This may be a small park, but has enough to keep you entertained. It was established in 1972 and…read morewas originally 8 acres. However, a few acres sold for industrial development through the years and the park is currently less than 4 acres. The park gets its name from the intersection that it is located, LaSalle Street and Clayton Ave. It has its own large private parking lot. There is also some street parking available as well. The park features a large patch of green space that would be suitable for activities such as soccer, football, playing catch, flying a kite, throwing a frisbee, or having a picnic. It is well maintained. There use to be goal post at each end of the field, but they are long gone. There is also a shelter with picnic tables under it and a grill just outside of it. There is an adequate splash pad at the park that has some benches around it that caregivers can sit on while their little frolic in the water. I visited the park during the winter, so the splash pad was closed for the season. The park has a small restroom near the splash pad that has a rubber duck mural painted on all of its side. The center piece of the park is its playground. It is a decent playground on a bed of wood chips. The equipment is a bit older, but in decent shape. The equipment in the area includes a spinning net tree climber, a bank of traditional swings, and a large accesible jungle gym with a bunch of slides, tunnels, bridges and monkey bars. There are benches around the playground area that caregivers can sit while their little ones play. This is a nice neighborhood park that has a lot to offer. It could use a few upgrades, but is still fully operational and you can have a real good time here. I have definitely seen a lot worse. This park is definitely worth a visit, if you happen to be in the area.

I was visiting a friend in the Twin-Aire neighborhood of Indianapolis and stumbled across Clayton &…read moreLaSalle Park, a relatively small urban park located at 401 S. LaSalle in a neighborhood best described as a mixture of residential and industrial. This is a definite low-feature park with a splash pad being the relative highlight along with a fair amount of greenery that is mostly bordered by a working class neighborhood, shipping trucks, and manufacturing/industrial use buildings. The park reminds me a lot of a smaller park relatively close to my own home, though in my case the apartment complex next to the park is vacant and much creepier. As the late Yelper Ken N. noted in his 2018 review, Clayton & LaSalle shows some definite wear and tear. It seems to be a "summer" park primarily with the splash park on the north side of the park, a shelter with picnic tables, and a playground on the southside of the park. There's a permanent restroom open during park season, essentially summer, and parking available in a northern area and somewhat to the west. The greenspace could be fairly nice, though there's nothing resembling trails here or anything resembling sports fields. The greenery could easily be used that way, of course, but it doesn't seem to be officially designed for it. I've often expressed concerns that Indy has a habit of planting decent looking parks and then not actually taking care of them. Clayton & LaSalle is a definite example of this as what could easily be a shining light in this area is instead proof that this area is largely forgotten in city planning. While I don't have kids, one of the questions I always ask myself when visiting a park is "Would I bring my kids here?" The answer here is definitely a "no." While area kids still benefit from it and the playground itself remains functional, between nearby vacant buildings and the obvious wear and tear of the park this park is closer to a 2-star park than a 4-star at this point. It definitely has potential and with the nearby 201 Studios being developed perhaps there could be some improvements. Essentially, Clayton & LaSalle Park is a small neighborhood park that serves the families in this southeast area of Indianapolis. This entire area is a working class area with a lot of smaller businesses emphasizing manufacturing and industrial industries and there's a lot of vacant buildings that surround the park. The folks I met while around here were friendly and if I lived in the area I would use the park, but there's nothing about Clayton & LaSalle that makes it a destination park and Indy definitely needs to clean it up. This park falls under the umbrella of Indy Parks.

