Indy Neighborhoods – Explore Beech Grove Indiana
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Ready for a perfect Indianapolis day trip? This has been a very busy year, so getting away for weekend getaways or even longer day trips has been a challenge. In order to keep things fun, we’ve started exploring the neighborhoods near us!
Our first outing was a cold day in January, so we decided to look for a place to warm up. Thanks to an outing I did years ago at Garfield Park Conservatory, we thought we’d start there! It turns out that Beech Grove is a terrific little Indy day trip – full of good coffee, gardens, and antiques! Get ready to follow along with our Beech Grove itinerary so you can copy it for your own day trip.
Morning Kickoff: Coffee at Silver Linings Coffeehouse
Coffee is the obvious place to start any day trip, and luckily, there is a darling coffee shop in downtown Beech Grove called Silver Linings Coffeehouse. It’s located right on the main street and has a cozy, comfortable atmosphere.
I enjoyed a vanilla maple latte, and wow, was it delicious! I asked for it half-sweet, and it was perfect. We enjoyed sitting down for a bit and planning our day, and I discovered that it’s pretty close to my campus, so I suspect I’ll be back again when I have time to kill between classes!
Silver Linings Coffeehouse, 700 Main Street, Beech Grove, Indiana
Exploring Nature: Garfield Park Conservatory
Garfield Park Conservatory is just down the street from Beech Grove’s downtown, and it’s always a lovely way to spend a cold winter day. Once inside the conservatory, you’ll shed your coats quickly to enjoy the warm sunshine shining through the roof!
We strolled through the exhibits, looking at all the tropical plants and pretending it was just as warm outside (spoiler, it was not!). It’s a great way to get an outdoor fix in the dead of winter. In the summer, you can enjoy the outdoor gardens too – when I was a kid, we always used to watch Shakespeare in the Park in the outdoor gardens, and they still have plenty of similar year-round events to enjoy.
Garfield Park Conservatory, 2505 Conservatory Dr. Indianapolis, IN
Treasure Hunting: Antique Shopping in Downtown Beech Grove
If you enjoy antique shopping, you’ll enjoy Beech Grove’s Main Street. Downtown Beech Grove has several interesting antique shops – all in a row, so it is easy to visit even if the weather is iffy. We spent an hour or so poking around all of them and even found a few treasures!
Personally, I have found that the best way for me to visit an antique shop without getting overwhelmed (or even bored) is to look for something specific. On this trip, we were keeping our eyes open for a specific type of bourbon glass—we didn’t find it, but it did keep us engaged! Try this the next time you visit a few antique stores – it’s a lot of fun.
Lunch in Nearby Southport
As this particular day trip was right after the holidays, and the credit card bills were flying in, we decided to forgo trying something new for lunch and use one of our gift cards. Luckily for us, Southport is just a short distance away, and you’ll find just about every chain restaurant you can imagine!
So, if you are in the same boat – trying to save money while still exploring someplace new, consider doing the same thing – pull out your gift card pile and use one for your lunch or dinner.
Wrapping Up with a Beer at St. Joseph Brewery
So, full disclosure: St. Joseph Brewery isn’t in Beech Grove, but it was on our way home, and someplace I’d always wanted to check out, so we made a quick stop after lunch. It’s located near Mass Ave (another fantastic neighborhood in Indianapolis), in an old historic church.
The inside of the brewery was wide open and spacious. We chose to sit at the bar so we could converse with the bartender. We find this a great way to learn a little bit about an establishment and its beers. Sure enough, after a few samples, we each found a beer we loved.
We enjoyed our time chatting with the bartender – we even got to look at a photo album showing the renovation of the brewery – and drinking our beers. It was a great way to cap off an enjoyable day of exploring locally.
St. Joseph Brewery & Public House, 540 N. College Ave. Indianapolis, IN
More Things to Do in Beech Grove
Although we spent the better part of a day exploring Beech Grove, there are quite a few more fun things to do in the area.
Afternoon Tea at Rustic Root
I’ve been searching for a fun afternoon tea spot since our summer trip to London and so I was thrilled to discover Rustic Root! The tea shop is located right on Main Street and is absolutely adorable! I have plans to take my daughter there for afternoon tea on her next school break.
Rustic Root, 626 Main St. Beech Grove, IN
Hanna Haunted Acres (seasonal)
Are you visiting Beech Grove in the fall? Then, add a trip to Hanna Haunted Acres to your itinerary. My daughter has visited this haunted event several times over the past few years and claims it is a lot of fun.
The venue is typically open from late September to early November. Plan on buying tickets ahead of time, as they can sell out—especially around Halloween.
Hanna Haunted Acres, 7323 E. Hanna Ave. Indianapolis, IN
Dinner at one of Indy’s Oldest Italian Restaurants
Napoli Villa has been an Indianapolis institution for over 50 years! As we all love Italian restaurants, it’s been on my list of places to try for years, but I still haven’t gotten there. Now that I know exactly where it’s located (just down the street from Silver Linings), I’m a step closer. Hopefully, later this year we’ll plan a visit!
Napoli Villa, 758 Main Street, Beech Grove, Indiana
Beech Grove Bowl
Bowling is always a good time – especially if the weather is too cold or too hot to be outside. Beech Grove Bowl is quite close to downtown Beech Grove and is one of TWO bowling alleys in Beech Grove – it must be a popular pastime in the area!
My university is just minutes from Beech Grove (University of Indianapolis), so maybe it’s all the college kids looking for something to do. Regardless of the reason, bowling is obviously something fun you could add to your day trip visiting Beech Grove.
Beech Grove Bowl, 95 N. 2nd Ave. Beech Grove, Indiana
FAQs: Beech Grove Indiana
Is Beech Grove an Indianapolis suburb?
It is a suburban city about six miles southeast of Indianapolis.
Why is Beech Grove called Beech Grove?
Originally, there were many beech trees in the area.
How old is Beech Grove?
It was founded in 1906.
Map of Things to Do in Beech Grove Indiana
Final Thoughts: Why Beech Grove Makes a Great Day Trip
So what do you think? Are you ready to plan your day trip to Beech Grove, Indiana? I know I plan on going back specifically to try Napoli Villa, but I suspect I’ll also be hitting Silver Linings fairly regularly! It was a wonderful day, and I hope to recreate it soon.
We enjoy these little day trip getaways. They are a terrific break from “real life” and perfect for those busy seasons when getting away for an overnight trip isn’t realistic. Living near a city as large as Indianapolis means we have dozens of options nearby, even more, if we head just an hour outside the metro area.
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