If you’re willing to be interactive, reserve a 90-minute playdate with the dolphins at the Indianapolis Zoo. Looking for something less … wet? Watch the interplay of light and shadow at Christian Theological Seminary’s famous Sweeney Chapel. For the opposite of austerity, taxi to the Conrad Indianapolis’s Spa Chakra for the Jet-Lag package, which includes an hour-long massage.

Serious foodies should reserve the chef ’s table at Oakley’s Bistro and watch Steven Oakley work his magic, or eat on the deck at Rick’s Cafe Boatyard on Eagle Creek Reservoir. If you have a really long layover, sail there from the Eagle Creek Park marina.

5. LOUISVILLE

FEELING LUCKY? The venerable Churchill Downs is less than 10 minutes from Kentucky's Louisville International Airport by cab. Place your bets in spring or November. If the track’s dark, visit the adjacent Kentucky Derby Museum, sift through old film footage, and watch Seattle Slew win the 1977 race all over again. The garland of roses of the 2005 victor, Giacomo, was freeze-dried and donated; it’s on display in the museum’s Winner’s Circle.

The Speed Art Museum, Kentucky’s largest and oldest museum, has a generous endowment and gets top-flight exhibits. Its permanent collection spans 6,000 years and includes more than 13,000 pieces. West Main Street is home to two museums of different sorts: the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory and the Frazier International History Museum, which happen to be located across the street from one another. Since 1884, the Slugger Factory has churned out thousands of its famous bats -- the official bats of Major League Baseball. Across the street, the Frazier has more unique treasures. “The Frazier has a surprising collection of weapons and armor from the Middle Ages to today,” says Bruce Allar, editor of Louisville Magazine.

Refresh yourself with food, drinks, and cutting-edge art at the 21c Museum Hotel, which was developed out of a cluster of five historic buildings by Louisville philanthropists and art collectors in 2006. Promptly after its opening, the hotel’s restaurant, Proof on Main, was named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants, and the bar remains the place to go for people-watching and wine wafting. From there, wander down East Market Street and peek into the many art galleries, shops, and restaurants that line the road.

Or leave civilization altogether and climb to the summit of Iroquois Park, known in town as Louisville’s Yellowstone. Situated just south of downtown, this Frederick Law Olmsted–designed park offers a sweeping view across the whole of Louisville, giving you the perfect vantage point from which to drink up the city.