Little Green Thumb at Garfield Conservatory…read more We tried a new-to-us program today and it was honestly SO cute! This peaceful, hands-on story time was such a sweet way to spend the morning with the kids. The kids got to: Feed & pet the chickens Read stories about the sun Use the sunshine to melt crayons into cute animal shapes Pick peppers Check out dried sunflowers & their seeds Have a little dance party Plant beets Explore the garden It was such a calm, down-to-earth experience that combined story time, gardening, animals, crafts + outdoor exploring--perfect for little ones! Garfield Park Conservatory -- Indianapolis Ages: 2-5 $6 per child Registration required Next Little Green Thumb: September 16 | 10-11 AM Join them in Blake's Garden to learn about gardening and help plant, grow & harvest in the vegetable garden. There will also be a story, craft + time to explore! Definitely adding this one to our list of sweet Indy activities for little kids!

The conservatory offers a variety of plants, flowers, and serene views of the waterfall. The…read morewaterfall and fish pond was definitely my favorite view out of everything offered at the conservatory with their scenic views and decor. The sunken garden was an okay view, the fountains were beautiful but there wasn't any other foliage, flowers, or scenery out there to enhance the view. The garden definitely has potential to be better than it is.

We had never been to this park before, I was looking for a trail to walk and this was perfect!…read morePerfect location, has so much to offer. Playground, creek, bridges, basketball court and walking trail. It was beautiful!

Sarah T. Bolton Park is named after the woman largely considered the first lady of Hoosier poetry…read more(I bet you can guess what her name was!). Originally known as Beech Bank, the park was purchased by the city from the Bolton family 1930 and is a nearly 32-acre park that includes picnic areas, a one-acre dog park, play equipment, shelters, restroom facilities, athletic facilities/courts, a creek, and it has a sort of winding topography that makes it Beech Grove's most popular park. It is also recognized as a certified wildlife habitat. In 2012, the baseball diamond was named after Richard "Dick" Templin, a lifelong Beech Grove resident and longtime city council member who managed Beech Grove's American Legion Baseball Team for over 35 years and had scouted for the Philadelphia Phillies. He's a member of the Beech Grove Little League Hall of Fame. I bet you didn't even know that Beech Grove Little League has a Hall of Fame, did you? The park has ample parking and is paved throughout. Generally, it's wheelchair friendly. The paths/sidewalks do have gentle inclines, though I've never had any difficulty navigating. Bolton herself was a poet and women's rights activist whose most known poems were "Indiana" and "Paddle Your Own Canoe." She wasn't well known outside Indiana, though she was quite popular in Indiana. She is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery. There is also a veterans war memorial in Bolton Park that is also wheelchair friendly, though it also has a bit of an uneven surface. Geocachers should also note that Bolton Park has a couple of geocaches within its boundaries, though one, in particular, is definitely a bit tricky to access due to the park's popularity!

I wish I could be arsed to find out why this park is called Wolf Run Park. I can't, though, so I…read moreguess it will forever remain a mystery. Because the name of the park has "wolf" in it, I kind of thought it would be a bit more bad in the good way (like Michael Jackson's Bad), but instead, it was just good in the bad way (like boring). Kids will love the playground, though. And that's the point of visiting this park. The playground has a big structure for the older kids, and a small structure for the younger kids. There are saucer swings, regular swings, a rope climber, slides, musical instruments, a merry-go-round and other fun things to play on. The whole playground is padded with wood chips. The playground looks like it is relatively modern (no metal equipment), but there isn't anything that stands out about this park. It has a run-of-the-mill playground, and it does its job. There are basketball courts a ways away. There's a big, grassy field to enjoy. One thing to note is that there is zero shade on the playground. That was fine when I visited, because it was an overcast day. But I imagine that this playground can be insufferable on a hot, sunny day. Another thing to note is that there are restrooms at Wolf Run Park, but on the day that I visited, they were closed for the season. So I guess if you visit this park during the fall and winter (and maybe even early spring), the restrooms will be closed.

