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    Highland Park

    4.4 (29 reviews)

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    City Skyline
    Ashley K.

    In the mood for a spectacular sunset and skyline backdrop? Highland Park is a must! We opted to spread out a blanket and people-watch, while others were having picnics and enjoying the crisp late-summer evening and Hoosier sunset. Thankfully, we got lucky and had great lights for the night, and the neighborhood was also super cute, walking along the newer energy-efficient builds. Again, if you're in the mood for a skyline sunset - this is it!

    Niki B.

    This is THE place to go for views of the Indy skyline. It's a small park, but it's up on a hill, so you can soak in views for miles. It's located in a neighborhood and there's only street parking surrounding the park; there's no parking lot. There's a playground and a covered patio area with picnic tables too. The grass was really overgrown when I visited, so hopefully it's maintained soon. This is a fun picnic spot and I'm sure it's pretty at sunset!

    Highland is close to King Dough, so it's the perfect place for a pizza picnic!
    Emily M.

    Highland Park is a beautiful combination of feeling quiet and secluded while also getting the best view of downtown. Street parking is easy and free and the Holy Cross neighborhood is really quiet with so many beautiful houses around. There's a nice playground, shelters, picnic tables, and lots of green space and sidewalks to walk through. It is always ranked as one of the best sunset spots in Indy, so it can get crowded at that time. But still worth it and there's plenty of room to spread out. It's always nicely maintained. And right nearby is King Dough, so grab a pizza and come to the park for a sunset picnic!

    Samantha K.

    It's more of just a neighborhood park, but the skyline of downtown Indy is amazing from here! We had fun having a picnic and playing on the playground.

    The view of downtown from Highland Park. Incredible!
    Renee B.

    The best views of the city- for real. This is such an underrated park! A sunset picnic on the hill overlooking the city is very romantic and calming. There is lots of space here to enjoy- I've most recently been here with a volleyball and some friends and we played volleyball for a while on an open green space. There were children playing, picnics happening, and it was such an overall nice spring day. A little bit out of the way of downtown, but still walkable from Mass Ave if you are down for it. Surrounded by a nice neighborhood, we felt very safe here.

    Winnie Y.

    I'm so glad I finally got to come during sunset! This is just a regular park but the view of the Indy skyline was gorgeous! I look forward to visiting more when it is warmer and to be able to have a picnic here!

    Alicia C.

    The view is what brought me to this park. I had been seeing several people on Instagram posing for pictures with the skyline of Indianapolis in the background and wanted to see it for myself. This park is a small neighborhood park with a paved walkway through the area, a small playground and a pergola for picnics. There are some nice, mature trees that offer shade on a hot summer's day. The surrounding houses are absolutely beautiful, a great little area to relax without leaving the city.

    Giant tree on the east end of the park
    Ken N.

    Location, location, location! That's what makes this park hold its value. It has a hill in the center of the park that offers one of the best views of downtown available from the east side, i.e. for watching the sunset or fireworks. Other than that, the park does have some nice paths to walk, plenty of large trees for shade, a playground with swings, and a shelter with a grill. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a dedicated parking lot (street parking is free if you can find it.) It also has no restroom facilities or running water fountains, so plan accordingly. The park seemed fairly well maintained, but I hear it gets crowded during celebrations. Review #512

    On top of the knoll looking W.
    Steven M.

    After a long hard day of working for the man (I do that a lot), I decided to take the bike out for a ride to Indy's little known gems. The first stop, Highland Park. If you've never been here before, this park sits just east of I-65 on E New York, right on the outskirts of Holy Cross The park isn't vary large, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in the view. Make sure you walk all the way up to the TOP of the knoll for extra eye candy, especially near sunset. Take a snack, take a picture, and take another snack, because you'll be up there a while munching on that eye candy. Oh and if you want to watch fireworks for the 4th of July, bring your boxing gloves because I'll be there first and you'll have to fight me for my spot:)

    Jon A.

    Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... WHAT!? This exists? Yes. This exists. This is worth the tax price of admission to living in a city -- all of it. Kudos to fellow Elite Squad-ers Jamison H & Ben H for opening my dreary bourbon-soaked 'burbanite eyes to this park. Burbs be gone, frolicking through bubbles from a bubble machine in Highland Park be had! Since moving into the neighborhood this has quickly become a near-daily place of peace, respite & dog walking. Considering it's the closest thing we have to a viewpoint for downtown... this is where you should go to ponder the profundities of how our city is changing / growing / memorizing the skyline (yeah, you should). In my time in other cities (read: San Francisco & Denver) this park's equivalent would be jam packed with lunchers, vagrants, bands, free cinema, frolf, dogs, mini-ponies, lovers, life-hating hipsters that have a grand ole time in the park (it's like parks bring the hearts out of hipsters and I like that), friends doing grass angels, friends doing grass, folks barbecuing and reunion-ing, a tamale lady, a pot brownie guy and cause to take champagne to the park at 2am, where cops & kids can get along. It's time our city grows up and starts congregating together, all the time. Highland Park is the prime place to do such. Maybe now that this park is listed on Yelp more folks will find it and realize they should probably live downtown so they can have this. Picnic tables, park benches, trees, knolls, paved paths, a playground... a view... ahem... the best view. All that's missing is you.

    Wanda M.

    Wow! What an amazing revitalization effort for the Holy Cross community and park. I haven't driven East of I-70 underpass on New York, with exception of Cash and Carry, it seems like since the late 80's. I actually stopped and questioned if I was in the same place. This gorgeous neighborhood with new and remodeled homes, nicely landscaped yards and pristine park is so appealing. Parking is a slight drawback when visiting Highland Park. I had to park on the street in front of a private residence which always makes me uneasy, especially today, with so little parking available for residences. Residential parking was all I immediately saw available though. The park has a walking path, small playground area, and one pavilion with lots of large, shady trees to enjoy on this hot, sunny day. Several folks were enjoying lunch under a tree, another power walking while I enjoyed my pie on top of the 2nd highest Indy area, as Brittany mentioned, in Indianapolis. The downtown view is great and as others have mentioned a perfect spot to watch fireworks, grab lunch, play with the kids or enjoy a beautiful day.

    Great old trees

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    Ask the Community - Highland Park

    Review Highlights - Highland Park

    The park is in the Holy Cross neighborhood with plenty of older houses to admire.

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    Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens - Dragon for the castles  and dragon theme this year.

    Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens

    4.6(150 reviews)
    2.7 mi

    This is a great spot for locals and visitors alike! We stopped by from out of town thinking it…read morewould be a good winter activity for our little one while it's too cold to walk much outside. The conservatory exceeded our expectations! Admissions is affordable at $5 per person, but it was free the day we visited because of a reptile show! We got to see tortoises, skinks, salamanders, tarantulas, snakes, and more! Inside the conservatory, there are fish and a couple other critters permanently on display. The signage around the gardens is informative and interesting- and the plants are simply beautiful! So well cared for and healthy. I could have walked around the loop 5 times and noticed new things each time. There are several places to sit and relax throughout the gardens (we fed our baby on one of the benches). There is a restroom and coat racks- which you'll need because the gardens are quite warm! What a great find for the afternoon! Bonus that it's located right in a park, by a library, several cute places to stop and eat, and public art. The only downside I can think of is that there wasn't a ton of parking- probably more accessible when there isn't a special event going on!

    There is something about plants and nature that brighten up my mood. I came here on a gloomy rainy…read moreday, and it was the perfect decision to lift up my spirits. It's close to the highway so easy access and near my house - double plus. The admission to get in was $4 per person, and they take card - another plus for being inexpensive. They have plants for sale and host events/activities, the lady working was friendly and explained all of that. They have brochures in the front as well. Inside is so astonishing, there is so much to see. It's so beautiful, I adore and admire all of it. I love how things are labeled and have informational tidbits about the plants. They have ponds with live fish and waterfalls around. They have a restroom and it had a window so of course there is a plant inside, I love it. I'll have to take note next time I go here that it was very warm inside, I felt very hot so dress accordingly. There is parking available. Check hours before coming, holidays vary.

    Photos
    Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens
    Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens
    Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens

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    Holliday Park - Bird at the ruins

    Holliday Park

    4.7(149 reviews)
    7.1 mi

    It's been a decade since my last review of Holliday Park, so it's time for an update. I've been…read morevisiting this park since I moved to Indiana more than 10 years ago, and it had stayed reliably the same, until recently. Now, there's a brand-new playground! The playground at Holliday Park has been completely redesigned as of November 2025. The new playground is nature-inspired, with lots of wooden elements. My favorite part of the playground is the loose parts area, where kids can make teepees and build forts with the collection of natural elements that are there: sticks, tree limbs, stumps, rope, wooden crates, straw and other things that allow kids to use their imagination to create. The playground is designed for all ages, but to me, it skews slightly in favor of younger kids. Which is nice for parents of younger children, because most playgrounds seems to be built for older kids. But there are some elements for older kids here, like the huge rope climbing structure. A niggling thing: There is zero shade on the playground now. None. Which isn't a big deal on overcast or cool days, but once summer comes around, this playground is going to be insufferable. They got rid of some of the trees that used to be where the new playground is, which is a shame. One cool thing, though, that I've never seen in any other playground: hammocks! There's an area near the trees with a bunch of hammocks that kids can lie in and just relax under the trees. The rest of Holliday Park is the same. There's still a splash pad by The Ruins during the summer. There's still a nice nature center. There are still lots of trails to explore. This is one of the best parks in Indianapolis, in my opinion.

