When it’s too cold, wet or hot to play outside, these indoor places around Indianapolis and the suburbs give kids room to climb, bowl, swim and learn. They include play cafes, slide parks, laser tag, go-karts, climbing gyms, skating rinks, pools, museums, libraries and pottery studios, and each section links to our full guide on that type of place.
Jump to: Playgrounds | Slides and trampolines | Bowling | Laser tag and arcades | Go-karts | Climbing and skating | Pools | Museums | Libraries and nature centers | Pottery and art
Indoor Playgrounds and Play Cafes
Our guide to indoor playgrounds in Indianapolis lists 27 of them by area, and free indoor places to play covers the ones that cost nothing.
Fishers Community Center
The Fishers Community Center playground has a two-story climber and a toddler zone, and it’s free for kids 12 and under with a free Community Pass. Our reviewer found the climber very tall but secure. Walk in as space allows, or reserve an hour up to 48 hours ahead.
KiD CiTY (Greenwood)
For $5 (Greenwood residents) or $7, kids 1 to 15 get the two-story KiD CiTY playground, with a Luckey Climber, a pirate ship and a giant Lite-Brite wall. Guardians get in free.
Carter’s Play Place (Westfield)
An inclusive playground with adaptive equipment, a foam pit and a zip line. Carter’s Play Place is $18 a child with unlimited time, and adults are free.
Build It Playground (Carmel)
A kid-sized construction site for ages 1 to 10, with ride-on excavators and a remote-control town, at $18 an hour. Wednesdays are closed for now for improvements to the play area.
The Nest Play Cafe (Fall Creek Place)
A Montessori-inspired play space for babies through age 6, with an espresso cafe for parents. A 90-minute session is $15.
Slide Parks, Trampolines and Ninja Courses
Each park requires a waiver and its own grip socks, and our trampoline parks and ninja gyms guide has the full list.
Slick City (Brownsburg and Geist)
Indoor dry slides and air courts at both Slick City parks. Ninety minutes is $26.99 in Brownsburg and $28.99 at Geist for ages 4 and up, and the Junior Jungle is for kids under 45 inches.
Urban Air (Noblesville and Plainfield)
An indoor zip line, a warrior course and a tube playground. All-day Unlimited Play at Urban Air is $34.99 in Noblesville and $29.99 in Plainfield, and kids 40 inches and under pay half.
Sky Zone (North, Indy South and Plainfield)
Two-hour jump tickets start at $24.99, and Little Leapers, for kids 6 and under, runs Saturday mornings at Indy South and Plainfield.
Adrenaline (Fishers)
A warped wall, a ropes course and trampolines at Adrenaline, $22 a person Monday through Thursday, with Toddler Time for 5 and under on Friday and Saturday mornings.
Bowling and Duckpin
Duckpin bowling uses smaller balls and pins, which makes it easier for little arms than regular bowling. The best bowling alleys in Indianapolis are compared in our full guide.
Royal Pin (Woodland, Expo and Western)
The three big Royal Pin centers have kids’ pricing: $4.50 a game for kids 12 and under before 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and every game is $3.75 on Sunday mornings until noon. Shoes are $4.25. Woodland, on 96th Street, adds a two-story laser tag arena.
Pins Mechanical Co. (Bottleworks District)
Duckpin bowling and pinball in an old-school game hall on Carrollton Avenue. On Shorty Sundays, kids 12 and under bowl free all day (up to three kids per adult). It opens at 4 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends, turns 21 and over at 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and lanes are first come, first served.
Atomic Bowl and Action Bowl (Fountain Square)
Two vintage duckpin alleys in the basement of the Fountain Square Theatre Building: Atomic Bowl’s seven lanes run on 1950s and ’60s equipment, and Action Bowl has eight restored 1930s lanes. Atomic Bowl lanes are $40 an hour with shoes.
Pinheads (Fishers and Brownsburg)
Lanes start at $20 an hour Monday through Thursday until 5 p.m. and Sunday until 1 p.m., plus $4.25 shoes, with up to six bowlers a lane. Brownsburg also has duckpin lanes, and arcade games are half price on Thursdays.
Bowl 32 (Noblesville)
Thirty-two lanes under a giant LED video wall, an arcade, laser tag and what Bowl 32 calls Hamilton County’s only indoor glow-in-the-dark mini golf course ($6 for nine holes). Lanes are $40 an hour with shoes Monday through Thursday.
Each summer, Kids Bowl Free gives registered kids two free games a day at the Royal Pin and Pinheads centers, among others.
Laser Tag, Arcades and Glow Golf
Combat Ops (Southport)
Mission-style laser tag, Nerf battles, a nine-hole cosmic mini golf course, a laser maze and an arcade under one roof on Southport Road. One 30-minute attraction is $17 a person, and everyone signs a waiver.
