A great place for a nice leisurely walk. A lot of foliage, alongside a creek, a loop trail, and…read morequiet on a weekend afternoon. It connects to Lion's park.

If you want to get up close to nature and the sycamore trees and not travel too far from home then…read moreCreekside Park is the place to be. This little Zionsville park is located in a former floodplain. Nice trails throughout the park and along the creek now bring you so close to nature that you instantly relax. The park is an excellent place to watch birds or look for native wildflowers. Today we saw a Canadian goose sitting on her nest. There were many people out walking their dogs today. The park offers cleanup bags for your pooch at the entrance. The park also connects to Lions Park through a bridge that goes beneath the highway. There are three picnic tables in the park. The park offers limited parking with only five spaces and one handicap space. The park is totally accessible with nice wide smooth trails.

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.

The Zionsville Nature Center just opened last week at their new location in the Hussey Mayfield…read moreLibrary. I took my granddaughter over to visit for Earth Day, today. The new center is on the first floor of the library near the children's section. Rachel was on duty and is super knowledgable about nature and eager to visit with the kids (and adults). She told us that the new location is temporary until they move into a new dedicated facility in a few years. The center has displays of animals that are native to Indiana. There about a dozen live reptiles in the center including turtles and snakes. There are several hands on exhibits for the kids to explore. I enjoyed seeing the native birds up close. My granddaughter asked many questions that Rachel was happy to answer. The center offers monthly programs for all ages to help get kids interested in nature. You can find out and sign up for the programs through their website. We frequently sign up for the nature kits that are available over Spring Break and the holidays for a small fee. The kits come with video instructions narrated by Rachel. We just finished a kit to make a hummingbird feeder. Zionsville is fortunate to have the Nature Center.

This place is amazing. It's a hidden gem in Zionsville. If your kids like nature, and animals, and…read morehandling animal skulls and skins, then you will love the Zion Nature Center. This is a small, cottage-like nature center, but there are lots of little exhibits set up throughout. One room is all about pollinators, so you can see a honeybee hive through glass, and touch wasp nests and peer at (dead) monarch butterflies up close. Another room has a pair of microscopes set up to view pollen and spores. That same room has animal skins (shed snake skin, coyote hide, etc.) that you can pick up and touch. There's a basket full of animal feet (so hardcore) there too, like deer feet and a giant poultry claw. It's kind of gross and cool at the same time. The best room, according to my kids, is what they dubbed the "play room," because it has a bunch of toys, games, puzzles, stuffed animals, puppets and kids books. If you have young kids, you can probably stay in that room for at least an hour or more. There are wooden blocks to play with, and also a giant chalkboard wall that you can draw on. Zion Nature Center also offers educational classes and summer camp, too. Check their website -- they have an updated list of what they offer on their site. Adjacent to the nature center is a small playground with slides, a climbing wall and other fun stuff. There is also a hiking / walking trail (Zion Nature Sanctuary) several steps away, where you can go creek stomping and traversing through nature. One thing to note is that Zion Nature Center sits on the grounds of an elementary school, and the hours of operation reflect that. The nature center is only open on weekend and select holidays when school is out. Call or visit their webs try to make sure they are open before you visit.

Jennings field is a cool little area across the street from Zionsville High School. It hosts many…read moreactivities and recreational sports for kids and adults. It hosted Eagle Fest last year and it was the perfect spot for it. It's very open and when it's not being used for activities it's the perfect spot to hangout with friends. It has a swing set and field goals along with public restrooms. Overall it's a nice spot with a lot to do. I am usually a regular here.

Starkey Park is one of the oldest parks in Zionsville. The park is mostly natural forest that is…read morebordered by Eagle Creek on the southeast and housing developments on the west. The park is managed by the Zionsville Parks & Recreation center. There are seven short trails running through hills and dense forest within the park. The trails are less than one mile long each. The trails are ideal for nature lovers, birdwatching, hiking and dog walking. The forest offers cover for many interesting species of birds. In some parts, the trails are rugged and not easily navigated. Many native wild flowers bloom within the park. Unfortunately, the trails are not suitable for strollers or wheels chairs (except for a few short segments) because they are dirt paths. But the Rail Trail that runs adjacent to the park is totally accessible and overlooks the park on the eastern side. There is a parking area on the northwest corner or other parking areas along the rail trail.

