A Wheelchair Accessible Day at White River State Park

If you're planning the same day, it's an easy one in a power wheelchair. Here's what to know before you go.

At a glance

• Distance: About 1 mile of flat, paved paths connect all three stops.
• Parking: The lot by Everwise Amphitheater has accessible parking. There's also underground parking at the Indiana State Museum and a large lot at the zoo.
• Tickets Discounts: Check out the Indy Attraction Pass and the Access Pass (see below)
• Free personal care attendant: Licensed PCAs get into the zoo free with a paying guest
• Restrooms: The Eiteljorg and the Indiana State Museum both have family restrooms. At the zoo, there's an adult changing table in the restroom outside the Visitor Services Center.

Exploring the White River District

All three stops are part of the White River District, with White River State Park at its heart. The downtown canal runs through the area too and has 3 miles of paths to stroll. We didn't walk the canal this time, but if you're visiting for the first time, it's worth adding to your day. You can also rent bikes, gondolas and other boats if you're able to ride in one. The canal paths are smooth and wide, plus there's plenty of green space to relax and view Indy's skyline.

First stop: the Eiteljorg Museum

I've lived in the Indy area for more than 20 years and somehow had never been to the Eiteljorg. Its full name, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, tells you exactly what's inside: Native American art and art of the American West.

We got the opening hours wrong and showed up a little early, so we waited until the museum opened at noon. Since we were the first ones in, it felt like we had the whole museum to ourselves. It was a peaceful way to start the day. My favorite part was the paintings in the Art of the American West area. It amazes me every time I see what artists can do.

The Eiteljorg looks huge, and there's a lot to see, but it's not quite as big as I expected. The galleries are on two levels, so you need the elevator to get upstairs. The passenger elevator was broken the day we went, but staff told us as soon as we arrived and let us use the freight elevator instead. It was in the same area, so it wasn't much of an inconvenience. We just had to let them know when we were ready to go up or come back down.

We spent about an hour here before moving on to the State Museum.

Next door at the Indiana State Museum

If you're coming straight from the Eiteljorg, you'll be coming in on the second level, so you take the large elevator down to the first floor to buy tickets and see the exhibits there.

Jordan has been to the State Museum more times than he can count, but he still finds something new every visit. This time it was mammoths and mastodons. Both once lived in Indiana, and you can tell them apart by their teeth: mammoths had flatter, ridged teeth for grinding grass, while mastodons had raised cusps for chewing leaves and twigs. You're welcome for the fun fact you never knew you needed. I'm not joking when I say Jordan is like an animal encyclopedia.

The museum is spread across three floors, and each one covers a different side of Indiana. The first floor is natural history, the second floor is the state's history and culture, and the top floor is for the changing exhibits. There's also an IMAX theater and a café if you need a break.

We kind of zoomed through this museum because we were meeting friends at the zoo, but you could easily spend 2 hours looking at all the exhibits.

Ending the day at the Indianapolis Zoo

The path from the State Museum to the zoo is a bit of a hidden route. I actually didn't know it existed for the longest time. You come in from the back side, so it feels like a secret passageway and then you pop out at the front of the zoo by the parking lot and main entrance. There are signs once you go over the walking bridge.

The Indianapolis Zoo is a zoo, an aquarium and a botanical garden in one, so there's a lot more to it than animals behind glass. We've been plenty of times and have our favorite spots, especially since we got engaged at the zoo.

Once you're inside, it's easy to get around in a wheelchair. The paths are smooth, and most of them are pretty wide.

We started at the café because we were starving. Like most attractions, the food isn't cheap, but it was better than we expected. There are also plenty of healthy options beyond chicken fingers and hot dogs.

With full stomachs, we set off to see the rest of the zoo. It's laid out by habitat, so you can go from the dolphins and sharks in Oceans to the giraffes and elephants on the Plains, then on to the Forests, the Deserts dome and the colorful birds in Flights of Fancy. White River Gardens is part of the zoo too, so you get a botanical garden in the same visit.

This time, we spent the longest at the orangutan center. A baby orangutan was playing with its mom and dad, and we had a front-row view. I wanted to snuggle with it so bad, but apparently breaking into zoo exhibits is frowned upon.

Should you plan your own Indy Day?

For us, the best part was how easy it was to do this on our own. We could go to the next stop whenever we were ready, so we could stay longer wherever we were having the most fun. This is one of the best areas in Indy to spend a day, whether you're visiting for the first time or just want a day downtown. You can park once and get everywhere from there. Here's the route we took!

Tickets and discounts

We bought the Indy Attraction Pass because it covered all three stops and saved us a little on admission. It's a 1-day pass, and it cost $59 per adult and $47 per child. Besides our three stops, it also covers the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Conner Prairie, Newfields, the Indiana Historical Society and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. They also have a 3-day pass option, so you don't have to shove it all into one day.

If you live in Indiana and are enrolled in a qualifying program, the Access Pass gets you into partner venues for $5 per person per visit. Qualifying programs include Traditional Medicaid, the Healthy Indiana Plan, Hoosier Healthwise, Hoosier Care Connect, SNAP and TANF. The Eiteljorg and the Indiana State Museum both take it and signing up is free!

So close, yet so far

By the time we left the zoo, Jordan's chair was barely moving. (He hadn't charged it the night before.) He crept along for the last quarter mile and got within about 100 feet of the van before his battery gave out. I pushed him the rest of the way with my chair. Apparently mine had enough battery left for both of us.