I've been spending some time in Beech Grove over the Memorial Day holiday this year, and I realized…read moreI'd never really checked out Don Challis Park. This is a 14-acre park named after a longtime Beech Grove resident who was devoted to improving the community and the area's parks. If you visit the city's website, you'll even see a letter from the Challis family on the parks department page. The park is adjacent to South Grove Intermediate School. It's accessible from 9th Avenue, and it features a picnic shelter, playground equipment, a volleyball court, and a good amount of green space with mature trees. From May-October, the shelter can be rented for $65 for Beech Grove residents and non-profits. Non-residents pay $100. The park has experienced some upgrades in recent years, though in 2022 there was a shooting at the park during a vigil. To my knowledge, it was targeted (during a vigil) and I've never seen the park have any other issues. I've always felt safe around the park and in Beech Grove. Don Challis Park does have parking available, and there's also a public restroom (I think the restroom might be seasonal, though I'm not sure). Don Challis Park is a solid community park. I wouldn't call it a destination park, but it serves the community well. For a relatively small city, Beech Grove does well with its parks.

This is a nice little park in Beech Grove. It was originally named South Grove Park, but was later…read morerenamed to Don Challis Park, after a man who diligently worked for 29 years to make the parks in Beech Grove a wonderful place for children and adults to enjoy. The park has its own private lot. It appears to be going through some type of renovation. Maybe a paved jogging trail or something. It is relatively small, sitting at about 14 acres. It has a a covered pavilion with picnic tables, a playground, a sand volleyball court, and a little green space to play or sit and have a picnic. The park also has a huge restroom facility. The playground is lined with wood chips and has a jungle gym with some slides and a long row of swings. The sand volleyball court is in adequate shape and the park's grounds are well maintained. This is a decent park to spend some time. You can hang out with the little ones or just relax and watch cars go by. It looks like they are set on improving this park and making it even better.

I took a visitor bird watching on the grounds of the Jill Perelman Pavilion. The park has three…read moreseparate trails for birdwatching including a barred owl trail, a water trail and a prairie trail. The trails are paved or covered and easily accessible. A map near the parking lot describes the trails. The prairie trail has a few wren houses which had attracted a nice tree sparrow. There are benches along the prairie trail to sit and watch the birds. There were were a number of dog walkers out enjoying the trails and a few runners. Knocking off a point because there was a bit of trash in the retention pond and the noise of 116th Street detracted from the experience of the water fowl walk. Otherwise, a nice trail with plenty of parking.

This is a very nice indoor pavilion that hosts many local events and summer day camps. It was…read moreclosed when I was there, so this review is of the small park behind it. This park is filled with nature themed playground equipment. It is located on the Carmel/Zionsville line. It has a huge parking lot and a water fountain and restroom facilities. There are a bunch of picnic tables on the terrace area between the playground and the building. The playground is natural and is actually located in the woods. Most of the equipment is net based and wooded. There are wood balance beams and net climbing structures with a wood frame. The area in the front is for smaller kids (under 5) and the equipment near the back is more complex and is for the older kids (5 and older). The highlight of the park is easily the zip line. My little loved it. She wore me out from pushing her. The zip line will travel down the cable without a push, but my kid wanted to go faster. It is a pretty cool zip line, but the nostalgia wore off fast. Being that the play area is in the woods, it is surrounded by a bunch of trees and is well shaded. My little was not very keen on this park. She was more than ready to go only after 20 minutes or so. This park is ok, but not worth being a destination park. It does not have many visitors and was wide open while me and my little was there. West Park (which is right next door), once they are done their maintenance, looked like it will be awesome. So, once that park is up and running, to maximize my time, I would probably treat this park as an appetizer and West Park as the main course.

Ringgold Park has been completely revitalized as of the summer of 2023. It has new (and awesome)…read moreplayground equipment and rubberized, synthetic turf surfacing installed around the playground. The park is tiny -- just 0.19 acres, and there is no parking lot, just street parking. This pocket park is maintained by Indy Parks & Recreation. The park playground features a climbing structure, a swing set with swing-along swings that accommodate both child and caregiver, and a seesaw. There are also two benches off to the side for parents and caregivers to sit and watch their children play. There are some natural spaces around the park that are maintained by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Indy Parks and Bates-Hendricks neighbors. All around the park are native plants and shrubbery, as well as bird boxes to encourage wildlife to visit. I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to bring my children to this park because it's so small. But if you're in the area and need a place for your child to play, this will more than serve its purpose!

