50 Places to Play Inside in Indianapolis | Indoor Playgrounds

Written by Ashley Dykton and Sara Keller

Cold weather, hot weather, rain. Some days are just better spent indoors. Luckily, playing inside is far from boring in our area. Central Indiana provides so many opportunities for families to stay active, physically and mentally, without leaving the shelter of a building. Kids can jump at a trampoline park, test their skills at an arcade, learn through play at a museum, scramble through a massive indoor playset, and so much more.

Our ultimate guide to indoor play in Indianapolis includes destinations for all ages and interests. Let us know in the comments your favorite place to play inside with the kids in your life!

| Indoor Play Areas and Entertainment Centers | Cafes and Restaurants with Play Areas | Arcades and Bowling Alleys | Community Centers | Museums | Sensory Play Areas | Free Indoor Playgrounds | Nature Centers | Libraries |

Indoor Play Areas and Entertainment Centers

Jump, climb, run, or even soar. These indoor entertainment centers are the ultimate destinations for indoor adventures and family fun.

Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park

14450 Mundy Drive, Noblesville

A trip to this year-round indoor amusement center and indoor playground is a hit for most ages. At Urban Air, you can fly through the air on the Sky Rider or zip around on the Spin Zone bumper cars. Battle your friends on the Beam, the Warrior Zone, or in the Dodgeball arena. This birthday party location favorite is great for a group or families.

Sky Zone Trampoline Park

North and South Indianapolis, Plainfield

Each of Sky Zone’s Central Indiana locations feature an indoor trampoline park with ninja-warrior-style equipment and obstacles.

Kids Empire

8705 Hardegan St, Indianapolis

The huge indoor play space at Kids Empire offers a giant maze-like climbing structure and a smaller age-appropriate tot area.

Smiley Indoor Playland & VR Center

5729 East 86th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana

Smiley is absolutely packed with cool amenities and play areas. There is a giant ball pit, trampolines, slides, a climbing structure, a rock wall with a foam pit, virtual reality, a LEGO room, and interactive elements on the walls and floors.

Adrenaline Family Adventure Park

10080 E 121st Street, Suite 182, Fishers

Discover 50,000 square feet of fun obstacles and adventures including trampolines, jousting, a ninja course, and a climbing wall.

Dig Dig for Kids

12800 Ford Drive, Fishers

If your child loves construction vehicles, building, or sensory play, they will love digging into Indiana’s largest indoor sandbox. A variety of trucks and sand toys are provided, including large sit-on excavators that kids can operate using levers. Adults can play with their children or sit back and relax in the seating area. Dig Dig for Kids is recommended for ages 10 and under. Frequent visitors can save by purchasing 4- and 8-hour play passes at discounted rates.

Kids Planet

499 Southpoint Circle, Brownsburg

Kids Planet has a huge multilevel play structure that features slides, tunnels, a ball cannon, and an arcade. A major update in 2023 added a section of trampolines and basketball lanes, as well a separate toddler trampoline area. The main toddler area has activity centers, a small ball house, a climbing structure, sensory tables, a ball course, and more.

Rascals Fun Zone

629 N. U.S. 31, Whiteland

Rascals Fun Zone is a family fun center that has an arcade, indoor go-karting, bumper cars, and duckpin bowling. Outside, you can enjoy mini golf, go-karting, and bumper boats.

Malibu Jacks

2415 Sagamore Pkwy S, Lafayette

Malibu Jacks has mini golf, arcade games, virtual reality, and roller coasters. Admission is free and pricing varies for each attraction and game. There are age and height restrictions for the rides and attractions.

Cafes and Restaurants with Play Areas

Imagine relaxing with a cup of coffee or lingering over lunch while the kids play happily within eyesight. Sound magical? It can really happen at these local spots.

Busy Bee Cafe

5635 W 96th St Suite 200, Indianapolis

While the venue also includes a coffee shop, the highlight of Busy Bee Cafe is its state-of-the-art indoor play area. Designed to inspire and stimulate young minds, it features a range of play equipment suitable for children aged 1-8 years. The play area includes soft play zones, climbing structures, slides, and imaginative play. Admission is charged for each child, with memberships and package deals available. Adults are free and outside food and drink are welcome.

