During a recent visit to the Haughville area, I stopped by this six-acre park located on Indy's…read morenear westside. This park has existed since 1922 and gets period upgrades. Currently, it's got a splash pad, playground, shelters, and basketball courts. This is the definition of one of Indy's more residential parks. You'd never drive out of your way to visit Haughville Park, however, it's settled well within this neighborhood and serves the neighborhood well. There's an obvious section great for play, however, there's also a nice section where adults can relax with mature trees. There's also a restroom facility that is fairly well maintained. While the park has seen some issues with crime, it's near a police station and this does help amplify the safety factor. All the way back to Mayor Hudnut, plans have existed to really upgrade the park. Generally, it seems to be a popular space for neighborhood groups to help out. You can also see the work of Lilly employees in upgrading the park (including the photo with a mural I included with this review). This is your usual "dawn to dusk" park. Police at least try to enforce that pretty consistently. Overall, this is your fairly average neighborhood park. Parking is decent and it's well situated in the neighborhood. There's zero reason to go out of the way to visit here, however, for those who live in the area it's a solid if unremarkable neighborhood park. While i often wonder about the name origins for Indy's parks, in this case it's super obvious as Haughville has existed as a neighborhood since the 1830s with parts of the neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places.

This park has many cool things to do. From the moment you pull into their paved parking lot off…read moreMichigan Street, you can see a lot of colorful options for the kids. A couple nice basketball courts are on the west side of the park near the police station. Just north of the lot is a splash park and permanent restroom facility. Farther into the park are shaded and lawn areas, a nice sized playground area, and the for north end has some mature trees for those who would like a little more peace and quiet. Review #656

Washington Park is new and improved! The city of Indianapolis is on a roll right now, investing…read morefunds into improving the parks around the city, and Washington Park has been one of the targets for a much-needed glow-up. As of August 2025, there is an all-new playground in the center of the park, a splash pad, new picnic shelters, a huge parking lot and a comfort station. This is in addition to the other features that currently exist on the 120 acres of the park: a family recreation center, an outdoor basketball complex, walking trails, an 18-hole disk golf course, a mountain bike course and another smaller, older playground. The new playground at Washington Park is super fun for kids of all ages. There's an area made for kids ages 5-12, with a big play structure that has multiple slides, ropes courses and lots of things to climb. There's also a play area for toddlers, with a mini slide and a pint-sized play structure. There are also musical instruments, a teeter-totter, swings (including accessible swings) and cement creatures like turtles and salamanders you can climb on top of and ride, if you want to! The splash pad at Washington Park is one of only two splash pads in the near east side of Indianapolis, so it is a much-needed feature in this part of Indy. (The only other splash pad is at Wes Montgomery Park.) It has multiple water features and a fun water slide. One of the best things about it is that there is actual shade around the splash pad! Shade is a scarce resource at playgrounds, oftentimes. I've only visited the new playground and splash pad, but I'm impressed with the updates that have been made to Washington Park! I hope to come back and explore more of the park sometime soon.

I had never heard of this park until my family member started working here. The playground has been…read morecompletely redone. It's very nice with areas for big and little kids. My toddler had a lot of fun looking at the large animal structures they had. We walked some of the trails- they aren't super well kept so that's disappointing. I was surprised to see the mountain bike area and disc golf course.

I was trying to find a place where I could park and get onto the B&O trail and came upon Virgil…read morepark in Brownsburg. This is a small but cozy park with a bicycle path, playground, sitting area, and even some exercise equipment. I didn't have to walk far to get to the B&O trail. There are restrooms and water fountains. I really enjoyed this park and will be back very soon.

This was a great little summer find for the kids. The newer small playground was just enough for…read morethe under 12 kids. In addition to the standard slide, climbing, there's also a water table for a little splash fun, raised turf balancing grounds, and soft foam walking surface. There's also trail walking paths and small exercise circuit equipment to suit the adults. The extra feature include the covered picnic tables and bathroom facilities. We'll venture back, for sure, and recommend for families.

