This neighborhood park is four acres of mostly wooded land with a bit of lawn running along the…read morenorth side next to 131st Street. There is a paved loop for hiking around the interior of the park. A small shelter has a couple picnic table and a grill. About half way along the north side, there is a small sitting area with a couple benches facing 131st. The park hadn't undergone its spring cleaning at the time of my visit, so there was a lot more debris in the park than I expected. If they get this cleaned up, I could easily see bumping this up a star on my review. The area is growing rapidly, so it is a commendable plan to save a bit of public space to keep the neighborhood from becoming too cramped. Review #791

This park is located in the Southern Dunes sub division, just down the street from Rosa Parks…read moreElementary. There is no parking for the small park, but it is intended for sub division residents to walk to. You will however see an occasional vehicle parked on the grass in front of the park. The park appears accessible and the ground is covered with shredded tires. I do not know who the park is named after or who pays for the maintance of the park, possibly the sub divisions HOA. But the park is well maintained The park is small and has a bench overlooking the jungle gym/slide. It also has a couple of swings behind the jungle gym. This park is not a park that I would drive to as a destination. I would probably only use it if I lived nearby or was passing it on the way somewhere else.

Located between English and Prospect and three blocks east of Shelby is the lot sized Stacy Park…read more It is located at the intersection of Hoyt and Spruce in an area that is seeing much renovation (including some 2 Chicks & a Hammer homes!) The park is colorful and secured by a fence. At the entrance, there is a mini shelter for shade and with cross beams that could probably be used as bench seating by watchful adults. The play area has a few pieces including a multi slide, a climbing/elevated area, and a retro style conical piece. There are no restrooms or water fountains. Parking is limited to available street parking. Overall, it looks like a nice place for kids to play, but probably only smaller kids will be entertained. Review #539

This is a small neighborhood park that has a small lot right next to it that you can park or you…read morecan park in the street in the surrounding neighborhood. I think that people that live near the park may find more value in it. It is definitely not a park that I would travel to visit. The park has a row of decent outdoor Life Trail workout equipment. The playground equipment is, mehhhhh. There is a small jungle gym with slides coming from it, a bank of traditional swings over a bed of wood chips, and a climbing dome. I must admit that the dome is the nicest part of the park. There is a single bench to sit and watch the little ones or to relax. You will also find a large green space in the park that can be used to play soccer, football, catch or fly a kite. This is a fair neighborhood park that is small. It also does not have a fence to enclose the area, so you really need to keep an eye on the little ones. The should not be difficult though, considering the size of the park. The park could be a bit better maintained and could use some upgrades like a fence, new swings and more equipment.

This small pocket park is only about an eighth of an acre, but focuses on healthy activities and…read morework outs in the limited space. Although it is located on Park Avenue, it derives its name from the nearby Broadway United Methodist Church in the neighborhood. At the time of my visit, I was able to park on an area that looks like it could be turned into a basketball court. The equipment looks new and different from many parks. There are three "LifeTrail" stations with work out benches, grips, and other built-in tools to help complete a series of exercises. There is also a raised playground and a bright orange climbing dome. On the empty lawn north of the park is a sign about a future pocket park which could one day have a tennis court, shelter, drinking fountain, amphitheater, and bike racks. The Indy Parks website doesn't have any information about the new park addition, so it may be something planned by the neighborhood independently. Review #519

This appears to be a fairly new neighborhood park for Indy Parks. It is located just south of…read moreRaymond in the Red Maple Grove neighborhood and looks to be in really good condition. There is a playground divided into sections. There are two shelters, one near the playground and the other on the east side of the park separated from the playground by an open lawn. The park has no designated parking, but it appears you can street park along the perimeter. Because the park seems newer, there are very few trees in the park which is odd for a park named Red Maple. So, no shade unless you use the shelter. There are a few benches but not necessarily located in the best spots for keeping an eye on your kids. The playground looks like it is targeted towards smaller kids without much to attract older ones. Overall, it looks like a nice park for the neighbors, but doesn't offer much else to draw in outsiders. Review #669

The Bicentennial Park in downtown Mooresville is a nice little focal point for the town. The park…read moreis small with a fabulous statue to commemorate the origination of the Indiana State Flag and the 200th anniversary of Mooresville. The statue depicts flames (as in the State Flag) During the day, the flames glisten in the sun and at night, red lights shine on the flames. A small amphitheater at the back end of the park is used for small ceremonies or performances. A historical marker tells the story of the creation of the Indiana State Flag by Mooresville native, Paul Hadley. The flag flies nearby. A stone maker indicates that the site once housed the town's first trading post/mercantile, owned and operated by the town's founder, Samuel Moore. Street parking is extremely limited. The park is worth a visit for those interested in local history.

