The softball complex has 3 fields. The fields are ok. They could work for a rec league. There is…read morelots of parking available here in their private lot. The fields have dugouts and some nice picnic table areas between them. The are lighted and better than average. The complex is named after Chuck Klein AKA the Hoosier Hammer. Klein played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates and led the National League in home runs four times, and won the NL Most Valuable Player Award in 1932. What you may not know is that there is a football field buried behind the softball fields, hence its real name, Chuck Klein Sports Complex. The football field needed a good mowing when I was there and the goal post are adequate. They will get the job done. I really like the patio area in the complex building that is up high and overlooks the fields. There are tables and chairs up there. At the front of the complex, near the entrance is a shelter with picnic tables. Next to the shelter is a horseshoe pit that has seen better days. In addition to that, there is some huge green space surrounding the shelter. You can do a lot of outdoor activities there. So, you do not need to actually be playing an organized sport to enjoy the park. This is a nice place to host a softball tournament or league. They have also hosted rugby, cricket and ultimate frisbee. I visited the park off season, and they were still working on the complex's maintenance. The staff here is awesome as well.

I spend my Wednesday nights here during the summer with my work softball team. It's a pretty nice…read morecomplex, the fields are well-manicured. One of them dips pretty severely in center field so that's a bit of a hazard. Last night we lost by a pretty large margin. I wish there was some rule that wouldn't allow teams to run up the score past 20. It's not fun at that point.

Victory Field is one of the best (if not the best) ranked minor league stadium in the country, and…read morefor good measure! I always enjoy watching the games and getting all the ballpark classic eats. The stadium is always very clean when I'm there and crowd control is managed well. They have many concession stands throughout. I personally prefer the regular stands since I prefer to get my classic hot dogs and churros. However, the soft serve ice cream sundaes are absolutely delicious and worth getting. Food is also reasonably priced here, where one hot dog is $5 on regular days but only a dollar on Tuesdays! I think Victory Field hosts the Indy Indians for the most part, so they are synonymous in service. The Indians games are always fun, and they host some good giveaways for themed nights. Make sure to arrive early!

A fun spot for a night out! We had tickets with our cousin so got to enjoy great seats. The flow to…read moreget in was fast and we appreciated all the signage. We hadn't been to a game for some time so had forgotten all the 'rules' about food etc. We appreciated that you could bring a cooler and food if you stay on the lawn! The food and beverage options are standard fare for a baseball stadium so not something we can enjoy, but loved that others could get the hot dogs and slushies. It was clean and seemed to be maintained well. We would go back!

I was on the Westside today to attend a special event and had three hours between one obligation…read moreand another. I decided to spend some time visiting some old haunts as I was raised nearby. Along my travels, I encountered the Randy Shambaugh Baseball Park. Under the authority of Indy Parks, Shambaugh Park offers five varying sized baseball/softball diamonds and is historically the host of Eagledale Little League. The park appears to be quite small until you start looking around and realize that it's quite a bit larger, though parking is strangely lacking. It sits right next to a church. You've seen me write before about my concern with Indy Parks - they build and develop wonderful parks, however, far too often allow them to fall into disrepair. This park reminds me of one that's fairly close to my house (though actually mine is much worse). There's a concession building and there seem to be other buildings here, however, it's a little set to the back of a neighborhood and, to be honest, felt a little unsafe. I honestly can't imagine letting my child wonder to the park due to its isolated location - there was a vehicle sitting off to the side in the park and it just felt weird. While I realize we're not in baseball season, thus I wouldn't expect the park to be in tip-top shape, it felt very worn to be and just didn't look great. As a matter of note, the park is named after Randy Shambaugh (I bet you knew that) - a community leader who died at age 53 in 2011 after a long battle with Huntington's Disease. He was the youngest person ever elected to the Speedway Town Council.

