This review is for the park's outdoor pool: in terms of public pools, it's my favorite yet that…read moreI've visited in Indy. I stopped by for a few hours on the 4th of July and it wasn't too crowded at all and I could easily find a lounge chair and dip in the pool with plenty of my own space. The lifeguards all had a great camaraderie with each other and I noticed a lot of the younger kids talking to them like friends. They were dancing and jamming to music and even taking song requests. I'm not sure if the vibe is like that every day, or if it was special for the 4th of July, but I'll definitely be back because of it. A problem at a lot of public pools is that the lifeguards are constantly blowing their whistle at misbehaving swimmers, but everyone seemed to be obeying all the rules at Ellenberger which allowed me to read my book in peace. Big, clean pool, not crowded, super friendly lifeguards, music, no constant whistle blowing gave me a chance to read, nap, and swim. The perfect 4th thanks to Indy Parks!

I live not far from Indy's Ellenberger Park, an Irvington landmark designed by George Edward…read moreKessler and opened in 1909. This makes it one of Indy's oldest public parks. The pool opened in 1930 and in 1962 an ice rink was installed. The park encompasses 42 acres and includes two playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, football/softball/baseball areas, and has played host to the popular Irvington Farmer's Market. It's also a popular spot for Indy Parks concerts. Those into geocaching should note the park actually is host to multiple individual geocaches. The park is actually surprisingly undeveloped. It has rolling hills, a popular spot for winter sledding, and a good amount of the park doesn't even have sidewalks. It's remained quite natural over the years with lots of mature trees. As a wheelchair user, of course, this can be somewhat frustrating given that a certain amount of development is needed to be accessible. While I love Ellenberger Park as a place to visit, there are geocaches I can't reach and places where I risk tipping over if I venture to them. Trust me, I've done it more than once. The park is close to most Irvington area restaurants along with the adjacent Pleasant Run and nearby 10th Street. The Park is named after John Ellenberger, whose family owned much of the land in the area and who'd been generous with the community and had often let residents use the land. In fact, there was controversy when the park was "officially" established as it required a tax hike. People couldn't figure out why they were being asked to pay taxes for something they'd already been using for free. But, they did. The park temporarily changed names, but residents again protested and it returned to Ellenberger Park as it has been since the early 1920s. Ellenberger Park lacks sheltered picnic areas and public restrooms. There was talk of creating more parking, but it would have cost the sledding hill and that was too steep a price to pay (Sorry, couldn't resist). The ice rink was closed in 2009 due to needed repairs that were deemed too expensive. Even the ball fields don't have seating with them. Ellenberger Park is that rarity - a rather large park more focused on nature than activity. While I can't quite go a 5-star because of accessibility issues and some general upkeep concerns, it remains a place I visit often.

Southeastway Park is a hidden 188 acre treasure in the southeast corner of Marion County. The Park…read morehas trails through sycamore filled woods, picnic areas, a large playground and a naturalist center. Best of all, the park is free. The park maintains several natural habitats including a pond, wetland, prairie and Buck Creek. The setting is perfect for bird watching, hiking, running, walking the dog or enjoying a sunset. The six shelters can be reserved (rented) for parties, meetings, picnics for $135 for residents of Marion County or $160 for non-residents. The naturalist center/classroom can also be reserved during certain months. There are lots of picnic tables available on first come basis. There is a bathroom facility available in the warmer months. The naturalists run special educational programs throughout the year including summer day camps for the kids, a bug festival, maple syrup tapping in late winter and hayrides in the fall. The Park will be hosting eclipse viewing on April 8. I was visiting the Master Naturalist Class, a but also took my dog on a nice walk. The park is open dawn til dusk and worth a visit. Plan on spending a couple hours. Be sure to bring your bug repellent.

I'm really starting to appreciate nature and hiking. This park is a nice spot for a peaceful walk…read more I visited with my son to enjoy some quality time and nature, and it's conveniently close to our home. It wasn't very busy the day we came. The park has shelters and multiple walking trails, which gives you options depending on how far you want to go. I noticed people taking family pictures at this park. One of the highlights was the water along the trail which adds a really pretty, calming touch to the scenery. The weather was decent temperature but a bit gloomy the day we went, and there were a lot of leaves on the trail. We didn't check the map and just kind of winged it, so parts of the trail were hard to follow because the leaves covered the path, but it wasn't an issue. Overall, we enjoyed the walk, the quiet surroundings, and the chance to bond while taking in what nature has to offer.

This park has had a serious overhaul. From the parking lot to the tennis/basketball courts. Most…read moreimportantly the playground. They have something for every age of kid! My toddler was in heaven. We went in the early morning and no one was there. In an area with few parks- I'm so happy Indy Parks fixed this one up so nicely.

