White River State Park is one of the most popular parks in the city, and for good reason! The…read morenickname for it is Indy's backyard. With riverfront and canal-front trails, a pedestrian bridge to the zoo, proximity to the city, and the amphitheater, so much goes on down here. Over the years, my favorite special events have been the food truck festival and the solar eclipse festival. The area is kept to be pedestrian friendly, with parking being underground to the park and wide walking and biking lanes. During warmer weather, I often see a hotdog vendor for a nice and easy lunch. There's lots of sculptures around the park too, which helps to keep things scenic. There's also a huge lawn space for running around.

Beautiful greenspace on the outskirts of downtown all along the White River, as the name implies,…read moreand the canal. Lots to see and do, or just relax, enjoy a little nature, walk or run along the water, enjoy all sorts of trails, enjoy some of the public art hidden here and there, have a little picnic, whatever you feel like. There is an outdoors concert venue, a souvenir shop, the zoo, various museums, such as the Eiteljorg, the Indiana State Museum and such. You can rent multi-seat bikes or a segway and cover more ground. Go and discover.

A hidden gem on the South side of the city. It looks unassuming and you can easily miss the…read moreentrance. However, it has a lot to offer. Nature for one, lovely green spaces with mature shady trees. Areas to play sports such as soccer fields, volley ball fields and more... bring your friends and play a round or two. There is a giant shelter you can rent for special occasions and it even features a bar. Special events, particularly German heritage events such as Octoberfest, Maibaum, Walpurgisnacht... and so on... I am mean the name of the park should explain that connection. Those events are often centered around the large shelter. Food & drink... You can also enjoy German-like food at the Edelweiss restaurant and there is also Turner's Club in the back.

Nice park on the southside of Indianapolis. They have a really great shelter area that is available…read morefor special events, wedding, receptions, graduations, etc.. I also have another place called Turner's club in the back. Is also the home of the Edelweiss restaurant. And lots of open green space, including some soccer fields volleyball, etc..

This is a very nice garden with only a few amenities. It covers 20 acres and is located on the…read moreButler campus. It is definitely a change of pace from the hustle and bustle of college life and life in the big city. With that being said, it can be difficult to get to if class is in session and parking could be challenging. I do not know if I was supposed to, but I parked on the gardens's circle. The garden is located near the Butler athletic fields and track. The garden is well maintained and has benches placed all over the grounds. I really liked the garden's small lake with the fountain. Overlooking the lake is the Mrs. James Irving Holcomb Memorial Carillon Tower. It is an impressive tower sitting on a hill. You will also find a small waterfall, a gazebo, a poets corner (marked by statue of Socrates), a garden house (that is used for class on certain days and times), a 500-foot-long grass mall ending at a statue of Persephone in an octagonal pool, and canal. This garden is very chill and makes for a wonderful place to lay out a blanket and relax. It is a very calming place. The garden is also a walkers/joggers/bikers paradise. There is a very nice trail that runs along the canal and along the gardens perimeter. This is a nice place to just decompress. I recommend going when school is out because it will be easier to find parking and also less busy. Also, Spring/Summer time has the garden's full foliage and plants on display. I really enjoyed the this place and recommend that you check it out.

Holcomb Gardens turned out to be an interesting place too visit, and we got some nice pictures…read moreclose to the waterfalls :-) Tip: The path around the pond isn't handicapped friendly Like with most venues of this type, there are a lot of insects here, so it's a really good idea to bring along some bug spray. Admission here is free, and spending some time in the Gardems can be quite enjoyable :-)

NEW PARK ALERT The CUTEST accessible flower-themed…read moreplayground has officially opened at Seminary Park (Home of the Peony Festival!) 2 slides, including a fun rolling slide Bright, colorful padded ground with flower details Sensory wall + interactive games throughout the playground Huge portions of the park are wheelchair accessible Visit in April/May to see the peonies blooming Downsides: only partially fenced, just one parent bench, no swings & no bathrooms I already know this is going to become one of my kids' favorite parks Bonus: it's super close to downtown Noblesville for snacks or a little walk after playing!

We enjoyed Seminary Park today at the Noblesville Peony Festival! We were able to snag a spot a few…read morestreets away, but there were multiple lots not too far away according to the FB page. The park was beautifully decorated! They have a lot of peonies planted around the park as well as other flowers. The alliums were beautiful too! You can tell how hard they work on this park. There is a gazebo where they held some classes and then the arear was filled with tents and activities as well as food trucks. I would have to check it out when a festival isn't happening to see how the park is, but there were some benches and water fountains and I think it is a beautiful spot to relax or have a picnic. If you get a chance the Peony festival was fantastic. It had some really great photos ops and lots of food trucks and locally made items as well as flowers and plants for sell!

hopping, dinner, ice cream & playtime... how can you go wrong?!…read more If you're looking for an easy little outing, stop by The Green at Hamilton Town Center! This cute little courtyard playground has open space, turf, a tunnel and a little cement slide--perfect for letting the kids burn off some energy while you shop. And the best part? You're surrounded by plenty of kid-friendly spots right in the courtyard: Ford's Garage -- a car-themed restaurant your little ones will love Cold Stone -- because ice cream is always a good idea Cookie Cutters -- kids' haircuts QDOBA Sunny Day Cafe ...and more! The whole outdoor shopping center is walkable, but I'd definitely recommend bringing a stroller with little ones. Mom tip: The public bathrooms aren't right next to The Green--they're on the opposite side of the outdoor shopping center. Definitely something to keep in mind with potty-training toddlers! Save this one for your next shopping day!