The park seems to have multiple baseball fields open for league play, with cages protecting the…read morevisitors from the infield stray balls. There are even buildings for concessions/utilities. What the park does not have is lots of parking and only one way in (unless I missed it!) The park is tucked in at the back of a neighborhood, so again, it is limited on its ability to handle lots of vehicles coming and going with ease. Review #572

Recently attended the Corporate Challenge at the Midwest Sports Complex. I didn't even know it was…read morehere, and I used to work in the area! Plenty of soccer fields and baseball diamonds. However, they have really nice sand volleyball courts. The sand is white and soft and well-kept. I don't play often, but I find it's really difficult to find nice sand volleyball courts. The Fish Bowl is the on-site cantina/watering hole. Is it top notch? Not really, but it's a spot to get a drink and hang out on a patio next to the volleyball courts. There really isn't even a door, and the whole place reminds me of bars you find in Florida near the beach. Those take a beating from the wind & salt in the air, and it seems like this place has too even without a beach, but it doesn't bother me. You can get a beer or a basic mixed drink if you want. The food options are really limited - I'm talking a sandwich and chips and maybe a burger on special. There's actually a lot of available parking on site so even with the large groups that were here in addition to normal Saturday activities, I felt like there was enough room for everyone. Honestly, if you're looking for a spot to have outdoor activities or sports, this place does the job. I don't know rental rates, but as a user of the facility, it does the job!

Sun. Sand. Beer. What else do you need? Oh I know.... free entry for players. UGH I hate that you…read moreare charged $3 every time. That really adds when you play a lot. Other than that it's a pretty decent place. I'm only there for Sand Volleyball seasons and the occasional drink in between and after games. I like that there are 8 courts which allow more people to play on a given day. There used to be a DJ playing the top hits but not sure what happened with that.

This park definitely has potential. Whenever I come, no matter the day, it's usually pretty empty,…read morewhich is nice because I can walk my dogs around freely. Most of the area is uneven grass, though it's usually cut, and there aren't many good walking paths within the park itself. I've listened to live music at the amphitheater and really enjoyed that! I've also longboarded here; the main path along the road seems newer and usually clear. I've played tennis on the courts too, but they could use just a little TLC. Really, the whole park could. Still, it's a peaceful spot with room to grow.

Riverside Park has amazing potential but is in need of major love. The sprawling Park sits on prime…read moreriverside real estate and is lush with trees. But the grounds are overgrown and weedy, equipment fading and in disrepair and my encounter with staff was not uplifting. The pool is locked and empty. I inquired about the status at the front desk. The clerk did not look up from her computer but said the pool was being serviced and they had no idea if and when it would be fixed. I didn't see anyone working on the pool. Since they have a summer camp in session, it would be great if the pool was operational. There is a really nice set of tennis courts (12ish). There is green space for football and a baseball diamond. A nice set of workout equipment from the Colts seems in need of a good cleaning. I was excited to find a boat ramp with parking area. This area needs to be cleaned and patrolled. The River access site is beautiful. The park offers free daily lunches to those in need and also provides summer camps. I found these resources valuable to the community. I was really surprised to find the park not pristine and vibrant for 4th of July holiday. The flagpoles were even empty.

This park is very small. the trail around the lake is about a half a mile. It is also not very…read morewell kept and seems to be frequented by some shady characters, at least while I was there. It could use some landscaping, emptying of trash cans and renovation of the fields and tennis courts. They have a community center, a ball field, tennis courts in the back and an aquatic center. They also have a playground and two covered pavilions that you can rent for events. The pavilions do come with some strict rules though. The pavilions and their picnic tables are in dire need of a thorough pressure washing. You can however, fish in the lake. I saw someone doing it while I was there, but I am not sure how well stocked it is though. On a positive note, the recreation staff is very friendly and there is ample parking. The lake has blue benches all around that you can stop, rest and take it all in. There are ducks all over the place....I really mean all over the place. Almost too many of them.

Nice little neighborhood park with trails to walk, a lake to fish in, a baseball diamond,…read morebasketball courts, weightlifting gym, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, shelters to rent or just use and a playground. They also offer a variety of classes from infant to seniors, there is something for everyone. Surely you can find something that interests you. The costs are very reasonable also. Check it out, I'll see you there...

I feel like I'm at Gainbridge for some kind of cool event just about every other month now, because…read morethey have tons of cool stuff going on. Between the basketball games (Yes Cers! Fever Rising!) and other shows, there's always something going on and I have a great time with it. There's a lot of options for food and I've always had my food come out quickly. The Fieldhouse Favorites will cover your bases on the classics. Ben's Pretzels offers carbs galore. A recent fave of mine is The Shake Bar, a Steak 'n Shake brand that specializes in luscious, over-the-top milkshakes. I love to get the Oreo shake as a treat for my game or showtime experience. Some other tidbits - you're allowed to bring in a clear water bottle that's either factory sealed, or an empty reusable to fill up at a fountain. Another alternative is the DD program, where you can get a free soda with a voucher from guest services. You can't purchase any alcohol after that point because you get a wristband that would indicate as such. But if you're looking to stay sober for the evening, this is a great perk!

