Best Indianapolis Souvenirs: What to Bring Home Beyond Checkered-Flag Keychains

Quick answer: The best Indianapolis souvenirs are things tied to real Indy institutions: a bottle of St. Elmo's shrimp cocktail sauce, a sugar cream pie (Indiana's official state pie), something from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, art from a Mass Ave or Fountain Square shop, and a 3D Indianapolis skyline sculpture with Salesforce Tower and the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument ($34.99–$74.99).

The tourist aisle versus the real city

Every airport shop in the country sells the same three things with a different city name printed on them: a magnet, a shot glass, and a T-shirt. Indianapolis adds a fourth — anything with a checkered flag on it. None of it says much about the city, and most of it ends up in a drawer.

Indy is better than that. It is a state capital built around a circle, a racing town that drinks milk in victory lane, a city with a 1902 steakhouse whose cocktail sauce makes people's eyes water, and a downtown where the tallest building in the state shares the skyline with a Civil War monument. The good souvenirs come from that.

Ten real Indianapolis souvenirs, ranked

1. A 3D Indianapolis skyline sculpture

The Indianapolis skyline is unusually readable: Salesforce Tower's twin antenna prongs, the needle of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, the Statehouse dome and the stepped OneAmerica Tower. In matte black on a shelf it reads instantly to anyone from Indy, and it lasts longer than anything edible on this list. It ships in three to five business days, which matters if you are buying after the trip rather than during it.

2. St. Elmo shrimp cocktail sauce

St. Elmo Steak House has been on Illinois Street since 1902, and its shrimp cocktail — with a horseradish-heavy sauce that clears sinuses — is the most famous single dish in the city. The sauce is sold bottled, so you can bring the experience home without the reservation.

3. A sugar cream pie

Indiana made sugar cream its official state pie in 2009. It is a simple custard of cream, sugar and butter with a dusting of nutmeg — the "Hoosier pie" of farm kitchens. It travels better than you'd expect when well chilled, and it is about as Indiana as food gets.

4. Something from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum

Skip the generic race merchandise at the gas station and go to the museum at the Speedway itself. Books, scale cars and vintage-style Indy 500 posters there feel like a piece of the place, not a logo.

5. Art from Mass Ave or Fountain Square

Massachusetts Avenue and Fountain Square are where Indianapolis artists and makers sell prints, ceramics and screen-printed goods. A small print of the Circle or a local landmark is the kind of souvenir that gets framed.

6. A Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library find

Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis and never stopped writing about it. The museum downtown sells prints, books and "So it goes" goods — a literary souvenir that people from Indy are quietly proud of.

7. Sun King or other Indianapolis craft beer glassware

Sun King, founded downtown in 2009, helped kick off the city's craft beer scene. Branded glassware travels better than cans and outlasts them.

8. A Newfields LOVE souvenir

Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture lives at Newfields, the Indianapolis Museum of Art campus. Prints and small replicas from the museum shop are a good choice for design-minded recipients.

9. Pacers, Fever or Colts gear with history

Current-roster jerseys date fast. A throwback Pacers ABA-era piece or something from a memorable Colts season means more to a real fan.

10. Something from Indianapolis City Market

The City Market has been feeding downtown since 1886. Local honey, spice blends or baked goods from its vendors make good small add-ons.

Why the skyline wins

Food gets eaten, jerseys go out of date, and art is a matter of taste. A 3D Indianapolis skyline is specific to the city, works on a desk, bookshelf or mantel, and does not need the recipient to share your taste in beer or basketball. If you are buying a single souvenir, that is the one to pick — and if you have room for two, add a bottle of St. Elmo sauce.

Related reading: Indianapolis souvenirs that aren't tacky · Best gifts for someone from Indianapolis · Indianapolis skyline buildings guide

FAQ

What is Indianapolis known for as a souvenir?

Indianapolis is best known for the Indy 500, St. Elmo's shrimp cocktail, sugar cream pie and Monument Circle. The strongest souvenirs tie to one of those: Speedway Museum goods, a bottle of St. Elmo sauce, or a 3D skyline showing the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.

What can I buy in Indianapolis that isn't tacky?

Choose things from real institutions rather than airport shops: Mass Ave and Fountain Square art, Kurt Vonnegut Museum goods, Newfields LOVE prints, or a matte-black Indianapolis skyline sculpture.

What is a good Indiana food souvenir?

Sugar cream pie, Indiana's official state pie, and bottled St. Elmo cocktail sauce are the two most recognizable Indiana food souvenirs.