Granted, Starkey Nature Preserve is tucked away, yet it's hard to believe I've lived here for 25…read moreyrs and didn't know it was there until this past Fall! Went with a couple friends with dogs, and it's got trails great for humans and canines alike, with parts that run along the creek and other areas that are quite wide-open. It's a particularly smart use of the space under large electricity pylons/towers. The trade off is that I do have at least one friend who would be, without question, bothered by the EMFs there. In addition to the varied scenery, the park does have some surprising elevation changes, along with some stairs and boardwalks in a few places. It is not wheelchair-accessible nor would it be good for those with mobility challenges. But for able-bodied folks, it's a good park to get some steps in. We had no problem walking for 3 miles. Some of the shady areas did have a fair amount of poison ivy, so that's a consideration too especially for dog-walkers. The parking lot isn't huge, but seems adequate for the number of users.

If your canine needs a little exercise with ability to roam free and play with his buds, then try…read moreout the (relatively) new dog park at Heritage Park in Zionsville. The Park is operated by Zionsville Parks and Recreation. But wait, first you need to register your pooch, show proof of vaccines and pay the Zionsville resident fee of $75 (or $120 for non residents). If your pup is over 4 months old and meets the requirements, you receive a fob that allows access to the park. These requirements keep you and your dog safe. The park has a section for small dogs and a section for large dogs. There are watering stations, bone shaped benches, and small pavilions to get out of the sun. There are also a few exercise ramps for Rover. Poop bags are available. The Park is adjacent to a playground. There are a dozen or so parking spaces and a unisex port-o-let. But you cannot take young children into the dog park. The park was not busy during my visit. 3 big dogs playing and no small dogs.

First time canoeing. Family of 4 ( 2 adults & 2 kids)…read more 1 star: Friendly staff. 1star: Loading onto the boat was super easy and no issue. The river was maintained with nice spots to pull off for a rest. --1 star: the bathrooms at the front building were the dirtiest bathrooms I have ever experienced. Only 1 working toilet in the women's ( arrived at 9am) . --2 stars: unloading area at the end was not maintained. ( the staff member said what they had washed away in the spring) no where to pull your canoe to get off . Steep muddy hill to climb up. Someone in our group got hurt trying to get out when unloading . Young children were struggling to get up the steep hill.

Are you looking for fun and safe activity to do with friends or family while staying socially…read moredistanced from others? This is an awesome activity that checks all of the boxes! We visited Morgan's yesterday for the second time this summer. It's a great meeting spot for friends that live in Cincinnati and Indianapolis. Our first visit was on a Thursday and the second was on a Sunday. There was a big difference in the amount of people when going during the week versus the weekend. I would highly suggest a weekday visit if you would prefer less people. After a brief safety talk, you grab a life vest, paddle, and boat and you are off! We did kayaking on both of our visits, but saw a lot of people out on canoes and rafts. It is about a 7 mile trip and both times it took us about 3 hours doing a relaxing trip down the river with minimal paddling and a lot of floating. We packed a picnic lunch and pulled our kayaks out on a shady spot and ate lunch. This is not a technically different kayaking route. There are a few sections that are rocky, have some tiny rapids, or tree roots that you need to navigate, but all in all, it is a beginner level trip perfect for the novice and fun for all. The equipment is good, staff is friendly and knowledgeable. The price is also good for a budget activity ~$30 per person! Let's talk about COVID-19 precautions: Morgan's takes this seriously! They are by reservation only and have designated checkin times. For our weekend checkin when it was busy, a man greeted us when walked up and directed us to an empty table to fill out our group's waiver. Once done, we took to a table with one staff member to checkin. All of this was outside. During the week, this was done in the building, but we were the only group. There are social distance markers on the ground, limit to 3 people per the changing room/restroom, social distance on the bus to bring you back, and all staff wore masks. Thank you for keeping us safe!