I don't spend a whole lot of time up in Hamilton County, however, a recent work conference gave me…read morethe opportunity to spend some time at Hamilton Town Center. Hamilton Town Center is essentially an open-air mall. Developed by Indy-based Simon & Associates, Hamilton Town Center opened in 2008 right on the cusp of when the more traditional shopping mall was starting to wane in popularity and developers were exploring options. Hamilton Town center features over 85 shops/restaurants and is designed to resemble a streetscape. Some of the dining options, in particular, are free-standing buildings in outlots. While I think it's pretty common to associate Hamilton County with a more affluent clientele, one of the things I like about Hamilton Town Center is that it has a nice diversity within its shops - from definite high end options to more "ordinary joe" type outlets. Hamilton Town Center also hosts Emagine Theatre (the former Hamilton 16 IMAX). I suppose a minor quibble would be that the vast majority of the options here are national chains, though I noticed a lot of the national chains tend to be smaller chains that might surprise you they're a chain. Being a Simon Mall, Hamilton Town Center has a rewards club and there are some online shopping options. Like most malls, Hamilton Town Center tends to host holiday events and has a Santa every holiday. Generally speaking, accessible parking is plentiful and curb cuts are well done. There's at least one very nice greenery area that seems to draw the kids quite a bit with its various playground-lite equipment. There's a definite "sprawl" here in terms of the landscape. If you have mobility issues, you may have difficulty if you want to go to several different stores at opposite ends of the "mall." In terms of accessibility, it works. It's just a bit tiring. I considered going a 4-star and a 4.5 is probably more accurate, however, the real clincher for me is that I like the diversity of shops more than Castleton and I like the economic variation more than Fashion Mall. I just feel like there's something for everyone here. While the mall generally opens at 10am, I do kind of wish they had a decent breakfast/brunch option. However, that's pretty easy to find within a mile of this growing area. If we're being honest, Castleton is okay but has definitely declined. Fashion Mall is just fine, and I definitely like the food options, but it's more than a wee bit pretentious. Greenwood Park Mall is probably the closest comparison, though Glendale Town Center is weaving together the hybrid experience these days. Washington Square and Lafayette Square? Um, yeah. No. While Central Indiana has other options, this is definitely one of the better mall experiences in Central Indiana and it's an easy drive from pretty much anywhere in Marion and surrounding counties.

This is a little space next to the Monon near Aldi's. It used to have a bench and a checker table…read more When we ride our bikes up to Carmel, this was a regular stop to sit at the bench under the shade and chill a bit. Now the space is...transitioning? No bench no checkers

Was expecting a nice shaded sitting area with benches like the photos on apples maps, was…read moredisappointed to see them gone. Don't waste your time looking for this spot like I did!

Many years ago, when I went to school in Indianapolis, this was not a part of town I would go to…read morefor any reason. Now, it is my favorite part of the great city of an Indianapolis. It's filled with fun things to do and terrific restaurants. It is my go to place when visiting and the place I point people to when they ask me for a recommendation.

As a tourist visiting for a weekend: having lived in Silver Lake (LA, CA) for a few years and…read morehaving walked around a bit and dined in this area (Fountain Square), I think it's safe to say that this is the or at least one of the hipster areas in the Circle City. The area feels artsy and very pedestrian/bike friendly. The restaurants look nice, but not overly expensive or unapproachable. It's funny because when I visit new cities, I tend to gravitate towards the restaurants in these type of areas. On this trip, I ate at both Milktooth and Bluebeard - both wonderful places to eat. I also had drinks at Four Finger Distillery and Inferno Room. It's located really close to the main downtown Indianapolis area. I actually parked in the area between here and the downtown area when I went to the Colts game on the Sunday I was here.

This is a nice little park on the heart of Broad Ripple. They have a gravel lot right next to the…read moreplayground. The playground is small, but perfect for a toddler! The outside area is a little run down and the landscaping could use a bit of a clean up. The shade does offer a lot of shade which is nice!

This is a small neighborhood park located in the Broad Ripple area. The park was built by the North…read moreSide Optimist Youth Club and is maintained by its volunteers and funded through donations. There is not much to the park. It has a baseball field that is OK and a small picnic shelter with two picnic tables under it. There are no grills though. the field is well maintained and does not have any benches or dugout. I am not sure if it is part of a full course, but I saw a disc golf hole in the outfield. The baseball field can also double as an open field where you can play catch, a soccer or football game, hold a picnic or even fly a kite. The park's play area is lined with wood chips. Some of the playground equipment includes a large jungle gym with slides, monkey bar rings, a balance beam/parallel bars, a sit n spin cup, U-shaped ladder, sliding poles, a bank of traditional swings and a bank of toddler swings. There are picnic tables and benches on the perimeter of the playground area to sit and watch the littles. The park has a moderate sized parking lot and there is also street parking available. The sheds on the park's property have cute little murals painted on them. You will also find a share a book box at the park too. It is a neat little park, but my little was not very entertained by the playground and did not play there very long. The park is well maintained for the most part, but the trash was overflowing while I was there, and some left a bunch a trash on one of the picnic tables under the shelter. I did not see any restroom facilities or porta johns, so I suggest using the bathroom before you come and to bring your own water.