Holiday lights and attractions to see in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS – Ok. So Ohio State didn't make it to the Big Ten championship game here this year.

But put those regrets aside and consider a trip to Indiana’s capital to enjoy a festive holiday getaway, albeit without Buckeye football.

Less than a three-hour drive from Columbus, Indianapolis is the perfect destination for an overnight break from holiday preparations.

The city offers plenty of lights and attractions to put visitors in a cheery holiday mood. (And don’t worry. Those Maize and Blue football Grinches from “up north” have cleared out by now, although it looks like traveling Buckeye fans could still run into them in a few weeks.)

Indianapolis claims the “world’s largest Christmas tree.” That’s a bit of a fib, but it’s understandable how citizens would be proud of the giant tree-shaped Circle of Lights display at the very center of the city.

Monument Circle is the home to the 284-foot tall Soldiers and Sailors Monument (indianawarmemorials.org/explore/soldiers-and-sailors-monument/), an impressive edifice, almost astounding in scale, even when not adorned with holiday lights like Paul Bunyan’s Christmas tree.

Visitors can marvel at the “tree” while enjoying holiday music and animated snowflakes dancing on surrounding buildings, kind of like the view from inside a giant holiday snow globe. It’s also a great location for a holiday selfie and is just a short walk from many downtown hotels.

Travel:Ohio and Indiana mansions deck the halls with holiday lights and decor

To see a whole season’s worth of more traditional Christmas trees, stop in at the Festival of Trees at the Indiana Historical Society (indianahistory.org).

Visitors can vote for their favorite among the 74 decorated Christmas trees (and one menorah) sponsored by area businesses, organizations and individuals.

The museum is also a great place to learn a little about Hoosier State history, or just to marvel at the grandeur of Eli Lilly Hall, where giant watches hang from the high, domed ceiling like something out of the Twilight Zone meets Salvadore Dali meets Kris Kringle.

And don’t miss the Cole Porter Room, one of my favorite spaces in any Midwestern museum – right up there with the “Hall of Elephants” at the University of Nebraska State Museum (museum.unl.edu). Visitors can hear a live singer perform requests of songs written by Porter, an Indiana native, accompanied by an automated grand piano.

Admission to the museum is $15 for adults, $5 for students ages 5 –17.

Speaking of holiday favorites, another of mine is located in the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art (eiteljorg.org).

Although firmly a part of the Midwest now, Indiana (like Ohio) was once on the edge of America’s western frontier, and the Eiteljorg celebrates that frontier with art from those who explored it, settled it or originally called it home.

The museum’s annual Jingle Rails exhibit is a delightfully whimsical look at the American West, with national parks such as Yosemite, Yellowstone and Grand Canyon recreated in miniature using all-natural materials such as wood, leaves, seeds and mosses. Other Western sites such as Las Vegas, Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge are also represented.

The Indianapolis skyline also gets its own miniature representation, complete with a tiny Soldiers and Sailors Monument decorated for the holidays like it is in real life, just a few blocks away.

Through all the scenes run model railroad cars – the frosting, if you will, on the Jingle Rails Christmas cookie.

Admission is $18 for adults, $10 for students ages 5 and older. Order tickets online at eiteljorg.org/JingleRails with the code JINGLE for 10% off.

Visitors to Indianapolis can also find many other lovely holiday destinations.

– Christmas at the Indianapolis Zoo (indianapoliszoo.com/events/christmas-at-the-zoo/) claims to be the first zoo in the country to host a holiday lights event.

– Celebration Crossing at the Indiana State Museum (indianamuseum.org/experiences/celebration-crossing/) features a reindeer barn and visits with Santa.

–The Indiana State Fairgrounds hosts Christmas Nights of Lights (christmasnightsoflights.com), a 35-minute drive-through light display with more than 1 million lights.

– The Athenaeum Foundation Christkindlmarkt (athenaeumindy.org/events/newchristkindlmarkt/) is located in the Rathskeller Biergarten, a building designed by author Kurt Vonnegut’s father. It features 12 vendor huts with local artisans and merchants, live entertainment, visits from jolly old St. Nicholas and the not-so-jolly Krampus, food and an exclusive beer by Sun King Brewery.

– Winterlights at Newfields is a 1.5-million light display, including a fantastic animated light show on the lawn of the beautifully decorated Lilly House mansion.

– Jolly Days at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (childrensmuseum.org/exhibits/jolly-days) features visits with Santa, Jingles the Bear and more; plus a Yule slide, giant snow globe and an ice castle for youngsters to explore.

For more information about things to see and do and places to stay in Indianapolis, go to VisitIndy.com.

Steve Stephens is a freelance travel writer and photographer. Email him at sjstephensjr@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Indianapolis offers a variety of holiday lights and attractions