Urban Brew

78 East Morgan Street, Martinsville

Pink, cheerful, and so much fun, Urban Brew Play Cafe is located in downtown Martinsville. Stop in for delicious and beautiful coffee beverages and specialty drinks, including kid-inspired menu items your littles will love. Pay a small per-child admission fee to gain access to the adorable play area. The pastel-colored climbing structure and slide immediately catch guests’ attention, but there’s also an enclosed, padded area for babies and a pretend play area. Play is limited to 10 children, ages 0-7, at a time, so reserve your spot online before you go!

Coffee at the Crossing

7745 N 600 W, McCordsville

At this cozy, adorable McCordsville coffee shop, you can sip a warm beverage and enjoy a treat in a real train car. This is not the first time this vehicle has been reimagined for an alternate use — in previous years, it housed a barber shop! “Board” the train from inside the main shop after you make your purchases. While not a play cafe, Coffee at the Crossing offers some toys and games to keep kids entertained. The train-themed decor adds to the charm for kids and adults alike.

Arcades and Bowling Alleys

Did you know that several bowling alleys allow kids to bowl for FREE during the summer? You can also find more places to play pinball and other arcade games in our extensive guide.

Dave & Busters

Indianapolis & Greenwood

A restaurant and bar that offers a variety of appetizers, burgers, salads, wings, and entrées with a large video arcade.

Boss Battle Games

6020 E. 82nd St, Indianapolis (Inside Castleton Square Mall)

Boss Battle Games is an admission-based arcade full of retro games. Pay a flat rate for each person entering the arcade, then get unlimited gameplay of all of the arcade, pinball, and console games.

Punchbowl Social

120 S. Meridian St, Indianapolis

This downtown Indy establishment features bowling, a private karaoke room, ping pong, Foosball, an arcade, and table games. You’ll also love the food and drinks from their menu.

Greatimes Family Fun Park

5341 Elmwood Ave. Indianapolis

The 22,000 sq. ft. building at Greatimes offers a multi-level arcade filled with 100+ redemption and video arcade games and an indoor play land. Outside there are bumper boats, go-karts, and mini golf.

Royal Pin Woodland Bowl

3421 E. 96th St. Indianapolis

At Woodland Bowl, there is a bowling alley, an arcade, a pirate-themed outdoor mini golf course, and laser tag.

Pins Mechanical Co

856 Carrollton Ave, Indianapolis

Located in the Bottleworks District, Pins Mechanical Co. offers pinball, duckpin bowling, and foosball. Enjoy free yard game-type activities, like bocce ball and giant jenga, while you wait for your lane at the bowling alley. Minors are welcome until 8 pm.

Action and Atomic Bowl

1105 Prospect St, Indianapolis

Located in the same historic building in Fountain Square, these two duckpin bowling alleys are vintage treasures. Action Bowl is upstairs and pays homage through its decor to the original bowling alley opened in the space in 1928. In the basement, Atomic Bowl celebrates the 1950s and ‘60s with retro memorabilia. Food and beverages are available at both establishments.

Bowl 32

845 Westfield Rd. Noblesville

The bowling alley at Bowl 32 has appropriately 32 lanes, an arcade, glow-in-the-dark mini golf, and laser tag. Guests over the age of 12 can try axe throwing as well.

Press Play Gaming Lounge

1004 E. Main St, Brownsburg

Press Play offers a unique immersive virtual reality gaming experience as well as arcade games and foam wars with Nerf guns.

X-Golf

Plainfield and Carmel

X-Golf offers golf simulators of courses designed for all ages and levels.

Community Centers with Kid-Friendly Features

Whether you’re looking for a place to work out kid-free or activities to enjoy as a family, these community centers in our area are wonderfully family-friendly.

Broad Ripple Park Family Center

1426 Broad Ripple Avenue, Indianapolis

This family center features a walking track, gymnasium, and a children’s play area equipped with an indoor playground and party room. A small fee is charged for each child to play on the playground.

Monon Community Center

1235 Central Park Drive E, Carmel

For parents who would like to work out while their kids enjoy safe, supervised play, The Monon Center has a KidZone. This indoor playground and area is for kids ages 2-12. Parents may utilize the space for their children for up to 2 hours while they work out. Other kid-friendly amenities at the center include an indoor aquatic center with a 25-yard lap pool, slides, and an activity pool, as well as a gymnasium.

Greenwood Fieldhouse

411 South Madison Ave., Greenwood

The Greenwood Fieldhouse has a regulation-size turf field, simulator games, batting cages, a running track, fitness equipment, a main gym, and a practice court area where you can play basketball, volleyball, and pickleball.

