I've been spending a lot of time on Indy's westside and particularly in Speedway, Avon, Danville,…read moreand Coatesville. One day, I decided to venture around Speedway a bit as it's an area I grew up close to and I was feeling nostalgic. Meadowood Park is a 13-acre park on Speedway's north side. It's adjacent to Wheeler Elementary. It offers a densely wooded area along with a .75 mile walking trail, baseball/softball diamonds, sand volleyball courts, 3 shelter pavilions (all can be rented) - $75 for residents and $150 for non-residents, Ziegelmueller Pavilion, (can be rented), 2 playground spaces, and an interactive climbing rock area. There's a public restroom, though it's only open April-October. The playground, newly updated in 2010, targets ages 2-12. This is a safer residential area. I always kind of laugh because in a town known for the Indy 500, speed limits tend to be either 25 mph or 30 mph across town. However, that definitely helps keep things safe. The pavilion, or gazebo, has power outlets and can be rented - $100 for residents and $175 for non-residents. Tables are not included. A good number of local concerts are hosted here. Speedway tends to take care of its town. It's an important town since it hosts the Indy 500 and they take that seriously. This is an attractive and well-kept park and a great place where parents can allow children to play while keeping an easy eye on them. The ground of the playground is nicely padded and the park feels welcoming and safe. While I wouldn't consider this a destination park, it's a wonderful neighborhood park and one I'd easily visit when in this area and need a break.

In the shadow of the Speedway water tower sits a lovely little community park that is filled with…read moremajestic trees. The park offers several climbing structures and swings for young visitors to play and a soft matting so they are safe. Parents can sit on benches that surround the playgrounds and watch their kids. The park offers nicely paved pathways making it easy to push strollers or wheel chairs. There is a picnic pavilion and a lovely gazebo on the park grounds. The grounds are nicely maintained and manicured. There is a lot of natural shade from the large trees. It's a great place to read a book or walk the dog. There is a parking lot that holds about 20 cars or people park in the school lot that is adjacent to the park.

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.

It was a nice day and I wanted to try a new park. Its easy to miss the turn to get into it as its…read morenot brightly colored and sits back from the road. They have a side designated for smaller kids, I believe 0-5(?), then a bigger side with more items and bigger slides. Either side is suitable for small kids just may need more supervision/assistance. Great place to take the kids to have a little fun and burn energy. I did have to redirect a stray little person back into the play area as the parking lot is right at the entrance. I think they need some sort of safety gate to enter/exit so small kids cannot easily exit the play area if their adult chaperone is not as attentive.

This is a small little park on the outskirts of Speedway and Avon in Indianapolis. It is off of the…read moreroad a bit and located in a little duck off. There is a dirt parking area with more than ample space to park. The play area is on old wood chips and is completely fenced in and has a small kid area to the right, called the Tot Lot, that consists of a mock wooden Indy car and motorcycle, a bank of toddler/ADA swings, a sand pit, a small wooden jungle gym with slides, a bench and a picnic table. The other side of the play area is for bigger kids and consists of monkey rings, rock climbing walls, a huge wooden jungle gym with slides and a bridge, big tires, a mock wooden ship, a wooden suspended pebble bridge, a net bridge, a teetering floor, a tire swing, and a bank of ADA and traditional swings. You will also see an open space in the area in the front right. The playground equipment appears a bit aged and weathered, but is well maintained. The park also has a shelter behind it located outside of the fence with picnic tables under it and a grill outside of it. There is also a lone picnic table sitting right outside the front entrance of the play area. You will find the park across the street from the Central Indiana Girl Scouts Headquarters and next to Ben Davis High School's run-down baseball complex. I should also note that the playground is right down the street from the Indiana Women's prison (only separated by the baseball complex) and they are within sight of each other. I do not see that as being a major issue as the inmates are detained behind a fence and have other issues to worry about than a playground. I like this spot. This is a cute little playground, but not a destination spot by any means. It is a place that you hit if you live nearby or are in the area. I does not get a lot of traffic, which I believe is primarily due to its location. It is a nice playground though and your littles will like it a lot.

We were on our way to Louisville and decided to stop at this massive municipal park on the…read morenorthwest side of Indianapolis. There is a small entrance free per car but well worth it. Plenty of trails,picnic area and parking. We stopped at the Ornithology Center which was fantastic. Plus you get to see an eagle and a variety of raptors. We were short on time but will definitely go back when we have at least half a day to explore the area.

Another amazing day at Eagle Creek Park! Couldn't ask for better weather. Nature was REALLY…read moreshowing off today.

