SportsQuest
All games

Week 16, Sun, Dec 27, 1:00 PM local

Cincinnati Bengalsat Indianapolis Colts

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis. Fly into IND.

Build the quest

Kickoff slot

Early

Lots open before breakfast.

Lots open

9:00 AM

Local time on game day.

Where to stay

In the city

Tailgate from 9:00 AM, then the game.

The matchup

Form, ESPN's model and the stat leaders
Form

The Bengals are 2-1 after 3 games, 3rd in the AFC North.

They are 1-1 on the road.

The Colts are 1-2 after 3 games, 2nd in the AFC South.

They are 1-1 at home.

What we know about Lucas Oil Stadium

Where visiting fans stay

Checked at the source
  • Skywalk-connected downtown hotels. 12 min. enclosed skywalk to the Convention Center, then the pedestrian connector to the stadium. The most useful fact for an Indianapolis trip: 4,700 hotel rooms connect to the Indiana Convention Center by skywalk. The Convention Center connects to Lucas Oil Stadium by an enclosed walkway on the Event Level. You can go from your hotel room to your seat without going outside. JW Marriott is 2 minutes from the Convention Center. Hyatt Regency and The Westin are 3 to 5 minutes away. Crowne Plaza at Union Station is 5 minutes away. Convention Center to Lucas Oil takes 5 to 8 more minutes. No other stadium in this group offers this.
  • South Street / stadium-adjacent hotels. 4 min by walk. Four hotels sit across the street from Lucas Oil, 0.1 to 0.3 miles away. They cost less than the convention hotels and are a two-minute walk, but are not on the skywalk. Pick these if price matters more than staying dry.
  • Georgia Street corridor. 8 min by walk. Georgia Street is where the pre-game happens. It is a pedestrian street two blocks north of the stadium. Sports bars cluster here on a Colts Sunday. Stay on or near it to be in the crowd, not stuck at a hotel bar. Also nearby: St. Elmo's Steak House, and pork tenderloin sandwiches at Loughmiller's Pub or Coaches Tavern.

Around the stadium

Checked at the source
Indianapolis is the most walkable NFL stadium city in this group, and the most overlooked. The stadium sits at 500 S. Capitol Avenue, inside the downtown grid, joined to the Convention Center. About 70,000 downtown parking spaces and thousands of skywalk-connected hotel rooms surround it. Walking in from a mile out or more is normal for this crowd. There is no real choice between staying downtown or near the stadium, they're the same place.

Getting in from the airport

From a specialist guide
IND, Indianapolis International Airport. Take IndyGo Route 8, a non-express fixed-route bus, from the Transportation Center on Level 1 of Terminal Garage 2 to downtown. Or take a taxi or rideshare.

Getting to the stadium

Checked at the source
Indianapolis skywalk system plus the Convention Center walkway. The walkway comes out on the stadium's Event Level. You never go outside. IndyGo Route 8 (airport service). Downtown, then a short walk or skywalk to the stadium.

Tailgating

From a specialist guide
Lucas Oil isn't a tailgate stadium like you'd find in the Midwest. Don't plan a trip around tailgating here. The Colts leave tailgating rules up to each lot operator downtown, so there's no single policy, and you'd need a vehicle in a specific lot anyway. For fans on foot, Touchdown Town is the real option: a free pre-game fan zone outside the north gate, open three hours before kickoff. Georgia Street's bar corridor sits two blocks away. Whether Touchdown Town requires a game ticket isn't stated anywhere official. American Family Insurance Touchdown Town. No admission fee is advertised. Whether it requires a game ticket is unclear. It opens three hours before kickoff, outside the north gate.

Getting in

Checked at the source
  • Bag policy: Bring one clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag no bigger than 12" x 6" x 12", or a one-gallon clear freezer bag. A small clutch or purse about hand-sized is also fine. Fanny packs are not allowed. Diaper bags get no exception, they must be clear too. Medical device bags are allowed but get screened.
  • Re-entry: If you leave the gated perimeter, you cannot re-enter during a Colts game. The boundary is the outer gate area, not the stadium doors. Other events at the stadium may allow re-entry at the promoter's discretion, but not NFL games.
  • Prohibited items: No outside food or drinks. No liquor containers. No video cameras, depending on the event. No poles, sticks, or noisemakers. No selfie sticks. No blankets or seat cushions. No animals except service animals. No large bags.

Touring the stadium

Checked at the source
Tours don't run on event days. The stadium says tour routes and times can change based on the event schedule. Lucas Oil Stadium Public Tour runs on Fridays, not Saturdays. Tours go at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m., with extra days added sometimes, but never on event days or holidays. For a Sunday game, that means arriving Friday instead of Saturday, something most away fans won't expect. Tickets go on sale two weeks before each tour date through Ticketmaster or the box office, so you can't lock it in with flight bookings. Sell-out risk is moderate. Cost: $20 for adults, $15 for seniors 65+, children 4-12, and military, free for kids 3 and under with a paying adult. The tour runs about 60 minutes and covers the field, an NFL locker room, and the press box. Meet at the Southeast Entrance next to the box office, near Merrill St. and Capitol Ave.

After the final whistle

From a specialist guide
No official clearance time is published. Getting out is a walking problem, not a traffic problem. The stadium sits inside the downtown grid, connected to the Convention Center and surrounded by hotels. The crowd walks out into Georgia Street and the hotel district instead of waiting to exit a parking lot. The Colts' own advice covers arrival traffic, not getting out after the game.