This pocket park was shaped as I-65 sliced through the near east side forming a triangular shape at…read morethe end of Ringgold Street. A small raised patch of land was turned into a neighborhood park. The park has recently upgraded to add new mulch and some shrubs were planted. The park only has one bench for seating. There are a few swings and a retro spring-type piece of equipment to use like a teeter totter. Other than these few items, there isn't much for kids or adults to do. No running water and no designated parking mean that the most likely users of this park at the back side of the neighborhood will be families that live within walking distance. Review #537

This park is a very spacious wide open park. It covers about 16 acres and has tons of open space…read more It has a long drive from the entrance to the parking lot. Beware of the speed bump. It kind of blends in with the pavement. As far as amenities go, it has a softball field and two large fields that can be used for football/soccer. I also has a gazebo and a covered pavilion with picnic tables and grill that is available for rent, two separate playground areas and two full basketball courts. The park currently has construction going on right in front of the entrance and is nestled between 2 neighborhoods. There is a huge ditch with running water running down the center of the park. Good luck if you get a ball in there. The park has two bridges that cross over the ditch. There is is running trail that runs through and another one that runs in front of the park. The one in front is longer. The one in the park looks like it just connects the two neighborhoods. The park has ample parking available in its private lot. Fun fact: The park serves as the southern border for the Tracy Trail System. There is a playground that consists of a small jungle gym contraption with a couple of slides coming out from it. The other playground has a larger jungle gym and some swings. The equipment is a bit older, but in good repair and well maintained. The playground floor is lined with wood chips. The basketball courts are decent. All the rims have nets, and the courts are clean. They are not like the modern courts that have been popping up at new parks, but they are well maintained and get the job done. The park has seasonal hours and a seasonal restroom facility that is not operational during the winter. This is a nice park, but limited as far as what other parks offer. It is a good spot for those in the local neighborhoods to shoot some hoops or take the kids to the playground.

This park is really two parks in one. Tracy Ditch (which usually has water in it) runs through the…read morepark from North to South. There are two bridges (one is near the highway, the other towards the back of the park) that span the ditch and look dependably built. Because a subdivision lines both the east and west sides of the park, both sides have a playground for young kids. The East side has a shelter and grill, while the west side has a gazebo with a grill. The entrance to the park for visitors outside the neighborhood is on the eastern half. There is a spacious lot and two basketball courts laid end to end. Near the middle of the park is a permanent restroom building though it's open only during the park season. Everything seemed to be in decent shape, though it could use a little spring cleaning. Review #546

This is a little park / playground that's open to everyone, not just the residents of The Village…read moreof West Clay. There are parking spaces all around it, so just park and mosey on over to the playground. This might be a nice place to visit if you had a toddler just learning to walk, because the ground is that soft rubber material, and what few equipment pieces that are on the playground are pint-sized just for little kids. It's the kind of playground that's good for toddlers and very young kids who are in that stage of putting everything in their mouth, because there's really nothing dangerous here. There are benches everywhere to sit, and lots of trees and beautiful landscaping to enjoy. There's also a fountain and paths that go all around the park and the square, and shops (including an awesome candy shop) across the street. It's also very quiet and clean and peaceful. I could see myself visiting this park when my kids were 1 or 2 years old.

On the southwest corner of University Green in West Clay (Carmel), there is a small section devoted…read moreto being a tyke's playground. There is convenient parking next to the lot which is fenced in stone and has a sign posted that dogs aren't allowed. The park is unique in that there is a round gazebo in one corner and an obelisk monument in the other. There is also a playhouse and a pergola. Not that any of those have anything for kids to play with, but it might stir one's imagination. There are benches for adults to sit and watch kids play on the climbing "monkey bars" or the teeter totter. There is also a swing and spinning piece of equipment for kids to hop on and hang on. The setting is open a overlooks the green that it tree lined. There is a textured surface to help water run off from the playground while providing some cushion from the occasional fall. Review #3168