My nieces love this park and it's become one we visit fairly often. The playground has equipment…read morefor a variety of ages to enjoy with swings, spinning spots, play houses, climbing materials and plenty of slides. The ground is a wood chip base, so sneakers are better than sandals and slides for shoes! There tends to be a lot of bugs, little tiny flys of some kind today, so something to be aware of. They did just add a bathroom recently, and I used it for the first time today. There was no toilet paper or soap. The toilet and sink water worked fine, and there was a changing table. One of two water fountains worked too. I'm hoping that all improves soon, but I'm still grateful they put in bathrooms here! It was a problem before. The trail is nicely paved and there's a little break to the left when you turn down the trail. If you follow it, you'll find a little spot to see the creek. Not really enough to play in, but we like to go take a minute to see it sometimes.

I've been spending some time in Beech Grove over the Memorial Day holiday this year, and I realized…read moreI'd never really checked out Don Challis Park. This is a 14-acre park named after a longtime Beech Grove resident who was devoted to improving the community and the area's parks. If you visit the city's website, you'll even see a letter from the Challis family on the parks department page. The park is adjacent to South Grove Intermediate School. It's accessible from 9th Avenue, and it features a picnic shelter, playground equipment, a volleyball court, and a good amount of green space with mature trees. From May-October, the shelter can be rented for $65 for Beech Grove residents and non-profits. Non-residents pay $100. The park has experienced some upgrades in recent years, though in 2022 there was a shooting at the park during a vigil. To my knowledge, it was targeted (during a vigil) and I've never seen the park have any other issues. I've always felt safe around the park and in Beech Grove. Don Challis Park does have parking available, and there's also a public restroom (I think the restroom might be seasonal, though I'm not sure). Don Challis Park is a solid community park. I wouldn't call it a destination park, but it serves the community well. For a relatively small city, Beech Grove does well with its parks.

This is a nice little park in Beech Grove. It was originally named South Grove Park, but was later…read morerenamed to Don Challis Park, after a man who diligently worked for 29 years to make the parks in Beech Grove a wonderful place for children and adults to enjoy. The park has its own private lot. It appears to be going through some type of renovation. Maybe a paved jogging trail or something. It is relatively small, sitting at about 14 acres. It has a a covered pavilion with picnic tables, a playground, a sand volleyball court, and a little green space to play or sit and have a picnic. The park also has a huge restroom facility. The playground is lined with wood chips and has a jungle gym with some slides and a long row of swings. The sand volleyball court is in adequate shape and the park's grounds are well maintained. This is a decent park to spend some time. You can hang out with the little ones or just relax and watch cars go by. It looks like they are set on improving this park and making it even better.

This park is a good size for Southport area. The parking lot has plenty of spaces. They have a…read morecovered picnic area. Some of the playground equipment is older and some of the newer stuff is missing belts. They have a basketball court and a softball/baseball area. My toddler is a simple guy and enjoyed picking up the sticks and running around. So I'll give it 4 stars,

This is the definition of a traditional park. It is a small park with its own private parking lot…read more It has a medium sized shelter with picnic tables under it and a couple of grills next to it. The shelter has seen better days. There is also a field with a kickball backstop. The field does not have any markings, base lines, or mounds. It is just an open green space with a back drop. So, it can be used for other field activities such as soccer, football, frisbee, flying a kite, or playing catch. The playground equipment is in decent shape for the most part, but could probably use an upgrade soon. There is a set of monkey bars, a merry go round, a huge spiral slide tower, a metal slide, a bank of 3 see-saws, an expression swing, a hilly balance beam, a metal climbing pyramid, a bank of traditional swings, and a bank of toddler swings. Behind the swings are a couple of picnic tables and some benches. It looks like there is a merry go round that has been fully taken over by dirt and weeds and looks more like a garden The park has a full basketball court that is decent. The court is a good shape and the rims have nets. The court has benches along the side for resting or spectators. and there is a set of bleachers over there that it shares with the field. This park is alright. It is not like the new mega playgrounds, But it is one of the better ones in the area. I may not have the flash or pizzazz of the newer ones, but it can provide fun for a couple of hours.