Panther Park has a great playground with something for all ages. It's also one of those playgrounds…read morethat is great when you're looking for a mud-free place to play after it rains, because the ground all around the playground is rubberized, which allows for mess-free play. The playground has toddler play equipment and equipment for older kids. The toddler playground area has little sides, and lots of easy places to climb on. The older-kid playground has tunnel slides, a rock wall, fireperson pole, ropes and nets to climb, and a spherical climbing structure that spins. There are also swings, including a tandem swing where a toddler and adult can swing facing each other. The park also has a basketball court, a paved walking/strolling path that's circles the park that's about 0.3 miles, a restroom, a shaded picnic area, and shaded benches situated around the playground. I was most impressed by these shaded benches, because shade is often lacking at playgrounds. But the shade thing has been thought about here.

We discovered this park this weekend and so glad we did! My son made friends of different ages…read more(2-11 yrs) and everyone had hours of fun here. They have a huge field for kids to play soccer as well and have a basketball court on the playground too. We'll be back here for often.

So far I have loved all the teachers at the school. My daughter started here at 5 months old and…read morewas in the infant room with Linda & Iman. They are so loving and caring for these little babies. My daughter has since moved up two classrooms but every morning we walk by and my daughter wants to stop and say hi to Linda & Iman. We both adore them. Her next class she was in with Carmen and Makayla and unfortunately it was only for a few months because my daughter adored these teachers as well. Especially Carmen! In the mornings, my daughter would go straight to Carmen and turn around and waive me. Goodbye. Although that made me sad it also made me so happy knowing she loved being at school. These teachers were so interactive with their kids and really had fun with them. We just moved up to our third room and I can't review yet on those teachers but I have no doubts I'd give them 5 stars too. I will admit when we joined earlier this year the place was a bit chaos, but since they've gotten a new Director and it has been an entirely different experience. The teachers have remained the same and the communication is way better. I'd highly recommend this place for anyone needing care for their kids.

Before getting into the review, I just want to say it's been a roller coaster trying to secure a…read morespot for our daughter in daycare. Kiddie Academy was one of our top choices when we got on 4 waitlists in October 2022 (8 months in advance of our daughter's due date). We ended up needing to move up our start date by 3 weeks due to our daughter's early arrival. All of our waitlist placements fell through and we were in a total panic. Erica at Kiddie Academy got us in when we called in June 2023, and we are so happy with the care provided for our baby. Lynda and Iman are amazing with all of the infants. They are absolutely wonderful caregivers and we could not be happier with them. I trust them when I drop off my now 4 month old. I can peek into the classroom using the webcam service and if the teachers aren't feeding or changing an infant, and the infant isn't napping, they are playing or cuddling with each one! I second the other reviewer who states the new administrators are doing a great job. I know staffing/turnover is an issue across the industry and I hope Kiddie Academy can do whatever it takes to retain their caregivers.

Me and my family come at least once a year for a trip with WRCC. We almost always do individual…read morekayaks as they are easier to handle. The buses and kayaks have always been clean and in good shape. The path is clear and we understand where we are able to stop and where the route ends. At the end the employees (usually young boys in HS) are helpful in pulling you onto shore or helping you up out of the kayak.

My family and I have used this company for tubing before and really appreciate that they don't make…read moreyou take the tubes up their stairs when your trip is over. This time as per usual we were told at drop off that at the end we could leave the tubes and just take our life jacket and ties up the long flight of stairs. Unfortunately when we got to the landing, Diego did not get up to help with the tubes and when I asked him if he was going to take the the tubes up as that is what I was told was going to happen, his reply was "oh, well, what did they say" and he didn't move an inch from lounging in his tube and when I pushed back, he kept saying "no, no, they don't take tubes up the stairs"...so this middle aged lady had to haul a tube up the stairs along with everything else. Not Cool