Spending time, hanging out and having fun with someone can be hard to do on a tight budget. High school students are infamous for not having extra spending money, with their minimum wages, college application fees and endless wants. Contrary to popular opinion, being in a relationship does not have to come with a high price tag. With Valentine’s Day coming up, there are many dates couples can go on for little to no cost.
Downtown Indianapolis Public Library
The Central Library provides six floors of wondrous discovery and books. Going to the library opens up the opportunity for many types of dates. Here, couples can find books to read together, study for upcoming quizzes and tests, catch up on work, enjoy the downtown Indianapolis skyline or relish in the interactive children’s floor. Admission is free, and parking is free for up to thirty minutes, then goes up a dollar per hour.
E-Scootering and Bikeshare
Downtown Indianapolis is flooded with Lime and Bird e-scootering and Pacers Bikeshare locations. With the increasing risk of global warming, these alternatives can be effective in battling back against it since they do not exude any harmful chemicals or gases into the environment. Bikeshare can also decrease obesity rates amongst Indianapolis residents and workers. Couples can take these scooters and bikes around downtown Indianapolis, following the canal, White River trail or the Monument Circle. Both prices can vary based on how long one takes out the scooter or bike. It costs $1 to unlock the equipment and 15 cents per minute.
Painting/coloring at a park
Coloring and painting have been a trend sweeping across teenagers. It has been found to be therapeutic and relaxing for stressed-out minds. The last semester of every school year is always incredibly stressful for all students and teachers alike, going out to paint or color at a park is a fun and effective way to take a break from all the academic noise. Couples can choose to lay out a blanket on the grass, pull out the coloring books and/or canvases and begin coloring and painting whatever their distressed minds can conjure up.
Canal Walk
Couples can walk the three-mile-long canal downtown for absolutely no cost. It follows all the way through downtown and leads to other trails couples can take such as the White River trail. Along the canal, there are also multiple Bikeshare locations and e-scooters available to those that find walking too much work. There are about three museums that follow the canal that people can also go to, being the NCAA Hall of Champions, Eiteljorg Museum and Indiana State Museum. The canal also has a park located along its sidewalk about halfway into it.
Walk a college campus
High school couples can also choose to walk beautiful college campuses to catch the feel of their potential futures. Many college campuses are located in Indianapolis such as Butler University, University of Indianapolis, Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis, Marian University and Martin University. One popular Butler legend is that if one brings their significant other under the clock tower at the top of its steps while it is striking midnight, they will be together for the rest of their lives. Whether or not a person is deciding on going to college, it is still a good way to spend time with one’s significant other and see aspects of college campuses that one may enjoy.
Circle Centre Mall
Inside of the Circle Centre Mall provides one of the best scenic spots in downtown Indianapolis. The mall provides one of the best spots to enjoy pretty views of Indy and beautiful architecture and shops to see. The bottom level has plentiful restaurants such as P.F. Changs and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. On the second level introduces the first level of shops to walk or shop through. The third level has both stores and food court and rubber ‘brick’ ramps to walk on and oversee the lower levels of the mall. On the top level, there is Tilt Studio, a laser tag and arcade place to play games and relax at, a Regal Cinema to watch movies in, balconies to see the best view of Circle Centre and a Beauty and the Beast-esque circular-tiled ramp with a well-hole that looks straight down onto another ramp in the mall. This landmark of downtown Indianapolis is a great place to enjoy with no money involved or varying money levels to blow.