Kid City At the Greenwood Community Center

100 Surina Way, Greenwood

Inside Kid City, you will find a two-story indoor play area that incorporates STEAM-focused concepts through different activity centers and play spaces. These areas include a grocery store, an art zone, and interactive play features. The indoor space also features a Luckey climber – a three-dimensional climbing structure surrounded by netting. Outside, you will find the Musical Garden which allows children to explore sound, vibration, and music. Admission is free for parents and guardians, as well as children under 1.

Richard A. Carlucci Recreation & Aquatic Center

651 Vestal Rd, Plainfield

Inside the Plainfield Recreation Center, you can find Playworld, a play space with a multilevel climbing structure where parents can drop off their children for supervised play while they work out. Parents can also choose to stay with their child. Inside the recreation center, you can also find basketball courts and an indoor aquatic area with three lap lanes, a two-story waterslide, an interactive children’s play area, a gently winding river, and a pulsating vortex.

Museums for Indoor Play

Central Indiana’s museums are extremely popular with families for a reason! Play and learn here in Indy, or take a road trip for even more indoor, educational fun.

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

3000 N Meridian St, Indianapolis

The world’s largest children’s museum has multiple floors of exhibits and displays for families to enjoy with plenty of opportunities to play. Playscape is a favorite with families with young children. Here, you’ll find a Luckey climber, a sand table, and a water play area, as well as special programming just for littles.

The Eiteljorg

500 W Washington St, Indianapolis

The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is dedicated to sharing the history, art, and culture of America’s native peoples. A space in the museum’s basement helps achieve this goal by providing opportunities for children to engage with the stories of various families through play. In the Nina Mason Pulliam Education Center, kids can ride a historic stagecoach, help run the Wisdom family’s restaurant, care for animals at the Morrison family’s farm, and more.

Discovery Station at Conner Prairie

13400 Allisonville Rd, Fishers

Some elements of Discovery Station are available in a separate space during renovations on the Conner Prairie Welcome Center.

The Discovery Station indoor play area for children is best for preschool or young school-aged children. Kids love the blanket fort area, dress up, imaginative play, extensive crafting area, building area, and reading space.

Carmel Clay History Museum

211 1st Street SW, Carmel

This free museum located between Carmel’s bustling Midtown Plaza and the charm of Main Street has a fantastic play space on the third floor. Three buildings representing different eras of Carmel’s history invite kids in for imaginative play. The retro ice cream shop is particularly enticing! You’ll also find other toys like Lincoln Logs, trains, books, and more in this space. You’ll also want to check out the displays on the building’s other levels, and see the train exhibit (OPENING FEB. 2025) in the next-door historic train station.

Wabash County Museum

36 E Market St, Wabash

This museum in Wabash County not only teaches about the history of the area but also offers educational exhibits for children including a large model train display. There is a children’s play section with a small wooden structure, train tables, a play house and garden, and more.

Indoor Sensory Play Areas

Calming decor, thoughtfully chosen toys, and quiet environments are the name of the game at these sensory-sensitivity-friendly play places.

Rhodius Park Sensory Room at the Rhodius Park Family Center

1720 W Wilkins St, Indianapolis

The sensory-friendly playroom at Rhodius Park is equipped with special equipment and a ball pit.

Senses Sensory Playground Gym

1110 Amos Road, Suite A, Shelbyville

Senses is a parent-led sensory gym for children ages 1 to 6 years old. First-time visitors to are asked to call for their reservation and will be asked to complete an enrollment form upon their visit.

Carter’s Place

1021 Kendall Ct, Westfield

This space features a calming sensory room, a foam pit, a ball pit, a trampoline, a rock wall, and more.

Free Indoor Playgrounds

Who doesn’t love a FREE family-friendly activity? Let your kids get all their wiggles out without spending a dime at one of Central Indiana’s beloved free indoor playgrounds.

The Park Free Indoor Playground at Traders Point Church

6590 S. Indianapolis Road, Whitestown

This indoor facility boasting an impressive multilevel play structure also has a separate smaller play gym designated for children 3 and younger. Plenty of picnic tables are provided, so feel free to pack a lunch. Hours at the park vary by season, so please verify directly with the venue before your visit. Adults do need to bring a government-issued ID for entry.

The Tree House Indoor Playground at Plainfield Christian Church

800 Dan Jones Road, Plainfield

The Tree House has a large tree-inspired play structure with slides, a separate infant/ young toddler area, and ride-on toys and trikes for children to ride around. The play area is open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays, typically with a morning and afternoon session.