This is a nice park located in downtown Mooresville. It was opened in 2016, in conjunction with…read moreIndiana's Bicentennial celebration. It has free limited street parking on the streets surrounding the park. It is not a huge park, approximately acres, and only has a few park benches and some green space. Its primary purpose now is an outdoor concert venue. There is a small round amphitheater in front of the green area where bands can perform. It serves as home to the Citizens Bank Summer Concert Series. A center piece of the park however, is the Flame of Bicentennial Park. It stands over 12 feet tall at its highest point. It os gorgeous at night when its interactive lights strike its stainless steel body. The park is well maintained. I almost though the grass was artificial turf. The park however, does not offer much outside of catching an outdoor concert or sitting on a bench, watching one of Mooresville's busiest intersections and taking a load off for a bit.

This is not really a park. But for the purpose of the review. I will call it a pocket park. It…read moredates back to the 1920s, is very small and is in the middle of a road in a residential area. There is a lot of trees in the park, which really works out on a sunny day, providing lots of shade. The park has come landscaping, paved walkways, and some benches. It main feature though is the Memorial Sundial that honors the organizations that made it possible, as well as the first black Indianapolis police officer to be killed in the line of duty, William Whitfield. The Park was originally named Watson Park, after the owner of the development, Watson Hasselman. I guess they did not like Hasselman. Anyway, the park's name was changed to McCord Park in 1970, in honor of Robert McCord, a local resident who who personally took care of the park for 20 years. I do not see much utility for this park. I just ate my food on the bench. The most use I see the park getting is from people from the local neighborhood walking their dogs through it. Also, the sundial and park in general was in need of a little attention. The grounds could have used a bit of landscaping and the dial is starting to show signs of wear and tear and being exposed to the elements.

This small park is a neighborhood gem with quite a history. Not only was it maintained by Robert…read moreMcCord during the sixties who was a local gardener, but it also features a Memorial Sundial in honor of a fallen policeman. The park itself is located between Central and College Avenue on the north side of 36th Street. It's triangular shape comes from being wedged into a space where Watson Road angles off of 36th. There are trees and flowers that add to the peaceful nature of the park. In the center of the park is a large sundial dedicated to Officer William Whitfield who was killed in 1922. Officer Whitfield was the first African-American Indianapolis Police Officer killed in the line of duty. Sadly, his murder was never solved and he was buried in an unmarked grave. But in 1998, review of records uncovered this tragic oversight and IPD honored the officer with a full honors funeral at Crown Hill Cemetery. Review #506

The Nina Mason Pulliam Ecolab is a 75-acre natural habitat on the campus of Marian University. It's…read moreopen to Marian students and the Indy community. The Ecolab is a highly biodiverse area with rare wetlands and threatened animal species. The lab works year-round to restore native wetlands, prairies, and forests on the property. The Ecolab offers field trips to students from grade 6-12 offering interaction and lessons from Marian environmental experts. Upper level high school students can participate in research projects and Marian undergrads have the opportunity for paid internships. The Ecolab hosts several collegiate level research projects. The ultimate goal of the Ecolab is to encourage all of us to become better environmental citizens. We want to instill a love for nature into the hearts of Indiana's future leaders: students. We offer a one-of-a-kind field trip system to 6-12 grade students where they will learn concepts from local environmental experts at Marian University. Upper level high school students also have the opportunity to experience the rigor of college-level curriculum and participate in active research projects. For current Marian undergraduate students, we offer paid internships through our decade-old internship program. The Ecolab also hosts several collegiate level-research projects from various Marian professors and students. We do all of this to fulfill the mission of the EcoLab: to create more and better environmental citizens. All age are welcome to visit and the Ecolab is active on social media. They also host educational events around theyear. The area itself is definitely not what I'd call wheelchair friendly (there is actually a non-stair way into it, however, even it's not easy. I definitely only got a small sampling of the experience. However, being someone who thrives on trying difficult things I at least had to experience it. The Ecolab has multiple trails (very short). It strikes me a lot like the Pogue's Run Arts Park because it's VERY natural in its setting yet also close to a highway and you pretty much hear the highway wherever you go. Yet, somehow, it's still remarkably peaceful. Be aware the mosquito presence is also high. The trails do have benches for seating and there are port-o-lets available. Beautiful experience, however, those with significant mobility challenges may want to skip this one as it's difficult and has some definite risks to it. Overall, I'm still glad I visited.

Can I give 3.5 stars? Because this is place I would need it. On the positive there's an endless…read morenumber of trails (especially when using the connected trails at Cold Springs School), water access, an outdoor classroom, and plenty of maps. On the negative? The steps to get down to the trails are very scary and without a railing, there's some old structures that appear to be a holding place for junk (or the Blair Witch set), and the highway noise from 65/38th is quite loud on the north part of the property. I did like it because we were literally the only people there. The other question is, how do you find this place? The entrance is from Marian University. The most northern road where all the buildings are is where you'll want to turn (just before the sweeping turn on Cold Spring). Guest parking is on top of the hill along that road (theres a permit parking lot adjacent). A brick path leads to a garden area, turn left at the bushes, and follow until you see the signs. Then it's downhill on the rickety steps!