This is a small pocket park located in Cumberland and was dedicated in 1999. It does not have a…read moredesignated parking lot. So, I was able to find a spot on the side of the road to park in and visit the park. It also does not have a bathroom, but there is a port-a-potty nearby. The park is fenced completely fenced in has a grill that is off by itself, a small patch of green space that you could play catch or have a picnic. The park has a bank of toddler/traditional/ADA swings, a small playground area with a tunnel and a medium sized jungle gym with slides, a tunnel bridge and a rock climbing wall. The equipment is in decent shape, but one of the swings is missing off of the bank. You will find a picnic tables under a shade tree and a few benches at the park, one of which overlooks the play area. The park also has a less than half basketball court with a rim that appears to be about 7 or 8 feet high. I finally found a court that I can dunk on. Anyway, the court is decent and is perfect for a little one to shoot around. It is not a very good court to run a game. In the back corner of the park you will find a small memorial to notable Cumberland residents. A ceremony honoring those citizens is held annually at the park. This is decent park, but definitely not a destination park, and is used primarily by families in the nearby neighborhoods, which explains the lack of a parking lot. It seems to be adequately maintained, but does not get a lot of use. I was teetering between at a 3.5 rating, but felt that the park was closer to a three than a 4 due to lack of amenities.

Honors Park in Cumberland is one of the town's newer parks. It's practically the definition of a…read moreneighborhood park with a focus on playground equipment for smaller children and a fenced in perimeter to keep those same children safe. The playground equipment is your basic equipment - swing set, slide, stuff to climb on. While someone in a wheelchair could technically wheel to the area, this is not an accessible park. The best feature of Honors Park is its memorial monument area. The monument is engraved with the names of Honors Park honorees - the recognition honors those who've contributed to the growth and welfare of the town of Cumberland and specifically cannot include active politicians. Honors Park has the usual greenery that you'd expect. While it's not a fancy park, Cumberland takes their park areas seriously and Honors Park is no exception. It's beautifully green, well kept, and the playground equipment is in good condition. While it's far from a destination park, it's a nice neighborhood park for those in the area.

Great playground for the whole family! Exercise equipment…read morefor adults and teens, pickle ball courts, a walking path and playground equipment plus a picnic area. Unique equipment that will attract even your pickiest child. Musical instruments for toddlers as well as several pieces that are fine for any age. There is a communication board for kids to use.

It's a great updated little playground park that offers fun for all ages. They have unique…read moreplayground elements as well as a pavilion with picnic tables, workout circuit equipment, and tennis courts. The added bonus is a clean restroom and handicap accessible design throughout from the parking lot to the playground.

I'm a big fan of parks and playgrounds, so I'm very glad that Commons Park exists. The playground…read moreat Commons Park has the biggest climbing spinner that I've ever seen on a playground ... and my children and I have been to a lot of playgrounds! It could easily fit a whole classroom of children on it. The playground also has a huge geometric climbing system; a huge play structure with a bridge, steps and a climber; slides; swings for all ages; and lots of opportunities to climb and get the wiggles out. The playground area is padded with soft tiles for easy landings. One of the best features of Commons Park is that this park is completely fenced all the way around. This helps to give parents with kids who like to dash some peace of mind. And not only is the park fenced, but the park is small enough to see where your child is wherever they are playing, as you sit at any of the benches that are placed around the park. This park also has an area where you can play table tennis (bring your own paddles and ball!), as well as a barbecue grill. Commons Park has a lot going for it. And I'm glad that this space is being used as a park, instead of what it used to be (apparently, this space was the site of a motorcycle gang). The downsides of this park -- which sits in a residential neighborhood -- is that there isn't a designated parking lot for the park. Parking is on the street. The other downside is that there isn't a bathroom or water fountain. So parents and caregivers of young children: Plan accordingly!

This is a very nice park. It is relatively new, opening in late 2018. It is very neat and clean and…read morehas newer/modern playground equipment. It is a very colorful park, which is good given the lands history. They have park benches and a grill. There is a cement ping pong table, a huge jungle gym , cargo nets, ropes, a large merry-go-round, two sets of swings, a beehive climber and other equipment I do not know the name of. The ground of the playground is covered in the rubber surface that is popping up at most newer playgrounds. Your kids will love this park. The park does not have a private lot, but there is free street parking available on the street bordering the park. The park is relatively small, spanning about a quarter acre. The playground is fenced in, which is good because it it right off of a busy throughfare. Kind of keeps the little ones corralled in. There is only one way in and one way out. There is no restroom facilities or water, so plan accordingly. The park was once the site of the Outlaws Motorcycle Gang clubhouse before the city took over the property after its seizure by federal authorities. This is a very nice park. I had past the park a few times and it was packed. I really like it. It can definitely entertain the little ones for hours. It is surely worth a visit.