Dave and Buster’s (Castleton and Greenwood)
A big arcade with a restaurant at both locations, open late every day. Guests under 18 or 21, depending on the location, must come with a guardian who is at least 25.
Game Show Battle Rooms (Castleton)
Game Show Battle Rooms runs a hosted, one-hour game show for one group in a private arena, booked ahead for eight or more players. It’s recommended for ages 10 and up, and there’s a kids’ version for groups of 10- to 15-year-olds.
Our glow-in-the-dark mini golf list has more blacklight courses around central Indiana.
Indoor Go-Karts
Every track measures drivers on site, and height decides which kart a child gets. Our go-karting guide covers outdoor tracks too.
K1 Speed (Fishers)
Electric karts on a 10-turn indoor track. Junior drivers must be at least 48 inches tall. One race is $29, plus an $8.50 license good for a year.
Fastimes Indoor Karting (North Side)
A two-level gas-kart track next to Royal Pin Woodland. Junior karts take drivers 8 and up who are at least 53 inches, and a two-seater lets kids 44 inches and taller ride with a parent. Races are $23 on weekdays.
Speedway Indoor Karting (Speedway)
A two-level road course and an oval for drivers 8 and up and at least 48 inches tall, plus four mini duckpin lanes at $5 a person per game.
Rascal’s Fun Zone (Whiteland)
The indoor Rookie Track is a half-speed oval for beginners who are at least 44 inches and under 56 inches tall. One ride is $8, and the building also has bumper cars, mini golf and duckpin bowling.
Climbing and Skating
Hoosier Heights (Carmel)
Bouldering, top rope and autobelay walls in what Hoosier Heights calls Indiana’s largest climbing gym. A first-visit day pass is $16 for ages 6 to 14 with gear included, and kids 5 and under climb free. Sunrise Senders, for ages 4 to 6, meets Saturday mornings.
Climb Time Indy (Castleton)
Climb Time Indy calls itself Indiana’s first indoor climbing gym and has been open since 1997. A day pass is $15, or $20 with shoes and harness, and a Kids’ Club for climbers under 18 meets Monday and Wednesday evenings.
United Skates of America (South Side and West Side)
United Skates runs two Indianapolis roller rinks: Skateland on Glen Arm Road and a south side rink on Southern Plaza Drive that also has an indoor playground. Family and weekend sessions are $11 online, plus $6 skates, and Skateland’s Monday and Tuesday family nights are $8. Both rinks require an online waiver, and the south side rink says admission isn’t guaranteed without advance tickets.
Roller Cave (East Side)
A family rink since 1977, with public skating Friday through Sunday for $10 (cash price; skates are $5). Parents stay; there are no drop-offs.
Perry Park Ice Rink (South Side)
Indy Parks’ indoor ice rink is open September through April: $5 for kids, $7 for adults and $3 for skates. Our ice skating guide has the rest of the indoor and outdoor rinks.
Indoor Pools and Water Play
Indy Parks and the suburbs run indoor pools that stay open when the outdoor ones close, with open swim limited to set hours on certain days. More are in our guide to indoor pools and water parks.
Indy Island Aquatic Center (East Side)
Indy Island has a zero-depth leisure pool and a water playhouse with a small slide and spray features. The big slide is for swimmers 48 inches and up. Open swim runs Wednesday and Friday from 5 to 8 p.m., Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $5 for kids under 18; 2 and under swim free.
Krannert Park Family Center (West Side)
The indoor pool inside the renovated Krannert Park Family Center costs $5 for adults and $4 for kids under 18. Indy Parks lists open swim Monday through Wednesday from 4:15 to 7:15 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 3:30 p.m.
Monon Community Center (Carmel)
A day pass ($15 for ages 3 to 15, $18 for adults; Carmel residents save $3) covers the indoor activity pool with its slides and the Monon Station indoor playground with a Luckey Climber and a wall-sized Lite-Brite. Pool time is weekday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. and most of the day on weekends, and the activity pool and slides close during the center’s Waterpark season.
Richard A. Carlucci Recreation and Aquatic Center (Plainfield)
Plainfield’s indoor Splash Island has a two-story waterslide, a lazy river and a children’s play area. Kids 8 and under need a parent with them in the water area.
Museums
Several of Indianapolis’ big museums have hands-on kids’ areas, and most take the $5 Access Pass for qualifying families. Our free museum days in Indianapolis calendar tracks the days admission costs nothing.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
Five floors of dinosaurs, a space station, a carousel and the Reuben Wells steam engine. Playscape, the area for kids 5 and under, is closed for updates and reopens Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. Tickets are priced by the day and season, Indiana residents get $3 off and kids under 2 are free. First Thursday Nights are $6 a person from 4 to 8 p.m. The whole museum closes Jan. 11 to 15, 2027, for building work.
