgettable time at this art and nature campus, that definitely takes at least two days to fully explore.
📍 Essential info
Drive time: ~2.5 hours from LOU
Year Newfields was established: 1883 — originally as the Art Association of Indianapolis, and in 2017, the campus was unified under one name: Newfields, A Place for Nature and the Arts
Open: Year-round
Experience
“THE LUME Indianapolis” featuring “Dalí Alive”
Step into the imagination of this Spanish surrealist painter — and smell him too — during this 45-minute digital animation. Located on Floor 4 of the art museum, the audio-visual exhibit recreates Dalí's famous melting clocks + exaggerated creatures amid historical notes on his life across 30,000 sqft of gallery space. The air is also filled with the scent of patchouli to kick this multi-sensory experience up a notch.
The digital exhibit concludes in reality, showcasing four of Dalí's watercolor paintings, originally designed for an opera in the 1960s. You can also try interactive activities, like photo booths that bring some of his most famous works to life.
The exhibit also features a Dalí-themed bar, El Mercado Surreal, where you can try cocktails Dalí created in his cookbook.
Pro tip: A secondary ticket is required to this exhibit in addition to the museum’s admission.
Lilly House
Take a self-guided tour of this 1920s French chateau-style estate, which was donated by the Lilly family along with its 52 acres to become what is Newfields today. The house museum features art, historical photos, hands-on design activities, and a 1917 Pathfinder Touring Roadster in the garage.
“Home Again” at The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park
The three large-scale sculptures that make up the “Home Again” installation is the latest addition to the nature park, which is open from dawn to dusk daily for free. Each art piece is interactive — like the “Oracle of Intimation,” a canary yellow roof created to be climbed on, crawled through + plugged into, as visitors can play music from their phones inside.
Bonus: The park is also home to “Funky Bones,” a site-specific artwork made of 20 bone-shaped benches that was featured in John Green’s novel “The Fault in Our Stars.”
The Garden
Walk through 52 acres of gardens with blooms and foliage sprouted for every season. The “living collection” winds through an orchard, hedge-lined formal garden (with major “Alice in Wonderland” vibes), and water features — just to name a few.
🍔 Eat
Garden Terrace
Grab a bite poolside — sort of. This seasonally operational beer garden is located on the footprint of a former 100,000-gallon outdoor pool. The walk-up “pool house” dishes out sandwiches, bratwursts, and salads + pours up local and international beer, as well as wine and coffee drinks.
The Cafe
Grab lunch inside the art museum Tuesday-Sunday. The menu has all the familiar cafe favorite: soups, salads, sandwiches, and coffee + tea. Plus, choose to sit inside or out.
🏨 Stay
Bottleworks Hotel
This historic Coca-Cola bottling plant turned award-winning boutique hotel, is located in downtown Indy — about a 15-minute drive to Newfields — and is part of the Bottleworks District. It boasts 139 guest rooms + suites dripping in original, restored Art Deco designs.
Stone Soup Inn
Located in the historic Old Northside neighborhood, this bed and breakfast offer four guestrooms, four loft rooms, a carriage house apartment, and a garden studio. The home is decorated with Mission-style + Victorian-era antiques.
Black Barn Indy
Sleep in rustic countryside charm at this short-term rental, renovated from a 100-year-old horse barn. The two-bedroom rental has a hot tub, fireplace, full kitchen, and the cutest outdoor area you’ve ever seen, complete with a koi pond.
Bonus: Looking for more to do on your visit to Indy? Check out these recommendations from our friends at INDYtoday.
Wait a minute, Louisvillians. Before you head out the door, find the cheapest places to fill up your gas tank and stock up on local road trip snacks from Full Stop Station.