The Center at The Well Indoor Playground

554 Pit Rd, Brownsburg

The Center’s indoor playground has a multi-level climbing structure with slides and riding toys, games, and lots of other toys for children to play with.

Fishers Cornerstone Lutheran Church Indoor Playground

13450 E. 116th St, Fishers

Cornerstone Lutheran Church in Fishers is open daily, Monday through Friday, and usually offers morning and afternoon play sessions. The vibrant indoor playground features two separate climbing structures with slides for big kids and toddlers. The playground does reach capacity on busy days, but the church provides puzzles, books, and coloring to keep your kids entertained while they wait their turn.

Cornerstone Lutheran Church Indianapolis Indoor Playground

2837 E. New York St., Indianapolis

The Indy Cornerstone Lutheran Church indoor play space is a large gymnasium filled with activities including ride-on toys, games, a wooden playset, a kitchen set, and large foam blocks for kids to enjoy. This space is open to the public only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am to noon.

The Center at Northview Christian Church

623 N. State Road 39, Danville

This community center, provided by Northview Christian Church, has a large indoor turf field and a large multi-level climbing structure for children. The climbing structure has so many different elements for kids to explore, including a swing, slide, and bouncing seats. The indoor turf is huge, and kids are welcome to bring a ball or use those that are provided. There is a soccer net as well. Parents can relax on provided benches or at the on-site coffee shop with a view of all the play areas.

Christ Community Church Play Area

4770 E. Main Street, Carmel

Christ Community Church has a play area specifically designed for kids ages 10 and under. The play space features a big kid climbing structure, a toddler area with play mats and large foam pieces to climb on, and animal sensory boards on the wall. There is also an outdoor playground for kids to enjoy. Please note that hours are currently limited to Monday and Tuesday mornings and the space can only accommodate 20 kids at a time.

The Commons Indoor Playground

300 Washington St., Columbus

What makes this indoor playground so popular is the 35 ft tall Luckey Climber comprised of 50 platforms that kids climb from the floor to the ceiling. There are separate areas for different age groups (toddler 6 months to 2 years, Preschool 2 to 5 years, and school-age 5 to 12), a light tunnel, musical interactions, foam climbing structures, and slides throughout the space. No food or drinks are allowed in the playground area and shoes must be worn at all times.

Playzone at the Community Center at AFC

2301 Meridian Street, Anderson

The Playzone is a play area for children 2 to 12 years of age and it is located at Anderson First Church of the Nazarene. The Playzone is a gigantic jungle gym and boasts that it is 40 feet long, 27 feet wide, and 24 feet high with 5 levels of fun. There are sliding and climbing features, tunnels and bridges, a preschool zone for younger children, and a rock wall. They also have a Creative Space, which is a fully ADA-accessible arts and crafts area with an art desk and a Lego table designed for adaptive seating needs.

Nature Centers for Indoor Play

Kids can gain a greater appreciation for the great outdoors when they play and learn at a local nature center. Many offer toys, live animals, and educational displays about Indiana wildlife and ecosystems.

Habitat Hall at Holliday Park

6363 Spring Mill Rd, Indianapolis

Holliday Park has a fun educational nature center called Habitat Hall which educates children on Indiana’s forest and wetland natural habitats. There is a water table that teaches about the White River, and children can enjoy other interactive activities like playing instruments resembling different animal sounds, feeling animal pelts, making animal tracks, crawling through a log, dressing up as an insect, mammal, or reptile, reading nature-themed books, doing puzzles, and use magnifying glasses to look at natural items.

Earth Discovery Center

5901 Delong Rd, Indianapolis

Meet friendly turtles, snakes, and more in the program room at Eagle Creek Park’s Earth Discovery Center. Head downstairs to play in the children’s corner. Here, you’ll find shelves of nature-inspired fiction and non-fiction reads, puppets, a few toys, and a coloring station. Check out the various walls and stairwells around the Center for educational displays and explore the nearby, but separate, Ornithology Center for birdwatching and a hall full of stuffed avian specimens. Be prepared to pay a small per-vehicle entry fee at the park entrance.