Indiana State Museum
Two floors of Indiana science, history and art downtown at White River State Park, plus an IMAX theater. Admission is $23 for adults and $17 for ages 3 to 17, and the ticket covers $4 of parking. Open Wednesday through Sunday.
Eiteljorg Museum
At the Eiteljorg Museum, the R.B. Annis Western Family Experience on the canal level has a pretend Mexican cafe, a Texas ranch, a stagecoach and a quiet sensory room. Adults are $20, ages 5 to 17 are $12 and 4 and under are free.
NCAA Hall of Champions
The NCAA Hall of Champions has sports simulators and a 1930s-style gym where kids can shoot baskets. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for ages 6 to 17, and kids 5 and under are free. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
Indy 500 winning cars, the Borg-Warner Trophy and a Qualifying Zone with a pit-stop challenge and driving simulators. Adults are $25, ages 6 to 16 are $18 and kids under 5 get in free. Open daily.
Conner Prairie Museum Experience Center (Fishers)
The Museum Experience Center has Wellspring, a climbable play space with a foam quarry, and Spark!Lab, a Smithsonian invention space. From Nov. 3 to Dec. 28, 2026, the Museum Experience Center is the only part of Conner Prairie open, Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Nov. 26, Dec. 24 and Dec. 25.
Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium (Butler University)
Holcomb Observatory runs planetarium shows on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 and 8:30 p.m., followed by free telescope viewing when the sky is clear. Shows are $8 for adults and $5 for kids under 18. Parking can cost $15 on nights when Butler has another event, as it did on our visit. There are 66 steps to the telescope and no elevator.
Libraries and Nature Centers
The libraries and the Holliday Park Nature Center are free, and Eagle Creek charges park entry. Our roundup of libraries with the best children’s areas covers play areas branch by branch.
Central Library (Downtown)
Kid Central, on the third floor of Central Library, holds the Indianapolis Public Library’s biggest children’s collection and hosts drop-in STEM sessions with robots and LEGO. Open daily; Sunday hours are 1 to 5 p.m.
Carmel Clay Public Library
The Carmel Clay Public Library Kids Area, on the first floor, includes the Exploration Lab, a drop-in STEAM room for ages 7 and up, open weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings during the school year.
Fishers Library and Ignite Studio
Hamilton East’s Fishers Library has a Kid’s Play Area in Youth Services and, in the same building, Ignite Studio, where art and STEM kits are free to use on site. Someone 13 or older checks out the kit, and no library card is needed.
Holliday Park Nature Center (North Side)
Habitat Hall at the Holliday Park Nature Center has a White River water table, live animals and an elevated forest-canopy viewing area. Free, Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cool Creek Nature Center (Carmel)
Cool Creek Nature Center, run by Hamilton County Parks, covers Indiana woodlands and wildlife and has a wildlife viewing area inside. It’s open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The park’s trails and Nature Play Area are outside.
Zionsville Nature Center
The nature center sits inside the Youth Services Department of the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library, with exhibits on local Indiana habitats and turtles, snakes and amphibians on display. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Eagle Creek Park (Northwest Side)
At Eagle Creek Park, the Earth Discovery Center has aquariums with native fish, reptiles and amphibians, and the Ornithology Center has an indoor room overlooking the bird sanctuary. Both are included with park entry ($6 per Marion County car, $8 for other cars) and open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
Paint-Your-Own Pottery and Art
Pottery studios work for a cold afternoon or a birthday, and most take walk-ins. Our pottery studios for kids guide compares them.
Pottery By You and More (North Side)
A walk-in studio at 86th Street and Township Line with more than 400 pieces to paint. Pottery starts at $7 with supplies and firing included.
Color Me Mine (Carmel)
At Clay Terrace. Studio time is $6 for kids 12 and under and $10 for adults, plus the piece. Reservations are needed only for groups of six or more.
uPaint Pottery Studio (Noblesville, Westfield, Greenwood and Plainfield)
Pieces run $5 to $80 with paints, supplies and firing included, and pickup is in five to seven days.
Indy Art Center (Broad Ripple)
The galleries are always free and open daily, and the center also runs ticketed Make It, Take It workshops.
When You’re Stuck at Home
Snowed in instead? Our list of things to do on a snow day works in any kitchen or backyard, and things to do this winter in Indianapolis covers the outdoor side of the season.
Related Article: 101 Things to Do in Indianapolis with Kids
