This is a nice park and show what a community can do together. Many of the park's amenities are…read moredonated such as the shelter, exercise equipment, and playgrounds. It was reimagined almost 10 years ago in 2014. There is free street parking available for the park and you could also park in the Bauer Family Center lot, which it sits behind. The park is not very big and has a decent full basketball court, a shelter with picnic tables under it, and a a couple of playgrounds. There is fitness equipment there, but it looks to be in fair condition, and thats generous. There are two playground areas here. They are both on the rubbery mat surface that are popping up at most new parks. There is an area for smaller kids that is fenced in and has a jungle gym with a tiny bridge, and some slides. There is also a low hanging swing there and a metal bench for caregivers to sit and watch the littles play. The other playground area, for bigger kids, has a bank of traditional/toddler swings. This area features a monstrous jungle gym contraption over there. As well as a stand up see-saw, and seat spinners. The equipment seems relatively new and is in great repair. The park has a hole seems to be well maintained and was clean. There is a fence around the entire park's perimeter. Other park amenities include a shower, which I found random, a glider swing, a share a book kiosk, and some benches (the Buddy Bench). This is not a destination park, but is a very nice community park that is nestled in a small neighborhood.

The SIA (Subaru of Indiana Automative) South Tipp Park was made over and rededicated in 2014 next…read moreto the Bauer Family Center on South 3rd St. The park looks great and kids seem to be enjoying it every time I go by. There are distinct playgrounds for different age groups and on the older kid side, there is a basketball court too. Parking is limited to street parking for the park visitors, but there is a lot for the Bauer Family Center if visiting both places. I was able to street park on Fountain St without any problems. There is also a small shelter area for shade since the trees on the property are on the perimeter and don't offer much shade to the playground. Note that the Bauer and other neighborhood buildings have murals that add fun backdrops to the playgrounds. Review #1086

This park was a great place to get out and go for a walk. The sidewalk is oversized with plenty of…read moreroom for people to pass or go on opposing directions. On our walk we headed up a long winding sidewalk for a mile. We still hadn't reached the end before turning around and heading back. There were so many adorable dogs on the visit. We also saw several birds and squirrels. Plenty of parking and areas to get out. There is also a children play area and places to picnic. Recommended

My childhood park from 40 years ago... When visiting as an…read moreadult, I still see it as a wonderful park, well maintained etc., and definitely worth spending time at. The only downsides are, and this is comparing it to the 1980s..., is that there are many more people here, PAVED trails (not a fan), and the signs say that we can no longer explore off the trails... kind of a let down, but I understand.

Southwest of Lafayette is the new town of Shadeland (it still has a Lafayette mailing address…read morethough). The folks who live there have a fairly new park that has a combination of sports and playground equipment for kids to use. There is a nice parking lot on the southwest corner. To the east is a fair sized shelter with a picnic table and a grill. Down the hill to the north are a basketball court and a baseball field. Between the basketball and the parking lot is a bright and unique playground. There are lots of large animal shapes and even a few dinosaurs for kids to climb on. The rest of the equipment serves the same function of lots of other playground equipment in other parks, but these pieces look unique and might make for a little bit more excitement from kids given the chance to play here. The negative is that there is very limited shade outside of the shelter probably due to the park being so new. Maybe they should plant a few trees around the playground to solve that problem down the road. Review #1070

This is one of my favorite parks in the area! The park is beautifully landscaped and has multiple…read moresport activities available (3 baseball diamonds, a basketball court, and five tennis courts.) There is a hiking trail (2/3 mile) that loops a photo worthy lake with a fountain and numerous gardens lining the shores. There is also a small playground south of the sports complex that is a little distant, but keeps the little ones from any disturbance from the ball games. In the middle is a central building for concessions and restrooms. Near that is a rentable shelter. Oh, and though I didn't get a photo, there is a swimming pool on the west end of the complex, but I don't believe that entrance connects to the central part of the park. Review #1071

Nice community park with 3 baseball diamonds, concession stand, tennis and basketball courts,…read moreplayground, pond with walking trail, and swimming pool. I really like the park but docking a star for parking - it gets tight with multiple events ongoing.

