The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park at Newfields · Indianapolis
Newfields' 100-acre art and nature park is free every day from dawn to dusk, with no tickets needed. Walk woodlands, wetlands and a 35-acre lake past large outdoor artworks. Free parking off West 38th Street; the park also connects to the Central Canal Towpath. The visitor pavilion and its restrooms are closed November 1 to April 1.
Monday–Friday, hourly 9am–3pm (closed state holidays)
Indiana Statehouse · Indianapolis
See the Indiana Statehouse's rotunda and legislative chambers on a free 30–45 minute guided tour. Tours run every hour on the hour, 9am to 3pm, Monday through Friday. The tour office is closed on state holidays, including Nov 3, Nov 11, Nov 26–27, Dec 24 and Dec 25, 2026. Call the tour office at 317-233-0589 to check the day's schedule.
The Indiana State Police Museum on the east side tells the story of the state police with free admission, Tuesday through Thursday, 10am to 3pm. Donations are appreciated; groups of up to 30 can schedule visits.
Park daily dawn to dusk; Nature Center Monday–Saturday 9am–5pm
Holliday Park Nature Center · Indianapolis
Holliday Park on the White River has 95 acres of woods, two miles of trails, gardens, an arboretum, a playground and a Nature Center with hands-on exhibits like the White River Water Table and an elevated forest-canopy viewing area. The park is open dawn to dusk; the Nature Center Monday–Saturday 9am–5pm. No admission price is listed.
Verified Oct 28 · parks.indy.gov
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This weekend 1 listings
Classes & fitnessFree (worth about $10)Happening now
Sundays 1–5pm, Nov 1, 2026–Mar 28, 2027 (not Dec 20 or 27)
Fishers Junior High School (Door 12)
Fishers Parks opens the Fishers Junior High gym for free drop-in basketball, pickleball, volleyball and more every Sunday, 1 to 5pm, November 1 through March 28. Park in the north lot and use Door 12. Everyone signs a waiver; kids in 8th grade or younger need a parent with them. No Open Gym on December 20 or 27.
Verified Oct 28 · fishersin.gov
Catch: Signed liability waiver required (a parent signs for under-18s) · Kids in 8th grade or younger must be supervised by a parent or guardian
Fishers' Maker Playground holds a free open house on Saturday, November 14, 2026, noon to 5pm. Makers of all ages get hands-on time with 3D printers and guided activities, plus demos of the CNC router and laser cutters. No registration needed.
The Carmel Christkindlmarkt lights its 2026 Christmas tree on opening day, Saturday, November 21, from 6 to 6:45pm, with performances and a countdown. The market's opening ceremony with alphorn music and the Christkind is earlier that day, 11:30am to noon. Free market admission.
Kids can hear the story of Saint Martin, told with an illustrated book and plenty of audience participation, at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt on Wednesday, November 25, 2026, 4 to 6pm. Sessions start every 15 minutes. Market admission is free.
Indianapolis lights up the Soldiers and Sailors Monument for Circle of Lights on Friday, November 27, 2026, celebrating 64 years of the tradition. Live music, vendors, Santa and food trucks run 5 to 8pm on Monument Circle, and a child flips the switch before 7pm. Free to attend; food and vendor goods cost extra.
Sankt Nikolaus and Knecht Ruprecht arrive at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt on Saturday, December 5, 2026, 5:30 to 7:30pm. Watch their entrance and presentation in the Winter Pavilion, then meet them at the Spielhaus, where kids who recite a poem or sing a song get a small gift. Market admission is free.
From December 6, 2026, Greenwood Parks lights a walking trail through Amphitheater Park with 85 lit trees, arches, a candy-cane tunnel and more than 42,000 lights, on from dusk to dawn. Some evenings in December bring entertainment on the amphitheater stage. No price is listed and no end date is posted.
The Carmel Christkindlmarkt honors active-duty service members and veterans on Sunday, December 20, 2026, with a ceremony in the Winter Pavilion from noon to 12:30pm and more activities around the free market until 8pm.
Nov 21–Dec 24: Wed–Thu 4–9pm, Fri–Sat noon–9pm, Sun noon–8pm; also Wed Nov 25 and Mon–Wed Dec 21–23 noon–9pm, Thu Dec 24 noon–4pm; closed Nov 26
Carmel Christkindlmarkt, Carter Green
Carmel's German-style Christmas market fills Carter Green with festive huts, live music, artisans, a kids' craft corner and play house, from November 21 to December 24, 2026. Admission is free; food, gifts and ice skating cost extra. Open Wed–Thu 4–9pm, Fri–Sat noon–9pm, Sun noon–8pm; closed Mondays and Tuesdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
During library hours; passes check out for one week
Carmel Clay Public Library, Main Library (Adult Services, 2nd floor)
Carmel Clay Public Library lends Experience Passes for a week at a time: free admission for a group at the Eiteljorg Museum, Indiana State Museum, Indiana Historical Society and Kurt Vonnegut Museum, plus an Indiana State Parks carload pass. Ask at Adult Services on the Main Library's second floor or place a hold in the catalog.
Verified Oct 28 · carmelclaylibrary.org
Catch: Carmel Clay Public Library card required · Limited passes: place a hold or check availability
During library hours; passes check out for one week
Johnson County Public Library (all branches) · Indianapolis
Johnson County Public Library lends passes for free admission to Conner Prairie (four daytime general admission tickets), the Eiteljorg Museum, Indiana State Museum, Indiana Historical Society, Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Indiana Medical History Museum (by appointment), plus an Indiana State Parks vehicle pass. Museum and park passes check out for a week; every branch has them, first come, first served.
Verified Oct 28 · pageafterpage.org
Catch: Johnson County Public Library card required
Newfields (Indianapolis Museum of Art & The Garden)
On the first Thursday of every month, general admission to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and The Garden at Newfields is pay what you wish, and $0 is accepted, from 10am to 5pm (next: Nov 5 and Dec 3, 2026). Regular adult admission is $23. Special exhibitions may cost extra.
Verified Oct 28 · discovernewfields.org
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