Indianapolis events & things to do in December 2026
Start with The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, plus Newfields. December in Indianapolis averages 5°C / 41°F highs, -2°C / 28°F nights, and about 14 rainy days.
Expect 5°C/41°F days and about 14 rainy ones in December. Start with these:
- The Children's Museum of IndianapolisThe world's largest children's museum — five floors including a real Tyrannosaurus skeleton bursting through the facade, the Dinosphere, and a 1917…
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway MuseumInside the 1909 oval's infield — winning cars from a century of Indy 500s, and track tours that include the yard of original brick at the start-finish…
- Aly & AJDec 1Egyptian Room at Old National Centre · Source: SeatGeek
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By TripSapien Research · Updated June 3, 2026
Indianapolis in December 2026
Weather
TempTemperature
41°F / 28°F
4.9°C / -2.4°C
RainPrecipitation
14d
3.2in · 80.7mm
LightDaylight
9.6h
Cold with holiday lights — Winterlights at Newfields is the draw.
Events & festivals
Event calendar- Dec 1 – Dec 31
Circle of Lights
Indianapolis' annual holiday tradition featuring the lighting of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, festive decorations, live entertainment, and holiday markets throughout downtown.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 1
- Dec 1 – Dec 31
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
The IMA is the home of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Indianapolis 500.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: Month Signals
Show all 37 events for December
- Dec 1
- Dec 1
- Dec 4
- Dec 4 – Dec 30
Newfields Holiday Nights
Evening holiday event at Newfields featuring light displays, seasonal activities, and special exhibitions.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 4
- Dec 5 – Dec 30
Holiday at the Zoo
Indianapolis Zoo's holiday event with light displays, seasonal activities, and special animal encounters.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 5 – Dec 23
Winter Market at City Market
Seasonal market featuring local artisans, holiday gifts, and festive food vendors in downtown Indianapolis.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 5
- Dec 5
- Dec 5
- Dec 5
- Dec 5
- Dec 5
- Dec 6
- Dec 6
- Dec 8
- Dec 9
- Dec 9
- Dec 9
- Dec 10 – Dec 20
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Holiday Concerts
A series of festive concerts by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra featuring holiday classics and seasonal music at the Hilbert Circle Theatre.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 10
- Dec 11
- Dec 11
- Dec 12
- Dec 12
- Dec 12
- Dec 12
- Dec 13
- Dec 15
- Dec 18 – Dec 20
Holiday Pops at the Palladium
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's popular Holiday Pops concerts held at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts.
Planning lead · dates set closer in · Source: festival research
- Dec 18
- Dec 19
- Dec 20
- Dec 31
Holidays, observances & long weekends
Holiday and observance schedules can affect services and venue hours; confirm each place directly.
- Dec 25Christmas DayPublic holiday
- Dec 25-Dec 27Long weekend
About Indianapolis
City overview
Indianapolis is racing's world capital and the most walkable big city in the Midwest that nobody expects — the Indianapolis 500's 2.5-mile oval on one side, and downtown's Monument Circle radiating a canal walk, three war memorials, and the world's largest children's museum on the other. The Cultural Trail, an 8-mile landscaped bike-and-pedestrian loop, links every downtown district without a single parking lot in between.
Food & drink
The signature move is the shrimp cocktail with sinus-clearing horseradish sauce at St. Elmo (a 1902 steakhouse), trailed by pork tenderloin sandwiches bigger than their buns and a strong deli tradition at Shapiro's. Mass Ave and Fountain Square carry the newer wave.
Top sights
- 1
Newfields
mixedThe Indianapolis Museum of Art plus 152 acres of gardens and the 100-acre art-and-nature park — Robert Indiana's LOVE, a Chihuly ceiling, and the fairy-lit Winterlights in December.
- 2
Soldiers and Sailors Monument / Monument Circle
mixedThe 284-foot neoclassical shaft at the city's exact center — climb (or ride) to the observation deck for the best downtown view. The Circle is Indianapolis's living room.
- 3
Indianapolis Zoo
mixedA compact, well-kept zoo in White River State Park known for its dolphin pavilion (underwater viewing dome) and the international orangutan center with its overhead cable crossings.
Wikipedia
Show 2 more sights
- 4White River State Park and Canal Walk
- 5Crown Hill Cemetery
Neighborhoods
1Mass Ave
The five-block arts-and-theater diagonal — indie shops, patios, and half of downtown's nightlife.
2Fountain Square
Vintage duckpin bowling, dive bars, and record stores around a 1920s theater — the scruffy-cool quarter on the Cultural Trail's southeast leg.
3Broad Ripple
A village-scale strip of bars and brunch spots on the Monon Trail, six miles north — the college-crowd night out.
Day trips
85km / 1h by car
Bloomington
Indiana University's limestone campus, the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, and a genuine college-town restaurant row.
40km / 30min by car
Conner Prairie
A living-history park on the White River — costumed 1836 village, a tethered gas balloon ride 350 feet up.
Getting around
Downtown is genuinely walkable and the Cultural Trail makes bikes practical; the Red Line bus rapid transit runs north-south. A car only matters for Speedway and Broad Ripple.
Planning a Indianapolis trip?
Add your dates and we'll check every place for closures, limited hours, and booking needs in December.
Common questions about Indianapolis in December
- Best photo spots in Indianapolis in December
These stops give you the clearest landmarks, viewpoints, or street scenes in Indianapolis.
- Newfields — The Indianapolis Museum of Art plus 152 acres of gardens and the 100-acre art-and-nature park — Robert Indiana's LOVE, a Chihuly ceiling, and the fairy-lit Winterlights in December.
- Soldiers and Sailors Monument / Monument Circle — The 284-foot neoclassical shaft at the city's exact center — climb (or ride) to the observation deck for the best downtown view. The Circle is Indianapolis's living room.
- White River State Park and Canal Walk — Downtown's 250-acre riverfront park chain — pedal boats on the canal, the Indianapolis Zoo, the Eiteljorg Museum of Native American and Western art, and an NCAA Hall of Champions in one continuous walk.
- Crown Hill Cemetery — 555 rolling acres holding John Dillinger, Benjamin Harrison, and — at the hilltop tomb of poet James Whitcomb Riley — the highest natural point in the city, with a full skyline view.
- What to pack for Indianapolis in December
Pack for December's weather, not a generic Indianapolis checklist.
- A warm coat and insulating layers for average highs around 5°C / 41°F.
- A heavier evening layer because nights average -2°C / 28°F.
- Compact rain gear and shoes that handle wet pavement across about 14 rainy days.
- How many days do you need in Indianapolis
- 3 days covers the main Indianapolis highlights at a realistic pace. Add 2 extra days if you want the listed day trips.
Ready to plan Indianapolis?
You've seen what's on — now get a day-by-day Indianapolis plan for December 2026, every place checked for your exact dates.