We really enjoyed our visit to Tarkington Park! The big draw for me was Teas Me Community Cage…read morebeing right there, and I must say, it was fantastic to have an iced tea while in the sunshine on a sunny day! My mini BFF enjoyed the younger area--the small slide, the tunnels, the little hills. There are so many cool aspects of this park to climb, swing, jump, crawl,spin, and even make music. Next time I'm in this part of town, I'll be happy to stop by again!

My Realtor group assisted with cleaning the park today for Earth Day. We made a difference in four…read morehours. I can't believe how different the park looks. I stopped to grab lunch at Teas Me afterward. I forgot to take before and after photos.

I was trying to find a place where I could park and get onto the B&O trail and came upon Virgil…read morepark in Brownsburg. This is a small but cozy park with a bicycle path, playground, sitting area, and even some exercise equipment. I didn't have to walk far to get to the B&O trail. There are restrooms and water fountains. I really enjoyed this park and will be back very soon.

Virgil Park is a tribute to Diana and Hall Virgil, who were instrumental in converting the B&O…read moreRailroad Track into Community Trails. The couple raised money and solicited grants in a grass root effort to build the trail that now borders the park. The park itself is small, but well equipped. There are about 20 parking spaces including an ADA space and bike parking. There is a space with upscale outdoor adult exercise equipment. The kid's playground has soft matting and a nice, but small, climbing structure and elevated rock/sand table. There are nice paved and decked walkways that surround a wetland marsh area that attracts birds and a second prairie space. Plenty of nice benches line the trail, making the park ideal for birdwatching. Placards are statistically placed which describe the natural grasslands. There are nice restroom facilities and a water fountain at the park. There is also a covered pavilion with a couple picnic tables. This is a great little park that is accessible from the trail or by road.

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.

Sweet walk down memory lane to read my old "pre-children" review of this park now that we have a…read more3.5 year old and 9mos.old in the house. This park ended up being quite the refuge during COVID and a daily spot for my son and his nanny. From the covered seating area with outdoor grills to the playscapes for various ages, there's a little something for everyone here. Not to mention the adorable Northside Lights festivities featuring Santa each year for the neighborhood celebration.

For sentimental reasons alone, I'm inclined to offer this Old Northside park a five-star rating…read moredespite minor reservations around accessibility. Shawn Grove Park is managed by the Old Northside Foundation. Located at 1401 N. Alabama, the park was created to memorialize 24-year-old Shawn Grove, a Riley Hospital nurse who was shot to death outside a nearby Jack's Pizza while resisting a purse grab. I'm not sure you could better honor a nurse than to create a park such as the Shawn Grove Park. It's got two playgrounds - one is considered a toddler playground and is fenced in and the other is for older kids. This is definitely a small park - I'd say it's slightly larger than a pocket park, however, it's definitely not a destination park. It's a true neighborhood park that's ideal for gathering and ideal for small children. It's well-maintained. Parking around here is fairly easy (a bit tougher for wheelchair users since it's primarily street parking and the street is a bit narrow). The surface in the toddler area is fun and seems to be designed with toddler safety in mind. It's sort of comprised of mosaic rubber bits. There's swings and slides older kids. There's a covered area with picnic tables, bike racks, and fun rides. I don't get to the Old Northside a whole lot, but as someone who's been a lifelong activist in violence prevention this is a place I stop whenever I do. I'm grateful that even after all these years it continues to be well-maintained. In terms of my minor accessibility concerns - these would be the difficulty of street parking, the slightly uneven surface, and the lack of adaptive features. However, curb cuts are solid here, the features are simple enough that they'll work with a lot of kids (with supervision), and there's too much to love about this park to give it anything less than five stars.

I've gone here a few times for my nephew's soccer games and I'm always impressed by home well…read moremaintained and beautiful the grounds are. There's a great view of the city skyline from the park and a walking trail close by.

Close to where the Monon Trail ends in Indianapolis, you'll find the Frank and Judy O'Bannon Soccer…read morePark. This park went through a facelift that was completed in May 2023, and it now includes a cool splash pad, a modern playground, picnic shelter and other amenities. I love a new playground, and I love when the city invests in parks, because it means it is investing in families. My only beef is that this playground has zero shade, unless you're lucky enough to be sitting in the shaded picnic shelter. When we visited, it was a bright, sunny day, and not only was there no shade for the parents and caregivers to stand under, but the playground equipment was hot to the touch, and my children -- who will typically ignore things like hot monkey bars in the name of fun -- gave up on playing after a short while because the bars were just too hot on their hands. It's a shame, because the playground equipment looked super fun. So maybe this is a playground to visit on cooler days. This park is located right on the Monon Trail, so you can see people running as you're playing at the park. It's just south of a great place to get coffee (Provider), so if you need a little pick-me-up before you watch your children play on the playground, you know where to go.