Although the park may be quite useful for local parties and celebrations, the condition of the park…read moreduring my visit left me with a less than favorable review. Yes, there are multiple shelters and there was a small playground, but the condition of the wood on the baseball dugouts and a mini shelter by the playgrounds were worn and needed some attention. The park is flat with a gravel driveway that leads back on the north end with no clearly designated parking area (If it is like my hometown, folks probably pull off onto the grass.) That's okay as long as it doesn't rain. All the playground surfaces were stone based which aren't the most kid friendly surfaces available either. I think that the park could just use some TLC and a bit of cash to improve the condition of some of the pieces I've mentioned. Having seen parks all across central Indiana, I've seen how great a park can be when it is important to the community to view it as an asset. Review #863

This is a very large nice park for such a small town. The entire park can be rented for special…read moreevents such as graduation, birthday, family reunions, parties, or sections of the park can also be rented. This is the only community park in Morristown, and it's actually a little bit north of town over the hump where the railroad tracks are, and you will see it on your left side, and cornfields to the right, ha. There is a children's play ground area, a soccer field, softball field, golf driving range, public restrooms, and power hookups at various locations. There are lots of open flat grass areas for all types of other fun activities. There are 3 shelters that include; charcoal grill, picnic tables, lights and power. There is an Amphitheater / stage that is great for live bands, as there is plenty of grass seating in front of the stage area that will accommodate many people. Park Shelters are available for rent: $50 per day with a $25 refundable damage deposit. $50 per day for use of the Amphitheater Stage area per day with a $25 refundable damage deposit. No charge to County organizations for shelter but a $25 refundable damage deposit is required. Donations from the local Veterans keep the park looking great. The park is open from dawn until dusk daily, and free to use the amenities during those hours. There is also a concession stand that sells snacks during special events such as league softball games. There is plenty of parking off the driveways in the grassy areas. I have been here for large parties with live bands, catered in food, drinks, etc and it was a great time!

I'm embarrassed to admit that despite having a primary care physician directly across the street,…read moreI'd completely missed the development of Indy's 212th official city park. South Street Square Park is located at 315 S. South and was developed by Eli Lilly & Co. and then donated to the City of Indianapolis in a ceremony in September 2019. It's a 3-acre park located almost directly across from the CityWay Development and easily accessible from the nearby Irsay Family YMCA. In addition to donating the park, Lilly reportedly donates approximately $40,000 annually to help maintain the greenspace that is adjacent to their Indy headquarters. South Street is really more an official greenspace than an actual park. There's over 30,000 square feet of concrete walks designed into a circular design with pathways that branch off. There are benches throughout the park and, in a sign of its business location, USB and power outlets readily available. Bricks from Eli Lilly's Brazil, Indiana offices have been relocated and repurposed. There are flowers, shrubs, and approximately 200 trees planted in the area along with extra lights to help ensure safety. In researching, there's apparently either parking available or planned. I was parked across the street at the YMCA, which is paid parking, and my first visit was rather quick during a doctor's appointment but I definitely plan to return. This little urban oasis is definitely more of a place to chill out than actually enjoy park activity, but it's a beautiful and welcome addition to near-downtown Indy and has to be welcome by the growing CityWay population. I look forward to spending even more time at South Street Square Park in the near future.

This is a small but well kept park right outside of the Eli Lily Complex. The park is 3 acres and…read morewas donated and developed by Eli Lily. It is beautiful. They actually donate about 40 G's per year to maintain the park. It is in the backyard of the Irsay YMCA and has an awesome view of Lucas Oil Stadium. The park is well maintained, has its own very small parking lot, and is a what you see is what you get kind of park. There is no playground or picnic tables, no restrooms or hiking trails. There is just a huge green field and some plants, surrounded but a bunch of benches. There are intertwined paths that you can use to walk or jog, I would say it was about a quarter mile around. The park seems pretty safe and is well lit. As I mentioned, it is a simple park and does not get very busy. It is a nice place to sit and chill or walk/jog in a safe loop.