While visiting Terre Haute, the first park I visited was Deming Park, and I knew I would return…read more The park has multiple amenities, including a full disc golf course, a swimming pool (during season), horse shoes, tennis, the Clark-Landsbaum Holly Arboretum, several art installations, a mini train "the Spirit of Terre Haute", and, oh yeah, a very cool playground. There are 177 acres at this park and that allows visitors to find quiet places as well as the hustle/bustle of the playground area. Shelters are available throughout the park and with many paved roads winding through the park, access to the shelters is easy. The playground was busy with families playing on the multiple pieces of equipment. I liked that there was plenty of shade close to the playground and that the picnic tables have roofs on them. During the season, a mini-train ride is available for a small fee. Just look for the colorful mural by Becky Hochhalter painted on the train shelter to know where to board. (Tickets are available at the nearby Torner Center during the season). There is also a nice garden near the playground entrance called "Jackie's Garden". It features a bronze sculpture of a seated little girl who is watching butterflies. The arboretum is a plant garden dedicated to preserving the varieties of holly. The entire hillside is covered with mature plants and each has been identified with markers to assist visitors. Nearby, a 14' tall stainless steel sculpture called "On the Wings of Flight" by Simonis (2015) can be found too! The park is a great place to spend some time if you are wanting to get outdoors and play. Review #892

Huge playground for the kids. One area is for the bigger kids and another area for 2-5 year olds…read more Tons of shade for the parents to watch the kids at play. There is a train that goes around a small track for $1.25 each passenger close to the playground. Haven't checked out the restrooms for cleanliness but they have them here and a water fountain in case you forgot to pack drinks. Lots of covered picnic benches great for a family picnic. There Is a community pool open in the summer close to the playground too. It's $2.75 for kids and $3 for adults. They have a diving board and water splash area for the younger ones. I wasn't able to see if the pool has a baby pool as it's not open until noon.

This is a nice nature park. It has a couple of ample sized parking areas, three to be exact. There…read moreis a nice calm 3 acre lake in the park with picnic tables and picnic shelters with tables under them and grills just outside of them. Fishing is allowed in the lake, but with limits. You will definitely need a fishing license to fish here. With every nature park, there is some green space to play filed activities such as soccer, football, catch, kite flying or other activities. This park is no exception. There is a decent amount of green space by the playground area. Some of the shelters are in desperate need of repair though. A couple has sections of the roof collapsing in. There is a small playground at this park with older traditional equipment laid on a wood chip bed. Some of the playground equipment includes a some traditional and toddler swings, A tall spiral slide, a decent sized jungle gym with slides, a see-saw, and a large truck tire. It has benches and picnic tables on the perimeter of the area where parents can sit and watch their littles. There are a couple of small accessible piers on the lake that you can walk out on. They do not go too deep into the lake. I would say about 10 to 15 feet from shore. You will find a nature center and Native American Museum here at the park, along with some awesome wooded trails. It you are not feeling adventurous and are intimidated by the wood trail, you can just walk around the lake. I saw a bunch of people doing that while I was there. Additionally, there is a nice bike/running trail that goes past the front of the park. All in all, there are approximately 3 miles of trails which will take you past restored wetlands, through pine woods, old growth and second growth forest as well as a 25 acre State Nature Preserve. With visits to the Nature Center, native American Museum, Lake, playground and trails, you could easily spend a half a day or more here. I wish that the playground area was a little bit more robust, but it will do. This park has a peaceful vibe and is very relaxing. It is a destination park and hopefully you will get to visit it in the near future.

We are retired. Nice place to bring your lunch, watch the Canadian geese, and dads trying to teach…read moretheir kids to fish!!

"On the Banks of the Wabash" seems like a perfect pairing of the park and its history. Located…read moredirectly overlooking the river, the park has the home of the composer Paul Dresser who wrote the State Anthem. A historical marker provides visitors the information about the home. A nearby statue, "A Song for Indiana" by Teresa Clark (2014), captures in bronze the image of the composer, the most famous line of the song, the home, musical notes, and wave images. Beyond the home, the park has lots of room to explore (a carnival was being set up on the north end of the park). A large architectural crossing arch stretches over the garden and bisecting pathway. Farther north, there is a playground, restrooms, and shelters. Over by the water, more art installations and a pier extends over the bank. The park looks to be well maintained and good for gatherings. Located next to the park is a baseball park and another small playground. Seems like a nice perk for the folks of Terre Haute. Review #903

One of the newest parks (2011) for the area is a 25 acre nature park with a lake in the middle…read more For enthusiasts, there is a boat launch for boats using a trolling motor. Fishing is allowed for those having the proper licences. For everyone else, the park has a shelter and covered picnic tables, a great paved hiking path that loops around the lake, and a small playground on the west side of the park. Everything seems to be well maintained and there is plenty of parking on the south side of the park (Maple Street). Review #908

Very nice area with the exception of a large amount of broken glass along the perimeter of the lake…read moreclosest to parking area. Definitely needs remediation!