Sweet walk down memory lane to read my old "pre-children" review of this park now that we have a…read more3.5 year old and 9mos.old in the house. This park ended up being quite the refuge during COVID and a daily spot for my son and his nanny. From the covered seating area with outdoor grills to the playscapes for various ages, there's a little something for everyone here. Not to mention the adorable Northside Lights festivities featuring Santa each year for the neighborhood celebration.

For sentimental reasons alone, I'm inclined to offer this Old Northside park a five-star rating…read moredespite minor reservations around accessibility. Shawn Grove Park is managed by the Old Northside Foundation. Located at 1401 N. Alabama, the park was created to memorialize 24-year-old Shawn Grove, a Riley Hospital nurse who was shot to death outside a nearby Jack's Pizza while resisting a purse grab. I'm not sure you could better honor a nurse than to create a park such as the Shawn Grove Park. It's got two playgrounds - one is considered a toddler playground and is fenced in and the other is for older kids. This is definitely a small park - I'd say it's slightly larger than a pocket park, however, it's definitely not a destination park. It's a true neighborhood park that's ideal for gathering and ideal for small children. It's well-maintained. Parking around here is fairly easy (a bit tougher for wheelchair users since it's primarily street parking and the street is a bit narrow). The surface in the toddler area is fun and seems to be designed with toddler safety in mind. It's sort of comprised of mosaic rubber bits. There's swings and slides older kids. There's a covered area with picnic tables, bike racks, and fun rides. I don't get to the Old Northside a whole lot, but as someone who's been a lifelong activist in violence prevention this is a place I stop whenever I do. I'm grateful that even after all these years it continues to be well-maintained. In terms of my minor accessibility concerns - these would be the difficulty of street parking, the slightly uneven surface, and the lack of adaptive features. However, curb cuts are solid here, the features are simple enough that they'll work with a lot of kids (with supervision), and there's too much to love about this park to give it anything less than five stars.

This park is ok. It is about 25 acres and pretty spread out. There is a small park lot and tons of…read morestreet parking available. This is an historic park that dates back to 1924. The park is named after George Rhodius Jr, the son of German immigrants that left an endowment to the Parks Department after his death in 1909. The park has two playgrounds, located on opposite ends of the park. The smaller one is by the parking lot and has an accessible jungle gym with slides, a set of traditional swings and a picnic table. This area is lined with wood chips. The other playground area, that is near the school is larger and the better of the two. It is lined with plastic tiles and has a large set of traditional swings there. There is a huge jungle gym with a bunch of bridges and a few slides. There is also a musical gazebo that kids can play with some music making instruments. It is nothing really special though. So, don't set you hopes too high on this one. The park has about 4 baseball diamonds that have seen better days. The fields are not well maintained and could probably only serve as a field for a preschoolers pick up game. It is such a large and spread out park that there is green space available where you can do field sports such as soccer or football, play catch, fly a kite, or have a picnic. There are three decent tennis courts that are lighted at the park and a field hockey court right next to them. The park also has two shelters with a bunch of picnic tables under them, but I did not see any grills nearby. The park is one of the few Indianapolis parks that has a pool. I can during the off season when it was also packed away for the winter, but it looks like a decent complex. The pool is housed in the park's family center and you can find a fitness center, youth game room, large community room, a dance studio, arts and crafts area, conference room, full kitchen a sensory room and a gym. There is a decent paved trail that goes around the park and is between a mile and a half mile. It can be used for running, walking, biking, or just strolling. This is a decent old school park. It has a lot to offer and does not get as packed as other parks. Personally, I am more of a modern playground type of guy, but this still works. There are much worst parks that you can visit.

Impressive! This is a great park for kids of all ages! This park has something for toddlers and…read moreolder children. I enjoyed the shelter that directly across from a children's play area and there is so much grass to just run free. I did see that there is an Indy parks community center on site of this park and I also saw a baseball diamond. There are multiple play areas for children. It's a great park.