Really cute small perfect size park for families with little ones or families with special needs…read morechildren that elope. Came here with my 28 year-old stepson with autism for an autism meet up event. This park was specifically chosen because it is enclosed so dads, moms, caregivers can feel better about letting their kids run around without having to worry about them running into the street or eloping somewhere they shouldn't. Great place for a birthday party or meetup!

I love that Indianapolis has so many parks! It seems like there's one everywhere you look. This one…read moreis a cute neighborhood park in the Herron-Morton area of Indy. It's located in a historic area, and park is a tribute to the neighborhood's history. It includes a playground, open-air pavilion for concerts and performances, and plenty of spaces to sit. The playground isn't the biggest, but sometimes all you need is a little space to let your kids play and burn off some energy. You'll find that here. The playground includes a big structure with two slides (a tube slide and a regular tall slide), a rock climbing structure, monkey bars, a standing swing, and little interactive activities at the bottom of the structure for young kids. The playground had wood chips on the ground. The playground also has swings (two big-kid swings and two baby swings), as well as spring horsey riders to play on. The playground area and the swings area are separated by a big planter that includes beautiful native flowers and plants. One of the great things about this playground is that it's big enough to entertain a young kid for a while, but it's also small enough that you can see your young kid from wherever they're playing at the park. There are also several benches around the park underneath trees, with lots of shady spots everywhere. At the back of the park is a an open-air pavilion. Residents can rent the pavilion for their own use. I didn't see any restrooms, but I wasn't actively searching for one. So there may or may not be restrooms there! Parking is on the street.

This pocket park is part of the Bates-Hendricks Neighborhood community making an effort to provide…read morean asset where an empty lot was neglected. Now, there is a clean green space with a pergola and seating, benches, and a wooden playground in the shade. The playground has swings, a slide, and a "rock climbing" and rope climbing side. A nice entrance and pasture plants frame the street sides of the park. It has a nice balance of natural and artistic planning which makes for a calm and restful environment. Review #623

Hidden sanctuary in Zionsville? You need to check out Carpenter Nature Preserve!…read more This former golf course has been transformed into a beautiful nature preserve that's quickly becoming one of my favorite hidden gems. Nature-inspired playscape with a slide Water pump and mud kitchen for messy play Outdoor classroom with a chalkboard Outdoor amphitheater Trails with paved, rock, and grass surfaces for every type of adventure Clean bathrooms, water fountain, and picnic tables One thing to know: There isn't a lot of shade yet because the trees are still young. The best part? This is just the beginning! Future phases will include additional trails, wetland boardwalks, a tree canopy walk, more playgrounds, public art, ecological restoration projects, and a regional nature center. This is one of those places that's worth visiting now--and then coming back year after year to watch it grow.

Zionsville has done a super job of adding nature parks to the community. Carpenter Nature Preserve…read moreis the most ambitious project yet. Phase I of the Preserve just opened recently on the grounds of the former historic Wolf Run Golf Club. The park covers 215 acres of rolling hills along Eagle Creek. I visited the Preserve this morning and walked several miles of paved, gravel and natural trails. Phase I includes a nice parking lot with Prairie Pavilion. The Pavilion is small but houses restrooms and covered picnic tables. Maps of the Preserve trails are posted. A small natural playground has been constructed adjacent to the Pavilion. The playground features a water sluice, a slide and a climbing tree structure. The trails are great for a peaceful walk, bird watching, dog walking, biking and running. Two picturesque overlooks provide great views of Eagle Creek and mature tree lines. I saw frogs, rabbits and many birds during my walk. A small amphitheater with firepit has been built Into a hillside on the south side of the park. A covered classroom was built near the center of the park. Many of the features were funded by various contributors and bear their names. The Preserve is open sunrise to sunset. Admission is free. Bring water, wear bug repellent and sunscreen.

Do you have a child who loves pretending to be an animal? Then you need to check out Grassy Creek…read moreRegional Park! Huge nature-inspired playground with endless opportunities to climb and explore Giant climbing area that's perfect for pretending to be a spider Butterfly tunnel Cute animal play features including an ant, turtle, frog, and more Owl-themed play structure with slides Two tall climbing towers--one shaped like a bird's nest and the other like a treehouse Lots of different types of slides and swings Lily pad obstacle course for hopping and balancing Small indoor nature center with live animals, hands-on activities, bird watching, and books Con: The long zipline was missing a piece during our visit, so it wasn't in use. If your kids love climbing, pretending, and exploring the outdoors, this is one of the most unique playgrounds in Indianapolis. You can easily spend a whole morning bouncing between the playground and th

I love that Indy is stepping up the park game around the city. This park is on the far east side of…read moreIndianapolis. It was a pretty hot day when we came out. There is an old grassy creek park that I went to first, I had to keep driving east to find this spot. The kids enjoyed themselves. They have an area for littler kids, not much shade in this area. They have a treehouse that has a slide. My kids enjoyed the zip swing and had fun pushing each other. They have swinging benches, shelter with charcoal grill, and the floor is turf. It is a pretty cool looking park.