This is an amazing park tucked away in a small suburb of Lafayette. It sits right in front of the…read morezoo and spans 40 acres. It is relatively well maintained and clean. There is tons of parking available, spread out between a couple of lots and some street parking. The park has lots of shelters with picnic tables under them and a grill just outside of them. I would say there are at least 18 of them that are available to be rented. The park also has a couple of shuffle boards that you can play and a loose picnic tables scattered on the grounds. The park is home to an amazing playground that has just about everything you would want in a playground. It's only negative is that it is on a bed of wood chips. The area is pretty large and divided into different areas for recommended age groups. There is a wide mix of equipment here including traditional and toddler swings, a saucer swing, sit-n-spins, slides, expression swings, and a teen area with a jungle gym that has a suspended pebble bridge and monkey rings. There is a huge jungle gym that sits a top a hill in the area that has a bunch of slides and some monkey bars. The equipment seems to be in pretty good repair and looks great, even though it is a bit older. You will find a share a book kiosk and a glider swing in the area as well. The park features a train depot that sits right across from the zoo entrance and it has an operational train that goes around the park. It was not running while I was there because it was out of season. I really liked the park's man-made lagoon that winds through it. It very picturesque and calming. It adds a nice touch to the park. They have a little pier on the lake where they do paddle boat rentals, in season. You will see little amphitheater at the park. It seems relatively new and is very nice. it has seating and a scenic little plaza area with picnic tables that over look the park's lagoon. There is also a trail, the Columbian Trail, that weaves in and around Columbian Park. It is well paved and has a very scenic view. What sets this park apart though is its veterans area. They have a large area, the Memorial Plaza, located along the water dedicated to memorials to veterans. They have the United Spanish War Memorial, Gold Star Family Memorial, Medal of Honor Memorial, Purple Heart Memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial. There is also a bunch of flag waving from flags poles over there and a Howitzer gun on display. You will also see the Tippecanoe County Veterans Memorial, which is the oldest memorial in the park, dating back to 1949. I did not see a bathroom facility dedicated to the park, but I was able to use the one attached to the Zoo's entrance. It was very nice and well maintained. Also located on the water is the Rush Pavilion which serves as a clubhouse that can be rented for special events. It can hold up to 50 people and includes access to a full service kitchen. The wrap around porch can hold an additional 100 people. This is a destination park that you can easily spend a half of day without even going to the zoo or amphitheater. It has everything that I look for in a park and more. It is very picturesque and I really enjoyed my time there. I also like, that they included salutes to veterans in their planning. I highly recommend checking this place out. It checks off all the boxes and will not disappoint.

Im actually sad this park is not closer to home for me. We enjoyed walking around the lake. They…read morehave paddle boats, an amphitheater, lots of picnic shelters and grills, and a small train. Plus playground equipment, a beautiful banquet hall, and a small zoo. My favorite part was the swinging benches. I'd be there all the time if I lived by this park.

I went here for pickleball. It had a lot of courts and very nice park. There is so much to do here,…read morethey even have a dog park!

The name McCaw is really used for two parks that are adjacent to each other. One is a standard…read morepark with playgrounds, a shelter, and multiple pickleball courts. The other is a baseball complex next door. They have separate entrances which is a shame if you want to visit both. (I suppose it keeps traffic around all the toddlers reduced for safety.) The baseball has lots of parking and diamonds for games. There are some facilities for the public convenience as well. The park is really cool and has one of the brightest and most loaded playgrounds I've seen in my travels. Underneath the equipment is one of those spongy shock absorbing materials that is kind of fun to walk on all by itself! There is a single entrance to the playground area, so it could get congested if cross traffic is heavy. The park is also host to a large number of pickleball courts. The sad thing is that they look like they either need attention or are undergoing some construction. I did not see a single court with a net in place, so that makes playing quite impractical. Hopefully, they will get the courts back in shape soon and make this a 5 star location. Review #1074

Best place ever! We love coming here and walking the trails with our pups. The owners are amazing…read moreand their property is absolutely beautiful!

2 nice medium size play features swing set multiple benches and tables also there's a big fenced in…read morearea about the size of a track, no sign or anything telling if it's private property or not and there's an opening like the other review said

This is a fairly standard neighborhood park with a playground, a shelter, and street parking for…read moreaccess. This place does have some nice landscaping surrounding the playground/shelter area. A large open greenspace stretches out beyond the fencing at the back of the park. However, there is a large opening in the fencing and no sign indicating whether the space is open to park visitors or not. Review #1143

I like that this park has a connection to the community center. The center has a garden area and a…read moreprogram for helping kids learn about growing their own food. There is plenty of shade in the area to help kids cool off on hot days or when they are simply running from piece to piece in the playground. Some of the playground is designed to encourage learning as well. The entrance off 18th Street leads to on site parking for both the park and community center. Review #1081

Such a fun and affordable day trip from Indy!…read more We took a mini weekend getaway from Indianapolis and spent the day at Columbian Park Zoo--what a blast! This little zoo packs in so much charm. Our favorite part? Definitely the petting zoo with the sweetest goats ever. The open garden area where you can see wallabies up close was such a unique touch, and the monkeys kept us entertained with their playful antics. The zoo is clean, well laid out, and incredibly family-friendly. It's a perfect low-cost outing that still feels special. We're already planning to come back when the penguins make their return!

I don't understand how this place is only $2 a person but you totally get your money's worth…read more There's only about 10 exhibits but they're thoughtfully laid out and you get up close and personal with the animals. For a few dollars more, you can get food to feed the goats, a train ride around the park, or paddle boats. Feeding the goats was so much fun. I'm not sure what I expected, but you're fully in the pen with about 20 goats and they are going nuts all over you because they want that food. My handful was gone in about half a second. My favorite part was the butterfly exhibit. I walked in and butterflies were just flying all around me. It's decorated like a little garden party. It was almost magical. It's designed with little kids in mind, but it was also fine for our family of three adults. We also pushed my mom in a wheelchair and she could access everything except for the butterfly exhibit.