Whether it’s for five minutes or five days, there are no shortage of places to leave your car in Indianapolis’s bustling downtown district.
A vie across the downtown Indianapolis skyline (Photo: thekirbster via Flickr / CC BY 2.0)
Short-stay parking in downtown Indianapolis
With Indianapolis’s downtown district home to many of the city’s most popular attractions, such as Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil Stadium, Hilbert Circle Theater and Circle Centre, most visitors are likely to pass through the area during their stay. If you’re visiting Indianapolis and have your own car, then parking in downtown isn’t the most attractive option. But for those who need to leave their car for short periods and don’t mind paying that bit extra for the convenience there are plenty of parking lots here.
The options for short-term parking, in downtown Indianapolis essentially come down to metred street parking or garages. There are two on-street zones in Indianapolis, and meters in the heart of the downtown area operate Monday through Saturday from 7am to 9pm and charge $1.50 per hour.
Alternatively, if you prefer the security of covered parking and don’t mind paying that bit extra, there are several multi-storey car parks and covered garages in downtown offering short term parking. Our top suggestion is the CityWay South Garage, where you’ll pay $5 for every hour, or $35 per day. Another option we’d also recommend is 15 E. Washington, a pay-in-advance lot located between Meridian and Pennsylvania Streets, where you’ll pay just $5 per day on Mondays to Thursday, or $10 per day on Fridays to Sundays.
You can book both garages on Spothero.com, as well as at several other parking lots in downtown Indianapolis.
Free parking in downtown Indianapolis
While downtown Indianapolis doesn’t have any designated free parking garages, certain street parking areas are free after 11pm and before 7am Monday through Saturday. So if you’re heading into downtown to enjoy some late-night evening entertainment such as a concert and want to avoid the cost and hassle of a cab, you can usually find a free parking spot relatively easily.
Long-stay parking in downtown Indianapolis
If you’re in downtown Indianapolis for longer than, say, a couple of weeks, but don’t have any private parking at your accommodation, it may be cheaper for you to find a long-term parking spot, rather than searching around for metred parking each day or paying daily rates in a garage. So, for example, at the fully automated 24-hour Merchants Garage in the heart of downtown, day rates are $26, but monthly parking starts at $179 per month – a saving of around $20 per day. Or an even cheaper option can be found at Huntington Plaza Parking Garage, where you’ll pay rates starting at $175 per month.
For the best parking rates in downtown Indianapolis, go to Spothero.com.