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.

If you're looking for a great park to take the kids, get a walk or run in, or even hop on a bike,…read morethis spot is perfect! The playground equipment is super nice--you can definitely tell they put some money and effort into making it great. It's right next to the canal, so once the kids are done playing, you can head out for a walk or rent a bike and ride along the water. There's even a dog park area, which is a huge plus if you want to bring your pup along. They have poop bag stations stocked and ready, so no worries if you forget yours. The whole place was really clean too--I didn't see any trash around, which shows people actually care about keeping it nice. The only downside is that there aren't any restrooms by the park. So definitely make sure you (and especially the kids) empty your bladders before you get there, otherwise you'll end up leaving to find a bathroom nearby. Parking is mostly street parking, and yes, you'll need to feed the meter. But if you go on a Sunday or a holiday (like I did), you're in luck--free parking! And honestly, who doesn't love free parking downtown?

Our older two (4 and 6) loved the climbing structures, but there wasn't a ton for a toddler to do!…read moreThe canal view is nice though, and she was entertained by the ducks! There was a bit of trash throughout the park, and we did end up leaving a little earlier than planned after getting a strange vibe from a homeless man sitting at the swings.

Although it appears that the upgragrades are finished and there are no workman or equipment on site…read moreanymore, the park remains closed. What's up IndyParks? Why does every improvement to our local parks take SO LONG? Bluff Park at Hanna and Bluff Roads was closed for months upon months with nothing being done. When I contacted the city about this, they told me they were having trouble getting the proper permits to do the work! The city was having problems getting permits from...the city.

I grew up coming to this park for picnics/games in the large grass field. The play structure is a…read morebit lacking. I brought my baby today hoping they would have a bucket swing and they did not so we did not stay long.

In Indy water park it smells like bleach when you walk in and the life Gaurd are just so mean and…read morethe blow there whistles for no reason

My son is 6 and is special needs. The staff were extremely helpful and understanding. My son…read morequickly became obsessed with the one large water slide, and the lifeguards communicated with him in a way that my son could follow and understand their direction.

Thompson Park is such a beautiful, modern playground! I love that there's no mulch--the playground…read morehas a soft, rubber-like surface that's comfortable to walk on, and everything was very clean and well maintained. There are so many different activities and play features for kids to choose from. I was especially impressed by the sensory-friendly and inclusive features throughout the park. They have a communication board as well as a large basket/nest swing that provides more space and support than a traditional playground swing. I really appreciate parks that think about children with different sensory, communication, and mobility needs while still creating a space that's fun for everyone. Thompson Park definitely did that. Such a great park for families, and we'll definitely be back!

This park recently went through a remodel, and it has been a hit ever since! The playground…read morereceived a complete renovation and now features one of the tallest attractions at an Indy park. There are slides, swings, climbing areas, and plenty of fun options for kids of different ages. Right next to the playground is a shelter area that we rented for my son's graduation party. The rental was around $150 for the day, and we booked it easily through the Indy Parks website. One thing to note is that some people may not realize the shelter is reserved, so we had a few people try to use it during our event. We printed out our reservation confirmation to have proof that it was paid for and reserved. The shelter has four large picnic tables and a grill, which worked well for our gathering. The biggest downside is that there is no electricity and no restroom nearby, which was disappointing considering the rental price. Having those amenities would make the space much more convenient for larger events. The park also has a remodeled basketball court and a trail area for walking or enjoying the outdoors. There is a smaller parking lot, and during busy times some visitors park along the grass. This was a decent venue for my son's grad party. I just wish the shelter included electricity and closer restroom access for the price.