One thing to avoid

From a specialist guide
Skip the rental car. The Colts say to arrive downtown at least 3 hours before kickoff, due to road closures, construction, and heavy traffic. Downtown closures on a Colts Sunday slow drivers and favor walkers. Also skip booking near the airport to save money. You'd lose the skywalk, the Georgia Street pre-game, and the walk home, for a slow non-express bus instead.

Bars near the stadium

Checked at the source

  • Slippery Noodle Inn

    372 S Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46225

    The Slippery Noodle Inn has the best story in Indianapolis. The building went up in 1850 as the Tremont House roadhouse.

    Away fans: mixed, welcoming to away fans

  • The Hangar

    501 Madison Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46225

    The Hangar runs a ticketed Colts Game Day Tailgate and Watch Party on home Sundays. Doors open at 8:00am for an afternoon kickoff.

    Away fans: mostly home fans.

  • Kilroy's Bar and Grill

    201 S Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46225

    Kilroy's sits on South Meridian, the street that carries foot traffic from the Wholesale District down to Lucas Oil. It stays open, runs large, and sits right on the route.

    Away fans: mixed crowd. Large, high-turnover downtown bar.

  • Coaches Tavern

    28 S Pennsylvania St, Indianapolis, IN 46204

    Coaches Tavern is a locally owned downtown bar, open more than a decade. Indianapolis locals go here to skip the Meridian Street crowd.

Sidequests in Indianapolis

In the order they happen. Each one earns points.

  1. Tour100 points

    Lucas Oil Stadium public tour

    Hour-long tour of the field, NFL locker room, and press box. $20 adults, $15 kids 4 to 12. Usually Fridays at 11, 1, and 3, never on event days, paused Nov 7 to Dec 14.

    $$. The day before. Bookable

  2. Outing40 points

    The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

    Three miles north of downtown on Meridian St, one of the biggest kids' museums around. Open 10am to 5pm, closed most Mondays. Admission varies by day, free under 2.

    $$. The day before

  3. Landmark65 points

    Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Monument Circle

    284-foot limestone monument from 1902 at the center of downtown, about a mile north of the stadium. Observation deck opens Fridays 10am to 4pm, $10 adults, by 330 steps or elevator.

    $. The day before

  4. Landmark65 points

    NCAA Hall of Champions

    Michael Graves-designed sports museum in White River State Park with two exhibit floors covering all 24 NCAA sports. Every member school gets a banner, about a mile west of the stadium along the canal.

    $. The day before

  5. Eat65 points

    St. Elmo Steak House shrimp cocktail

    Downtown steakhouse open since 1902 on Illinois St, a few blocks north of the stadium. Order four jumbo shrimp under hot horseradish cocktail sauce; the kitchen serves over 100,000 a year.

    $$$. 18 hours before kickoff

  6. Landmark65 points

    Downtown Canal Walk

    3.4-mile paved path on both banks of the old Central Canal through White River State Park and the state government center. Footbridges connect the sides, flat walk northwest of the stadium.

    Free. 5 hours before kickoff

  7. Eat65 points

    Shapiro's Delicatessen

    Family deli since 1905 on S Meridian St, a short walk south of the stadium. Known for pastrami and corned beef on rye. Weekend breakfast runs 9am to noon, may shift on game days.

    $$. 4 hours before kickoff

  8. Eat65 points

    Tavern on South

    Restaurant and bar across South St from the stadium with a 60-seat second-level deck facing the skyline. Opens Sundays only for Colts home games, built for pregame lunch.

    $$. 3 hours before kickoff

  9. Drink25 points

    Tom's Watch Bar, Georgia Street

    Sports bar with over 100 screens on Georgia St, steps from the convention center and stadium. Opens 11am on weekends, welcomes all ages, takes reservations for game days.

    $$. 3 hours before kickoff

  10. Tailgate65 points

    Touchdown Town on South Street

    Colts' free pregame party outside the North Gate on South St, open three hours before kickoff, no ticket needed. Drumline, cheerleaders, food trucks, $3 Bud Lights, and a Play 60 kids' zone.

    Free. 3 hours before kickoff

  11. Photo25 points

    Peyton Manning statue

    Nine-foot, 1,000-pound bronze of Peyton Manning by Ryan Feeney, unveiled outside the stadium in 2017. The usual meeting point and photo stop before heading to the gates.

    Free. 1 hour 40 minutes before kickoff

  12. Ritual25 points

    Walk from Monument Circle

    Fifteen minutes on foot from downtown's center. Stay anywhere in the middle and skip the car.

    Free. 1 hour 30 minutes before kickoff

  13. Drink25 points

    Slippery Noodle Inn

    Indiana's oldest bar, running since 1850 in its original building, now a blues club three blocks from the stadium. Sunday hours start at 4pm, good for a postgame stop after a 1pm kickoff.

    $$. 3 hours 30 minutes after kickoff

Seats and views

Where each part of Lucas Oil Stadium sits, and what you see from it.

Street level, end zoneStreet level, corner, home sideStreet level, home sidelineStreet level, corner, home sideStreet level, end zoneStreet level, corner, visitor sideStreet level, visitor sidelineStreet level, corner, visitor sideLoge level, end zoneLoge level, corner, home sideLoge level, home sidelineLoge level, corner, home sideLoge level, end zoneLoge level, corner, visitor sideLoge level, visitor sidelineLoge level, corner, visitor sideTerrace level, end zoneTerrace level, corner, home sideTerrace level, home sidelineTerrace level, corner, home sideTerrace level, end zoneTerrace level, corner, visitor sideTerrace level, visitor sidelineTerrace level, corner, visitor sideHomeVisitors
Street levelLoge levelTerrace levelTap any part of the stadium to see its view.