Newfields Winterlights is all about strolling around outdoors looking at beautiful and unique holiday light installations. If 1.5 million Christmas lights, hot chocolate, and s’mores sound like fun to you, then Newfields in Indianapolis is the place to be. Read on for all of the details. Hours Newfields’ Winterlights is open from November 22, 2021 through January 2, 2022 from 5:00-9:00pm.  Location and Parking Newfields (formerly called Indianapolis Museum of Art) is at the corner of Michigan Road and 38th Street at 4000 Michigan Road. Parking is free, and you can enter the parking ..read more

Adventure Dad here. I have put together this list for you of the 21 Christmas light displays around Indiana that the Adventure Kids never want to miss. Plus, I’ve included 3 bonus displays, including 1 that we’ve been checking out since before the Adventure Kids were even around.  North 1. The Magic of Christmas in Elwood Address: 1505 South B Street, Elwood, IN 46036 Price: Free Light Count: 1,000,000 2. Fishers Winter Wonderland Address: 1 Municipal Drive, Fishers, IN 46038 Price: Free Light Count: 200,000 3. Frankfort Holiday Lights in TPA Park Address: 1 Adrian Ma ..read more

*Update for 2021: Santa will not be attending this year, but Holidays at Garfield will take place on December 11 from 10am-1pm. During this free event, you can see the trains and other holiday decorations, and you can also stroll through the plush and warm vegetation.  Wishing you could go somewhere warmer for Christmas but don’t have the money or time to do it? Well, Garfield Park Conservatory on the south side of Indianapolis may just be the answer you’ve been looking for! The conservatory is a large greenhouse filled with beautiful tropical plants all year long. But during Christma ..read more

Indianapolis has so many magical holiday events that it makes it hard to decide what to attend each year. To help us all plan ahead for Christmas fun, we’ve rounded up the family-friendly happenings we have personally enjoyed. If we’ve missed any of your favorites, make sure to let us know in the comments! Family-Friendly Christmas Activities around Indianapolis Many of our favorite venues have special holiday programming that we look forward to every year. However, we have found that we have an equal amount of fun driving around town blaring the Christmas tunes and looking at the best ligh ..read more

There is something about gazing upon a beautifully decorated Christmas tree that really stirs up the holiday spirit in my heart. If you feel the same way, then the Indiana Historical Society’s Festival of Trees is an experience you need to see to believe. Read on for details about all of the magic they have in store for you and your family this year. Location and Parking Located at 450 West Ohio Street, the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center is located on the canal in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. To reach the parking lot, you’ll turn east on New York Street from ..read more

It might sound really strange to you that we would suggest taking your children to a casino. Like, what? Why? But if you’ll just hear us out on this one, we think you’ll be convinced that taking your family to The Rising Star Christmas Casino in Rising Sun, Indiana this holiday season is the way to go. Location First things first, the Rising Star Christmas Casino is a riverboat casino located in Southeast Indiana on the Ohio River. It is docked in what is called the tri-state area of Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. The casino is 45 minutes from Cincinnati, 1 hour and 45 minutes from Indianapo ..read more

Cutting down our own Christmas tree is a tradition Gabe surprised me with for our first Christmas together in 2011. This is now a family tradition that I can’t see us ever skipping. If you’re considering cutting down your own tree this year, or if you’re just wondering how this goes down, read on for all of the details. Timing We have always chopped down our tree on Black Friday. Some people go shopping for deals, but we go shopping for trees. We even try to be the first people there so that no one “steals” the best tree! Of course, you don’t have to go the day after Thanksgiving, which is ..read more

All aboard! The Sullivan Santa Express Train Ride is an Indianapolis Christmastime tradition that is truly one-of-a-kind and magical! The train ride takes place at the Sullivan Hardware and Garden store located at 71st and North Keystone in Indy. Read on for all of the details so you know what to expect.  The Sullivan Santa Express Train Ride Entrance and Waiting When you arrive at Sullivan Hardware, you’ll walk through the store to the garden center where you’ll check in to board the train. You should buy your tickets in advance online. There is a play area there that includes activi ..read more

*Updated for 2021. This post was cowritten by Adventure Dad and Adventure Mom. You want to see the real deal? I’m talking about the genuine article. If you want to chat with the authentic Santa this year, then you need to see Indianapolis’ Santa Frank.  Our family has visited and taken pictures with Santa Frank for the past 5 years. Here are the reasons why, regardless of however many other Santas we see each season, we always make an appointment to see Santa Frank. By the way, this is not a paid advertisement for Santa Frank, JC Penney, or anywhere else. We just really love this expe ..read more

The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory Tour in Louisville, Kentucky was a grand slam for our little sluggers! It was fun and educational to learn about this family-owned business and see everything that goes into making the perfect baseball bat. In today’s post, we’ll share with you our experience and answer questions you might have about this adventure. What’s in the Louisville Slugger Museum? The Louisville Slugger Museum is a giant room, hallway, and another large room filled with baseball memorabilia, interesting exhibits, and plenty of cool photo ops. Some of the displays an ..read more