This park update is very cool. We really enjoyed it, and will be coming back. Nice pickleball…read morecourts too. Definitely worth checking out.

This park can be accessed from two entrances. One send you through a neighborhood and the other…read morethrough an apartment complex. I came through the apartment complex. It is located in the shadow of Greenwood High School. the park has two decent sized parking lots, one at each entrance. It also has a poorly maintained sand volleyball court. The playground is not much better. It has a couple of swings and a small jungle gym with 3 slides. There is an adequate bathroom facility at the park, but they request that you be prepared and bring your own sanitizing and hand washing supplies. The park has a covered pavilion with picnic tables under it and grills nearby that can be rented for events. There are also picnic tables placed across the park grounds. The park's soccer field is huge and well maintained. It can be used for football, batting practice, playing catch, or just lounging. There is another field that has a chain-linked backdrop that can be used for kickball, t-ball or other similar activities. This seems like a cool park to bring your four legged friend. They provide poop bags, it is not very popular and very quiet. I enjoyed my visit to this park, but do not think that it will be one of my go-to parks. It has a lot of amenities to offer, but I did not see a jogging/walking trail. I see this park as more of one that you visit if you are in the area or live near by.

This park is mainly athletic fields with a small playground area for kids. There are volleyball…read morecourts (sandy), soccer, and baseball fields. There is a shelter with a grill available. There is even a permanent restroom open during the summer months. The park is located just west of US 31 at the end of a short road that leads south from Smith Valley Road. There are signs that warn about No Vehicles allowed, but if you slow down, you can see that they say No Vehicles allowed off road, so it is okay to drive back. One of the nice things that coincides with the park is a trail that leads to other parks in Greenwood if you like hiking or biking. You can catch the near the entrance to this park. Tip: Avoid going here during rush hour. Smith Valley gets a lot of traffic and turning left to head west when leaving could take a long while. Review #545

As the idiom goes, "Don't judge a book by its cover." It's true, you shouldn't. When you drive,…read morewalk, or bike by the entrance to Marott Park, it is easy to ignore it. The "cover" to the park looks like a small, open field, perhaps only useful as a place to walk a dog. However, the magic of this park is in its proverbial "pages." Located north of Broad Ripple and directly across the street from Park Tudor, Marott Park is close to many popular neighborhoods, restaurants, shops, and bars. While the park is a great place to walk the dog or have a picnic, once you venture onto its paths, you'll realize that it is a mico-sanctuary from the hustle-bustle of daily life. While Marott Park is relatively small (when compared to other Indy Parks like Eagle Creek, Broad Ripple, or Holliday), you can still take a lovely, light-to-moderate hike. One of my fondest memories of childhood was creek stomping. There was, and still is, nothing like running pell-mell into a creek, getting wet, and hunting for frogs, toads, turtles, or salamanders. Well, you can do just that at Marott Park. If you hike far enough, you will be able to access the beautiful Williams Creek. While I have not seen much wildlife (other than small fish), this place will make all of your creek stomping dreams come true. There are no age limits - high or low. Whether you want to spend 15 minutes or several hours in nature, Marott Park will provide the perfect getaway. You'll love it. Check. It. Out!

We found this park in the beginning of November when the trees were fall colors. Lots of leaves on…read morethe ground but you could still see and indent where the trail was. It wasn't crowded at all. Quite a bit of trails that also run along the river. There is a huge field in the middle too with picnic tables. Great place to take a walk or have a picnic!

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.

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.

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.

This very small park is located in the vicinity of many other wonderful Greenwood Parks and in…read morewalking distance from the community center. It does not have any parking associated with it. I just parked at the community center and walked over. This park is two acres and is in a bad location. It is at the intersection of a busy street and a train track. It can get very loud there. The central point of the park is the gazebo, which can be rented for events. There are also a few park benches around the gazebo and a memorial to Genevieve "Genny" Worsham, a former Greenwood secretary and treasurer that passed away in 2008, off to the side. Additionally there is a path leading from the entrance to the gazebo that is lined with colorful tiles, which are neat. I did not spend too much time at this small park and given its location, I did not find it very relaxing or soothing. They is not much to do at this park outside of sitting on one of the benches and reflecting.

This two acre park is intended as a place for relaxation. I am not sure why it was named…read moreChildren's Garden because there are no activities for children to do here. There aren't even open areas for children to run. Instead, the park has a central gazebo with benches, a fountain on the west end, and a memorial to four term secretary-treasurer Genny Worsham. A paved pathway from the west end to the gazebo is lined with small mosaic tiles. A handful of benches surround the gazebo. Outside the paved area of the gazebo, a ring of shrubbery is set a few feet beyond. A small brick half wall runs along the north side of the park acting as a shield to the street. There is no specific parking but there are spaces across the street. Review #664