This park is located in the Southern Dunes sub division, just down the street from Rosa Parks…read moreElementary. There is no parking for the small park, but it is intended for sub division residents to walk to. You will however see an occasional vehicle parked on the grass in front of the park. The park appears accessible and the ground is covered with shredded tires. I do not know who the park is named after or who pays for the maintance of the park, possibly the sub divisions HOA. But the park is well maintained The park is small and has a bench overlooking the jungle gym/slide. It also has a couple of swings behind the jungle gym. This park is not a park that I would drive to as a destination. I would probably only use it if I lived nearby or was passing it on the way somewhere else.

Sometimes, a good idea actually takes root and does something good for a community. Back in 2016,…read morea neighborhood (Springdale) decided to turn an empty lot into a park that would help preserve one of the oldest trees in the neighborhood: The Nowland Oak. In cooperation with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful's IPL Project Greenspace, the neighborhood created a small park to tell the story of Indiana during the 300 years of the tree's life. A concrete base was created by a local artist (Nick Gehlhausen) and formed roots spreading down the hillside. On the base, panels were set up showing the history of the state in timelines and script. On the reverse side of the panels, information about native plants is shown. Mosaics were created by artist Barbara Zech to welcome visitors and to follow a path to the park. Note that additional markers were embedded into the sidewalk and lead visitors to an even older Chinquapin Oak a couple blocks away estimated to be 450 years old! (It is probably the oldest tree in Marion County and is called the Temple Oak.) Instead of removing the tree on a lot that was slated for demolition, it is nice to see something pleasant and educational added to the neighborhood. Note: There is no parking other than street parking in the area. Review #578

2024 Summer Concert Kickoff with Toy Factory onstage. Bring the kids, the family, your friends and…read moreenjoy a free concert each Thursday evening from 7-9pm through July 25. Several food trucks are available to satisfy your appetite.

I've been here a bunch since last summer, and this is a really nice park…read more There's a bunch of football fields to rent, so that is nice. Interestingly enough, they have a skate park here, which I thought was neat. The playground is also nice, but a bunch of the slides are made of metal. The walking trails are also quite nice as well. The main reason that I come here for is the disc golf course. Although I've only done two courses, that being this and the one at Cumberland Park at the time of writing, so I still haven't been to many courses. The front 9 are really nice, as 4 holes wrap around a lake, and 3 are in a wooded area. The back 9 are in a mostly open area, and there's a creek that runs alongside a couple holes. The landscaping in that part of the course could use some attention. However, it's still a nice park to visit. Also, the lake and creek can 'eat' your disc if you aren't aware.

I'd seen a social media post that W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park had added a major ADA accessibility…read morefeature - so, after a recent clinic appointment I was able to get a friend of mine to take a detour so I could go check it out. W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park is a Hendricks County Park with an official address in Danville, though the park itself is considered to be in Avon. One of Hendricks County's newer parks, it offers two fishing ponds, nature trails, a disc golf course, and a playground among other features. The feature that attracted my attention is the recent addition of a fully accessible, ADA compliant fishing dock on the park's smaller lake. This dock was paid for in part by a federal Land & Water Conservation Fund grant and is part of a larger project at the park to improve ADA-accessibility and park security. The park is open from dawn to dusk daily, and admission to the park and the 18-hole disc golf course within it is free. In addition to checking out the new dock, I checked out the park itself. The park features: 70 acres of woods, prairie, ephemeral creek, and ponds. Over 2 miles of well-marked trails (gravel and natural surfaces). Two ponds totaling 5.5 acres stocked with bass, redear sunfish, bluegill, and channel catfish. ADA-accessible fishing dock Nature-themed playgrounds for 5-to-12-year-olds and for 2-to-5-year-olds. ADA-accessible concrete walkways from paved parking lots to pavilions. 30-foot-tall observation/sledding hill. Picnic areas. Green space. There are two pavilions that can be rented, both ADA accessible. There's no fee to fish the ponds; properly licensed anglers may keep what they catch as long as all Indiana fishing laws and regulations are being followed. This is an absolute gem of a park and I'm so excited to see that they're taking accessibility so seriously. If you're in Hendricks County or on Indy's far westside, this park is worth the trip.

Beautiful new nature park and Disc Golf Course off of Gibbs road between Danville and Plainfield…read moreIN. There is a large sign that helps you find it off the main road. New park so google maps info was actually wrong when I first came here! Fishing pond, nature trails, disc golf course and playground here.