Cool Creek Nature Center

2000 E 151st St, Carmel

Cool Creek Nature Center educates the public about Indiana woodlands and the importance of preserving plants and animals in their natural habitats. At the nature center, you can view the different species of fish, turtles, snakes, and salamanders that they house there. There is a room for bird observation that provides play binoculars. You can also find a library filled with reference books, a fun coloring station, animal puppets, dress-up pieces like butterfly wings, a small selection of toys, and a large oak tree that kids can go inside!

Pecar Park Nature Center

5203 E County Rd 150 N, Avon

Pecar Park offers a nature center and an outdoor playground. Outside, there is a chicken coop and an outdoor pen for the tortoises, Jack and Diane, when weather permits. Inside the nature center, there are informative exhibits and educational displays, a nature library, free seeds, and lots of animals and insects to see. They have a couple of different turtle sanctuaries, tortoises, reptiles, fish tanks, and a bug exhibit that includes tarantulas.

McCloud Nature Park Nature Center

8518 Hughes Rd, North Salem

The McCloud Park Nature Center has a large bird viewing area, a couple of turtles and a snake, an interactive exhibit that teaches about different animal tracks, a station with coloring sheets, take-home crafts, and educational content, a resource library with books, puzzles, puppets, and a rotation of art exhibits. There are also adventure backpacks you can check out from the front desk before you hike the grounds. These packs contain guides on plants and animals, scavenger hunt lists, maps, compasses, and some nature-themed toys for little ones.

Libraries for Indoor Play

Books are always the main event at the library, but our favorite community fixtures provide so much more. Offering imaginative decor themes, STEM learning, and creative play, several libraries in our area feature enough activities for kids to fill a whole day of fun.

Indianapolis Public Library

Multiple Locations

We love how the Indianapolis Public Library Branches help support children’s literacy by creating fun play spaces to encourage reading and storytelling. The Franklin Road Branch has a fun barnyard theme in their children’s section with a tractor structure for children to play in. The College Branch features a large saltwater fish tank, while the Fort Ben Branch has a cute playhouse. The Learning Curve at Central Library features early learning stations and provides a green screen where you can create videos using a phone app.

Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Library

250 N 5th St, Zionsville

The Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Library features a unique children’s section with an exploration station that encourages creative play with a train table, play kitchen, puppet theater, puzzles, building blocks, and more. Along with the train table, kids will love watching the model train travel between mountains, alongside a creek, into a tunnel, and through a railroad town. Enjoy their tree where you can sit and enjoy a book. The library currently also houses the Zionsville Nature Center inside the Hoffman Room. Here you will find 12 native species of fish, reptiles, and amphibians, and Indiana wildlife exhibits and interactives.

Hamilton East Public Library

5 Municipal Drive, Fishers

Library cardholders can get creative in the Fishers Ignite Studio at the Hamilton East Public Library. Located on the lower level of the Fishers Library, the Ignite Studio is an incredible and cutting-edge facility. Families can check out kits, utilize equipment, book time in the A.V. Studio, visit a Maker-In-Residence, participate in drop-in art classes, and more. You don’t have to be a professional or an expert to visit Ignite. Kits are free to check out with a library card and can be used onsite at Ignite.

Carmel Clay Public Library

425 E Main Street, Carmel

In Children’s Resources is an open-concept play area perfect for preschoolers and toddlers. A giant light board with colorful pegs seems to draw a constant crowd. Another popular feature is the playhouse, which includes costumes and themed accessories. Blocks, a road map rug, puzzles, and other toys are also available. Family restrooms are in this space as well as a baby care room. The nearby Exploration Lab was designed for children ages 7-12 to have a space to tinker and play with an impressive variety of STEM toys and art supplies.

Hancock County Public Library

900 W McKenzie Road, Greenfield

This library has a fun children’s section with a large fish tank built into the wall, a pirate chest-themed book check-out station, doctor’s office and kitchen playhouses, a Lego section, and a step-up stage, with two benches for the ‘audience.’ An educational display rotates materials with science themes.

Westfield Washington Public Library

333 West Hoover St, Westfield

Grab coffee from the on-site shop, then head to the kid’s section for some stories and playtime! The Children’s Discovery Play Area includes a set of faux storefronts, perfect for imaginative play. Kids also love the interactive light wall that changes colors as they spin each circular knob. A train table is popular with toddlers and preschoolers visiting the library. Bigger kids may be drawn to the large window seats for reading or the children’s computers loaded with educational games and activities.

For EVEN MORE indoor play, check out our list of indoor waterparks and pools.

Central Indiana has several indoor ice skating rinks. Find a skating rink near you!

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