This is a nice little museum that is located on the campus of Dobbs Memorial Park. It is operated…read moreand maintained by the Terre Haute Parks Department. They have three exhibit rooms in the museum that displays artifacts, native American living quarters, animal skins, some Native American dress, pictures, Jewelry, a canoe and other items. Just outside the museum is an active Native American Heirloom Garden. They pack a lot of material into this museum and they have an attendant on duty. It was very informational. The intent of the museum is to educate visitors in the life ways of the native peoples of the Northeast Woodlands The museum is free to visit, but they gladly accept donations. Additionally, They host monthly Saturday programs that feature crafts and topics of interest to people of all ages. The museum is not very popular for some unknown reason. I was the only person in the museum the entire time I was there. They have ample parking available in the park that it is in, but it is a slight walk from the lots to the museum. The museum is pretty clean and has a restroom available. Groups and tours are welcome and they have guest speakers available to address the groups/tours. I like this museum and it is a nice addition to the park.

This museum is designed to collect and share the history of the regional Native Americans who once…read moremade the Terre Haute area their home. As the only city park museum of its kind in the Midwest, the museum doesn't have a huge budget and with admission charges being free (donations are gladly accepted), the museum relies upon donated exhibits to enhance its offerings. There are several rooms inside the museum for displays. I was surprised at the number of life size pieces like a canoe, a wigwam, a long-house, and full ceremonial costumes that were inside. There are also quite a few necklaces, daily tools, and other artifacts with plenty of labeling for identification. Outside, there is an heirloom garden which has preserved some of the natural plantings that were common to the local population. During my visit, the garden was in transition as the summer months approach, so I didn't wander through the garden. Overall, I was glad to see the park system take the initiative to preserve and archive the collection. The park has participated in a program that has digitized the images and information for sharing and future study. The museum opens at 10 a.m. on most days. If you get there early, there is plenty in the surrounding park to help you pass the time. Review #891

While traveling west on US 36, you can find a rest park just before you reach the Illinois line if…read morecoming from Indiana. This park is about 1.5 miles from the home of Ernie Pyle, the famed reporter from World War II. The park isn't like the rest areas you see along the interstate. It doesn't have food vending machines. But it does have a small playground, a shelter, and restrooms. There is a memorial to Ernie Pyle to the left of the gravel parking area. There is also a covered bridge which was preserved by relocating it to this park. There isn't a lot to do, but it does offer a place to get out of the car and walk about to stretch your limbs. Review #2831

This small plaza is dedicated to the Olympic Gold Medalists who came from the local Garfield High…read moreSchool. The three honorees are as follows: Gregory Bell - 1956 Melbourne (Broad Jump); Clyde Lovellette - 1948 Helsinki (Basketball); and Terry Dischinger - 1960 Rome (Basketball). The park fills an intersection where angled road Lafayette Avenue cuts across Maple Avenue in the 12 Points section of town. There are a couple benches for visitors and a cool mosaic inlay at the center of the plaza. No parking is designated for the plaza, but street parking on adjacent streets can be found. Review #906

On the south side of Greencastle, a new park was added directly west of Mama Nunz's restaurant. In…read morethe wedge between Ohio St and Broadway, the space is mostly open lawn with pull in parking (free) on Ohio St. The west end of the park has a new playground that targets smaller kids with a small fortress that includes places to climb and a slide. A couple animal themed stand alone pieces are there as well. Though there aren't any shade trees yet, the park has a couple benches that have built in shade for those who need to take a break from the sun. To the east is an picnic area, but it currently only had one table available and it was without any shade/shelter. Hopefully, the funding will continue to improve this location with some tree plantings, additional picnic/shelter areas, and possibly some restrooms (even portable would be an improvement.) The park is off to a good start! Review #3624