Fun things to do in Indianapolis while living on a budget

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Welcome to Indianapolis; a city many college students have decided to call home for a few years. Most students get overwhelmed when school is in session, but fear not. Indianapolis has many cheap activities and free attractions.

Down the road from campus, near the AMC theater, is Wheels of Wonder, a roller skating rink. Sophomore community health major Anna Buttgen decided to give it a roll, when the Black Student Association hosted a free event at the rink.

“All of my friends were going, and it was a different way to spend a Friday night, rather than watching movies in the dorm,” Buttgen said.

Graphic by Kyle Dunbar

Graphic by Kyle Dunbar

Wheels of Wonder also has an arcade, a snack bar and a place to rent skates. Wheels of Wonder is open for public skate on Friday, 7:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. Saturday, 12:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. and Sunday 12:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. The price varies between $7-$9, depending on the time.

Another fun activity, located on State Road 135, is an 18-hole miniature golf course. Orchard Golf Center offers a round of mini golf for $6.

Orchard Golf Center is open Sunday through Thursday until 10 p.m. and also Friday and Saturday until 10:30 p.m.

If ice cream is on your mind, visit Sub Zero, located on Massachusetts Avenue.

According to the Sub Zero Ice Cream and Yogurt website, “We choose to blast our ice cream with -321 degrees of liquid nitrogen to freeze it instantly and to-order so our ice cream is the smoothest, creamiest, and freshest frozen treat worldwide.”

“Sub Zero is cool because it isn’t like a traditional ice cream shop,”  sophomore accounting major Shelby Lannan said.

Sub Zero’s hours are 11 a.m. -10 p.m.,  except on Friday and Saturday, when they are open until 11 p.m.

White River State Park offers many attractions in Indianapolis. Located in the park is the Indianapolis Zoo. Unfortunately, the park does not offer any student discount, but the $19.70 ticket price covers the zoo, the aquarium and the gardens.

White River State Park also has museums, including the Eiteljorg Museum, Indiana State Museum and NCAA Hall of Champions.

The White River Canal flows through the park, so it’s a great place to take a walk, or rent bikes or kayaks if you want to be more active.

Also located at White River State Park is Victory Field, home of the Indianapolis Indians, the official triple-A minor league baseball team of Indianapolis.

“The games are a perfect place for people of all ages. There’s always something entertaining for everyone, and they have great promotions like $1 Mondays. It’s a great environment,”  junior elementary education major Lexie Bowen said.

Lawn tickets are $10 for an Indians game and available for purchase online or at the box office at the field. For more fun things to do in Indianapolis, visit www.visitindy.com.

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