Date Night Ideas in Indianapolis

Setup.Grab bikes from any Pacers Bikeshare station along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, the protected path that loops downtown and connects six of the city's cultural districts, including Mass Ave and Fountain Square.

1. Start at a bikeshare station near the Canal and White River State Park district and ride the trail's downtown loop.
2. Stop at a couple of the trail's public art installations and read the plaques together.
3. Detour up the northeastern spur toward Mass Ave, then loop back through the Wholesale District.
4. Dock the bikes and finish the night on foot wherever the ride puts you, with no set destination required.

Talk about:Which of the trail's art installations would you steal for your own backyard?

Setup.The Canal Walk is the restored stretch of the Indiana Central Canal running through downtown and White River State Park, a flat paved path with several pedestrian bridges.

1. Meet at the canal near White River State Park after the museums close but before it gets fully dark.
2. Walk the pedestrian bridges end to end, in no fixed direction.
3. Sit on one of the benches along the water and let the evening slow down.
4. Loop back over a different bridge than the one you started on.

Talk about:What's one thing about this city you never noticed until you slowed down to walk it?

Setup.Garfield Park, the city's oldest municipal park, holds an aluminum and glass conservatory built around a tropical planting collection, plus a separate sunken garden with fountains and seasonal plantings.

1. Start in the conservatory and find the granite waterfall inside the tropical planting.
2. Step outside into the three acre sunken garden and walk its brick paths and fountains.
3. Circle up to the 1903 Pagoda for a view back over the gardens.
4. Finish with a slower loop of the wider park if the weather is cooperating.

Talk about:Tropical conservatory or formal garden: which one matches your idea of a good afternoon?

Setup.Newfields' 100 acre outdoor art and nature park sits along the White River and the Central Canal, with hiking trails that lead past site specific contemporary art installations.

1. Park at Newfields and head for the 100 Acres trailhead rather than the museum building itself.
2. Follow the trails past the lake and the current art commissions, in whatever order the paths take you.
3. Cross to the wetland side for a quieter stretch with fewer other visitors.
4. End back near the museum if you want to add an indoor gallery before you leave.

Talk about:If you could commission one large scale artwork for this park, what would you build?

Setup.Eagle Creek Park centers on a reservoir large enough for sailing and kayaking, with about 30 miles of trails, most on the eastern side, and a seasonal swimming beach. The park charges an entrance fee at the gate.

1. Rent a kayak or join a sailing session on the reservoir if the season and the park's schedule allow it.
2. Or walk one of the trails near the water and pick a spot to sit at the water's edge.
3. Watch for the birdlife; the park is a recognized Important Bird Area.
4. Finish at the beach if it is warm enough to want your feet in the water.

Talk about:Would you rather sail this reservoir or just watch someone else try to?

Setup.An antiquarian or used bookshop in a literary city. Cash for small purchases. A budget.

1. Each picks the section they would never otherwise visit.
2. Spend 30 minutes there. Pick one book.
3. Reveal at the till.
4. Read at a café for 30 minutes before walking on.

Setup.A beach with legal bonfire pits, most coastal cities have at least a few. Wood, kindling, a lighter, marshmallows on sticks.

1. Arrive before sunset. Build a small fire.
2. Eat dinner around the fire, sandwiches or cooked-on-stick foods.
3. Marshmallows for dessert.
4. Put the fire out fully before leaving, beach rules matter.

Setup.A pick-your-own orchard within an hour's drive. Autumn weekends.

1. Go early to skip the queue.
2. Pick more than you think, they keep.
3. Cider doughnut and hot apple cider before driving home.

Setup.A renowned BBQ joint. Get there early, the good stuff sells out.

1. Order one of every meat, sharing is the whole game.
2. Skip the chairs if there is a queue. Take it to a park.
3. Walk for at least 30 minutes after.

Setup.A restaurant doing weekend bottomless brunch. Reservations.

1. Order water alongside everything, important.
2. Eat the eggs first, the cocktails second.
3. Walk for at least 30 minutes after.

Setup.A pub with a weekly quiz night. Most pubs run them, usually free entry.

1. Order food before the quiz starts. Eating mid-quiz is hard.
2. Pick a team name. Submit it confidently.
3. Argue every contested answer.
4. Stay for the prize round even if you cannot win.

Setup.A beach with a surf school. Reef-safe sunscreen, swimwear, a change of clothes.

1. Group lesson on land first, listen carefully.
2. Whitewater only, do not chase real waves first time.
3. Lunch at the beach café afterwards.

Setup.A state, county, or regional fair. Comfortable shoes, sunscreen, cash for the booths.

1. Walk the agricultural building first.
2. One ride, two deep-fried foods.
3. Watch one of the live performances, cover band, pig race, anything.
4. Eat dinner from a different stall on the way out.

Setup.A symphony or chamber concert. Cheap seats.

1. Read the programme on the way in.
2. No phones during.
3. Walk for 20 minutes after, do not rush to public transit.

Setup.A bus route you have never ridden end-to-end. Off-peak so you can sit. Headphones (one each).

1. Sit at the back, on opposite sides of the aisle.
2. No talking for the first 20 minutes, just look.
3. Get off at the last stop. Walk for an hour.
4. Take the same bus back. Sit together this time.

Setup.A booked comedy show. Tickets in advance.

1. Eat dinner before, laughing on a full stomach is not great.
2. Sit in the middle, not the front.
3. Walk for at least 20 minutes after.

Setup.A car or scooter. A free afternoon. Snacks for the drive back.

1. Get in. Drive without a destination.
2. After 30 minutes, stop wherever you are.
3. Walk for 20 minutes around that place.
4. Eat at the first promising spot. Drive home the long way.