Newfields (Indianapolis Museum of Art)

About

Newfields is Indianapolis's sprawling cultural campus, home to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, one of the oldest and largest art museums in the country. But calling it just a museum sells it short. Spread across 152 acres, the grounds include formal gardens, a historic estate, contemporary art installations, and miles of nature trails through wooded ravines.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art houses over 54,000 works spanning 5,000 years of history. You'll find everything from African art and European paintings to contemporary design and textiles. The collection is genuinely world-class, with pieces by artists like J.M.W. Turner, Paul Gauguin, and Georgia O'Keeffe.

Outside, The Garden at Newfields offers 40 acres of cultivated beauty. The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park, known as 100 Acres, features large-scale outdoor art installations set among wetlands, forests, and a lake. It's a rare place where contemporary art and the natural world meet in surprising ways.

The Lilly House, a 1920s estate on the property, gives visitors a glimpse into early 20th-century life among Indianapolis's elite. The restored interiors and surrounding gardens are worth the walk.

Newfields changes with the seasons. Summer brings outdoor concerts and longer garden hours. Winter transforms the grounds into Winterlights, a spectacular holiday light display that draws visitors from across the Midwest.

Practical details: all guests need to reserve tickets online in advance. Free parking is available on-site, and free WiFi covers the campus. General admission provides access to the galleries, gardens, and nature park, though some special exhibitions and seasonal events may require separate tickets.

Whether you spend an hour in the galleries or a full day exploring the grounds, Newfields rewards every kind of visitor. It's one of those rare places that feels both grand and welcoming.

Accessibility

Newfields is an accessible campus with accommodations for visitors with mobility and sensory needs. Free indoor wheelchairs and rollators are available at the coat check on Floor 1 of the museum on a first-come, first-served basis. Wheelchairs of varying sizes are provided, along with rolling walkers. Complimentary outdoor wheelchairs are also available for exploring the gardens and grounds.

ADA-accessible pathways are marked throughout the campus, connecting the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Lilly House, and Fairbanks Park. Free parking is available on-site, including accessible parking spaces near building entrances.

Service animals are welcome throughout the campus. Miniature horses trained as service animals are also permitted, provided their size and weight don't create safety concerns within the museum spaces.

The museum offers free WiFi across the campus, which can support accessibility apps and communication tools. Tickets must be reserved online in advance, making it easy to plan your visit ahead of time.

For specific questions about sensory accommodations, assistive listening devices, or accessible restroom locations, contact Newfields directly before your visit to confirm current offerings and any seasonal changes to accessibility features.

More accessible places in Indiana

• Eiteljorg Museum (Indianapolis)
• Indiana Medical History Museum (Indianapolis)
• Newfields (Indianapolis)
• The Children's Museum of Indianapolis (Indianapolis)
• Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art (Indianapolis)
• Indiana War Memorial Museum (Indianapolis)