Absolutely unacceptable experience tonight at the Heat vs Pacers game. My sister and I were simply…read moretrying to move down a row to get Bam's autograph--something fans do all the time--and instead of handling it calmly or professionally, an usher immediately escalated the situation and put her hands on my sister. There was zero need for physical contact. No warning, no attempt to de-escalate, just straight to being aggressive. It completely ruined what was supposed to be a fun night. We paid good money to be there and ended up feeling disrespected and honestly shocked. And to make it worse, it already kind of sucks being Pacers fans all season during a rough year--then when the team we're actually excited to see comes to town, we get treated like trash by arena staff. That's not how you treat paying fans. Security and staff are supposed to ensure safety--not create uncomfortable or hostile situations. This was handled in the worst possible way, and it reflects terribly on the arena and its staff. Do better.

Lovely park with multiple areas for recreation. It's walkable to the Zionsville downtown area too…read more The walking path connects to Creekside Nature Park which has a nice quiet loop trail.

This park was established in 1940 and has everything you would want in a park. It is only 18 acres,…read morebut they packed a lot in the 18 acres. It is managed by the Zionsville Lions Club and looks like a park that keeps adding on. It has three playground areas. The playground area in the back of the park is the newest. It is geared towards younger kids and has a bank of swings, a small mock store and a small jungle gym with a tiny slide. It is lined with a rubbery surface and is mud free. The two up front are more traditional. One side you will find a small, but newer jungle gym with 2 slides, a larger jungle gym with 2 slides, 3 see-saws, a curved balance beams, a couple of sit and spins, a tire swing, a special needs and toddle swing, a dino-monkey bar set, and a pebble bridge. Across from this area is where you will find the third playground area which has a bank of traditional swings, an awesome saucer merry-go-round, a little house, a large jungle gym, and two see-saws. You will also see a little rocker animal and a small dino-monkey bar set over there too. Both of those playground areas are lined with wood chips and they have picnic tables placed along their perimeters. The park has 9 awesome baseball fields two lighted full basketball courts (different sizes though for some reason) and two lighted tennis courts and a pickle ball court. The courts are well maintained and look great. The park offers some scenic walking/jogging along its running trail and has a picturesque gazebo as its center piece. I saw one picnic shelter there, near the creek, that can be rented and a bathroom facility near the traditional playground areas. There is also a sand volleyball court along the creek by the shelter. The 1.1 mile Eagle Creek Walk runs through this park and the park has its own paved pathway that connects to it. The park has been known to host the city's EGGnormous Egg Hunt on the Saturday before Easter, the 4th of July Fireworks, the Sunday Concert Series in July, and the Pumpkins & Hayrides event. This park is actually one that you would drive to come to. It has a lot to offer and has something for everyone. Dogs are welcome, but have to remain on a leash. It is a gorgeous park with the gazebo, bridges and running along Eagle Creek. They have a large parking lot and every amenity that a park can have. This is definitely worth checking out.

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.

I came to Opti Park for the broad ripple beerfest and it was good. This was my first time here at…read moreOpti Park in Broad Ripple. For a beerfest, the space was perfect and nice for the vendors. It is not a big park, but for family picnics and events, Opti Park is perfect. The park was run down and not really kept up well from what I could see. I think I did see a playground for kids at the park which is a nice feature, but nothing else really caught my eye as to being impressive. I do not go to a lot of parks, so I really cannot compare this park to another park in Indiana, but for what it is, Opti Park is a decent size park for family gatherings or special events. I personally will not be coming back to this park unless there is a special event. If you are looking to have a family reunion or event, then I would say check out Opti Park for your needs. The children will love the playground. It is all about what your preference is for a park.

The best place to hit some baseballs in Indianapolis. I'm in town here since I was a young man. Now…read moreI'm bringing my son! The hours are a little bit kooky so you'll have to call or plan ahead so you know.

Great cages. Great deal. Great workers. Unlimited periods…read morefor baseball. Recommend for teams or solo.