    Holliday has to be my favorite park in Indy! It truly has everything. Beautiful views, trails,…read moregardens, and plenty of space to explore. It's also such a perfect spot for a picnic with lots of shade. I love bringing my pups here when I can. The trails aren't too difficult for them, so we usually manage a couple. There are some stair sections (a few are somewhat long), which can be tough for one of my seniors, so I do end up carrying him. Overall, just a lovely park through and through.

    Photos
    Holliday Park - It's hard to beat their nature center.

    It's hard to beat their nature center.

    Holliday Park - Squirrels on trail 2 along the river

    Squirrels on trail 2 along the river

    Holliday Park - Statue at Holliday Park

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    Statue at Holliday Park

    Indianapolis Canal Walk

    Indianapolis Canal Walk

    4.5(206 reviews)
    1.5 miMile Square

    Goodness, have I walked the canal about 50 times now?!…read more It's such a unique experience for Indy to have some water space in the middle of the city. This 3 mile loop will take you from 11th Street down to White River State Park to access the green space and extra trails down there. The canal water itself is not super cute, where there can be litter, and the water is rather opaque. They do drain the canal every so often to keep it from getting too uncute. The sidewalks are kept nicer, though a few spots in front of apartment buildings could use some TLC. There are also a few spots where the sidewalk is not level, so take caution if that is an issue. It's mostly stair access to the canal, but I *think* I've seen an elevator around the Ohio street basin. The canal has a few businesses along it for your merriment. Notably, there is Fresco on the Canal (I have a separate review for this) which is open March-October. Eiteljorg museum cafe is open daily around the lunch hours (11-3) and can be accessed through their patio gate. Entertainment wise, there is more going on. I've done the swan boat rentals, where you can pedal around on the canal. This is quite a workout! Rental of swan boats and kayaks is near the Ohio Street basin. There is also the gondolas, where your gondolier can sing, and they've always sounded marvelous. There's also a few stations for the Pacers Bikeshare around the canal, which is free for Marion County residents. Any time the weather is right, you can find me getting my steps in!

    Nice river walk nearby center city area. It's refreshing looking at the water flowing through…read more We saw some fishes so definitely clean water for the city. Love the greens, bridges, arts around it. It would better with warmer weather for sure. I couldn't walk far because of the cold. But overall I love the scenery.

    Photos
    Indianapolis Canal Walk
    Indianapolis Canal Walk
    Indianapolis Canal Walk - Look for this tall colorful mosaic to start your canal adventure!

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    Look for this tall colorful mosaic to start your canal adventure!

    White River State Park

    White River State Park

    4.7(109 reviews)
    1.8 mi

    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.

    This park is such a gem! As I write this review while listening to "Here Comes The Sun" by The…read moreBeatles, I feel like I'm right back walking through the beautiful pathways and taking in skyline views. From the canal and trails to the open green spaces, there's something here for everyone to enjoy. Plenty of smaller festivals and walks/runs are held at this park, and it truly seems like the perfect spot for them. My favorite festival that happens here is the Taste of Indy, which takes place in the summer and the MS Walk is always a well organized event here. I also really enjoy walking the paths behind the zoo, especially in the spring when the cherry blossom trees are in bloom. Absolutely gorgeous! Ps - As beautiful as it is, be sure to stay alert while on the pathways!

    Photos
    White River State Park - Finish by Terrence Karpowicz.

    Finish by Terrence Karpowicz.

    White River State Park
    White River State Park

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    Colts Canal Playspace - Outside

    Colts Canal Playspace

    4.3(24 reviews)
    1.5 mi

    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?

    This place is really dang cool. Tons of things for the kids to climb around on and explore. The…read moresurface was pretty spongy so if one did fall it would most likely not be too bad. I took my family here to get them amped up before heading down the road to goto the awesome Childrens Museum. This is a must visit park if your kids love climbing on EVERYTHING!

    Photos
    Colts Canal Playspace
    Colts Canal Playspace - The motor bike rental by the canal

    The motor bike rental by the canal

    Colts Canal Playspace - Posing in front of the playground

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    Posing in front of the playground

    Highland Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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