Labor Day weekend runs Sept. 4–7, giving Indianapolis families just enough time to get out of town without turning the long weekend into a major travel production. All five of these family getaways are within about three hours of Indy, and each can work as a day trip, an overnight stay or a full weekend away.
The best choice depends on what kind of trip sounds good right now: Fort Wayne for a mix of attractions, Santa Claus for one last water park weekend, French Lick for a resort stay, South Bend for museums or Louisville for the widest variety of things to do.
5 Labor Day Weekend Getaways from Indianapolis
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Drive time: About two hours
Best for: Families who want several options without a lot of driving once they arrive.
The Fort Wayne Zoo is an easy place to build a day around. The zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 31, with 40 acres of animals, rides and play areas. If Sunday, Sept. 6, works for your trip, it is also one of the zoo’s monthly Sensory-Friendly Sundays, with no music, reduced noise levels on rides, dimmer lights and other adjustments for visitors who benefit from a lower-stimulation environment.
Downtown, Promenade Park gives kids room to move with an accessible playground, kids’ canal and treetop canopy trail along the riverfront. The Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory is another easy downtown stop and is open Friday through Sunday of Labor Day weekend.
One important planning note: Science Central, normally one of Fort Wayne’s best family attractions, is closed Aug. 24 through Sept. 11 for its annual fall shutdown. Save that one for another trip.
Related Article: Top Things for Families to Do in Fort Wayne
Santa Claus, Ind.
Drive time: About 2 1/2 hours
Best for: Families trying to squeeze one more full-blown summer day out of the calendar.
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari makes Santa Claus the obvious pick for families who would rather spend the weekend on roller coasters and water slides. Splashin’ Safari remains in season into September, although operating hours vary by date, so check the park calendar before choosing which day to go.
The park’s Summer Wine’d Down Culinary Festival also runs through Sept. 13, with limited-time foods throughout Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari, including a Labor Day-themed Backyard Cookout Pizza. Regular admission includes both parks along with free parking, unlimited soft drinks and sunscreen.
For a much quieter second day, Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is nearby and does not charge an entrance fee. Families can explore the site where Abraham Lincoln spent 14 formative years in Indiana, including the pioneer cemetery, cabin site and trails. If the visitor center matters to your plans, go Friday through Sunday. It is closed Monday and Tuesday, although the park grounds remain open during daylight hours.
French Lick, Ind.
Drive time: About two hours
Best for: Families who want the hotel to do a lot of the entertaining.
French Lick Resort is particularly well-timed for this weekend because the resort has Labor Day activities scheduled Friday, Sept. 4 through Sunday, Sept. 6. The lineup includes pool parties, carriage rides, yard games, s’mores and family activities spread between French Lick Springs Hotel and West Baden Springs Hotel.
Saturday has the most kid-focused schedule. A Labor Day Carnival runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at French Lick Springs Hotel, with carnival games and one-hour circus shows beginning at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Full carnival access is $15, or admission to an individual circus show is $5. A kids’ glow pool party follows Saturday evening.
Families who would rather spend most of the weekend in the water can also check Big Splash Adventure, the indoor water park nearby. A limited number of day passes are sold to non-hotel guests, and buying in advance is the only way to guarantee admission.
One old French Lick standby is not a Labor Day option this time: regular scenic rides on the French Lick Scenic Railway do not begin until Oct. 1.
South Bend, Ind.
Drive time: About 2 1/2 hours
Best for: Museum-loving families who want plenty of indoor options.
South Bend’s Museum Campus makes it easy to pair two attractions without moving the car. Studebaker National Museum covers the city’s automotive history with Studebaker vehicles and presidential carriages, while neighboring The History Museum includes regional exhibits, guided tours of the Oliver Mansion and the hands-on Kidsfirst Children’s Museum.
Saturday, Sept. 5, is an especially good day for car fans. Studebaker National Museum hosts a free Cars & Coffee from 8 to 10 a.m. in the Museum Campus parking lot before regular museum hours begin. Active-duty military personnel and their families can also receive free Studebaker admission through Labor Day as part of the Blue Star Museums program.
For an outdoor afternoon, Potawatomi Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during its fall season. Another option is the South Bend Chocolate Company factory tour, where families can walk through the working production facility, visit the Chocolate Museum and, most importantly, leave with chocolate. Tours are available daily.
Louisville, Ky.
Drive time: About two hours
Best for: Families who want enough choices to change plans if the weather does.
Louisville has enough kid-friendly attractions that the harder part is deciding which ones not to do. For something completely different from Indianapolis, start at Louisville Mega Cavern. The all-ages Mega Tram tour spends about 70 minutes underground, while more adventurous kids can tackle the Mega Quest ropes course beginning at age 5 or the underground zip line course beginning at age 7.
Downtown, Kentucky Science Center is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., making it a reliable option even on Labor Day Monday. A few blocks away, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory combines baseball exhibits with a working factory tour. Timed tickets are worth reserving before making the drive.
If the weather cooperates, Louisville Zoo is another full-day option. The zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 20. Trying to fit the zoo, science center, Slugger Museum and Mega Cavern into one weekend is technically possible, but nobody needs Labor Day to turn into a field trip with a clipboard.
For a last-minute Labor Day getaway, pick one anchor attraction and one or two backups rather than trying to do everything. Holiday hours and date-specific admission can change, so check each attraction’s calendar before leaving Indianapolis, especially if Monday is your main sightseeing day.
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