Indianapolis Sports And Recreation
Centrally located White River State Park is a diverse urban oasis suitable for hiking, bicycling and roller skating. In addition to museums and the zoo, the park features a sports fitness center, outdoor entertainment venues and picnic areas. Bicycles, tandems and four-wheel surreys are available for rent.
Ice skating facilities are at Carmel Ice Skadium, 1040 3rd Ave. S.W. in Carmel; Indiana Farmers Coliseum at the State Fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th St.; Pan Am Plaza, 201 S. Capitol Ave.; and Perry Park Ice Arena, 451 E. Stop 11 Rd.
Boating and sailing are available at Geist and Morse reservoirs, both north of the city, and at Eagle Creek Reservoir in Eagle Creek Park; boats can be rented at Eagle Creek. Phone (317) 327-7130. Two- and four-person pedal boats are available for rent on the Central Canal at the corner of West and Ohio streets; phone (317) 767-5072.
Golfing is available at 12 public courses. Some of the most popular are Eagle Creek, 8802 W. 56th St. (nine and 18 holes); Pleasant Run, 601 N. Arlington Ave. (18 holes); Riverside, 3502 N. White River Pkwy. W. Dr. (18 holes); Sahm, 6800 E. 91st St. (18 holes); and South Grove, 1800 W. 18th St. (18 holes).
Fans of swimming, running and bicycling enjoy specially designed facilities in Indianapolis. The IU Natatorium, 901 W. New York St., is one of the most advanced swimming and diving pools in the country; phone (317) 274-3518.
Across the street is Indiana University's Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium, available Monday through Friday from dawn to dusk for running, except during official meets; phone (317) 274-8056. The stadium also contains fitness trails. Managed by Marian University, the Major Taylor Velodrome at 3649 Cold Spring Rd. has a concrete surface banked at 28 degrees. It is open to bicyclists on Mondays from April through September, unless it is being used for competitions or training sessions; professional racing is held on Friday nights and is free to spectators. Phone (317) 955-6000 for the Marian University switchboard. Eagle Creek Park has 1,000 acres with bicycle routes.
Automobile racing is another popular pastime. The Indianapolis 500 race, held during Memorial Day weekend, is considered the biggest 1-day sporting event in the world, drawing more than 400,000 fans to the speedway each year. Also at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is NASCAR's Brickyard 400, held in July. Rounding out the summer is the National Hot Rod Association's drag racing championship on Labor Day at Lucas Oil Raceway; phone (317) 291-4090.
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The city also is home to the National Football League's Indianapolis Colts. The team's home games are played at Lucas Oil Stadium, which opened in 2008 and was selected as the Super Bowl XLVI venue; phone (317) 297-8600 or (800) 745-3000 for ticket information. The 18,500-seat Bankers Life Fieldhouse is the showcase for the National Basketball Association's Indiana Pacers and the Women's National Basketball Association's Indiana Fever; phone (317) 917-2727 or (800) 745-3000 for ticket information. The Indianapolis Indians, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, plays baseball at Victory Field in White River State Park; phone (317) 269-3545 for ticket information.