Spark Learning

• The Indianapolis Zoo and Children’s Museum Family Fun Adventure package is a year-round experience for the young and young at heart. Numerous participating hotels offer overnight packages for two adults and two children that include both museum and zoo tickets. Zoo highlights include a dolphin exhibit and elephants, giraffes, polar bear, tigers and sea lions. Feed the family at any one of seven zoo dining sites. The Children’s Museum’s 11 major galleries provide hours of learning and discovery. See full-size dinosaur skeletons, a recreated Egyptian pharaoh, an interactive Hollywood set and a planetarium. The food court offers a variety of kid favorites, like mac and cheese.

Celebrate the Big Race

• The Indianapolis 500 is held each Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In the downtown district, Saturday’s Kids’ Day is a free outdoor festival for children. Also on Saturday, the Rookie Run and Mini-Marathon are available for kids of different ages. The annual 500 parade showcases the starting 500 drivers and attracts 300,000 spectators. Prime Sport is the official travel partner of the speedway and offers Indy 500 packages for all budgets. The Hampton, Omni Severin Hotel and Hyatt Regency Hotel offer packages based on two-, three- or four-night stays for up to four guests per room. All packages include race tickets and transportation to the speedway, admission to the Hall of Fame Museum and souvenirs. Pricier packages offer a meeting with race drivers, garage passes and breakfast buffets.

Go on a Spending Spree

• Whether it’s time for back-to-school shopping, holiday gift buying or for a little family retail therapy, the Shop and Drop package from Hampton Inn offers a base station for bargain hunting and after-shopping entertainment. Located downtown across from indoor Circle Centre Mall, the package includes mall gift card and a coupon book that can be redeemed among the mall’s 100 retailers. Choose from eight sit-down restaurants, catch a blockbuster movie at the United Artists Theater or challenge the kids in a game of mini-golf.

Explore White River Park

• White River State Park spans 250 acres in the heart of Indianapolis, offering recreation options that appeal to all ages. Located a stone’s throw from the urban park, JW Marriott offers a Lights, Legends and Lions package that includes deluxe overnight accommodations, tickets to the park’s IMAX theater and admission to the Indianapolis Zoo. Guests also receive tickets to White River Gardens, the park’s botanical landmark where more than 1,000 varieties of plants grow. Packages are based on a per room rate. Breakfast is included in this weekends-only package.