Bloomington's renovated downtown shopping district is just west of campus, while to the east are the College Mall and several smaller plazas. The Mall is about a twenty minute walk from campus and is also served by campus and city buses. Students who have access to a car may wish to visit scenic Nashville, Indiana, a tourist center that features craft shops of all types, located 30 minutes east of Bloomington. The state capital, Indianapolis, is an hour northeast of Bloomington by car. One of its newest attractions is the Circle Centre Mall, featuring high-quality department stores and boutiques.
Students also visit Indianapolis for it museums, nightlife, sporting events, and rock concerts.
Several major cities outside of Indiana are within reasonable driving distance either for the day, or perhaps for a weekend. The 1997-98 season at the University Theatre featured plays by John Steinbeck, August Strindberg, Thornton Wilder, and Marivaux, as well as the musical My Fair Lady . The T300 season included plays by Caryl Churchill, Shirley Lauro, and John Patrick Stanley. During the summer and early fall, the Department of Theatre and Drama presents performances in the Brown County Playhouse in nearby Nashville, Indiana. The program includes four or five plays per season, each running for three or four weeks.