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    White River State Park

    4.7 (109 reviews)
    Open 5:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    November 2025
    Ann L.

    This is a nice green space downtown which can be accessed from the zoo and a few museums. Access from the zoo is a bit more complicated with the way they set up the new zoo entrance through the garden but there is still a path from the parking lot. There is easy access to the canal as well from here. I've been to some events here over the years as well, and it's a great location for food festivals and similar events. Some picnic tables might be nice, but bringing a blanket works for a picnic too.

    Nice walking area
    Ty L.

    The weather was cold the day we went downtown but we still took a few minutes to go to the park. There weren't many people outside since it was so cold but I do know when the weather is warm, a lot of people like to enjoy time there. They have bikes, electric scooters, and paddle boats that you can rent to enjoy. This is a nice place to bring your family, kids, or someone special. It's located in the heart of downtown and is just another example of where you can go and not have to pay a lot to enjoy yourself.

    Maggie W.

    Beautiful park!! We loved walking around, seeing the art, and enjoying being outside. The visitors center is cashless!

    Artwork
    Richard Walton C.

    I had never been to this park and didn't know there was a multi-level parking garage underneath it until I attended a festival event today. I like how the parking garage has plenty of signage to let you know which exits come out by which buildings. I didn't read my email well enough to know exactly where the event was being held so I ended up walking the perimeter of the park. There was only one handful of people walking in the park and it wasn't until I found a park employee to ask that I learned the location of the event which was Military Park. I didn't realize the park included areas behind all of the various museums. I learned that there were many museums and that the canal walk begins here. There are sculptures and artwork located throughout the park. The amphitheater seems huge at least the roof of it does. There is so much to see and do in downtown that you can't see from driving the streets. You need to walk around to get a better view of the various venues, especially here around this large city park in the heart of downtown. There wasn't much to the gift shop but at least it was open and staffed. There is surface parking available too but I didn't pay attention to the cost. The underground garage is $10 for the first two hours. I didn't realize it was within walking distance of the zoo until I left for the day.

    Breanna H.

    This was such a beautiful trail and park in general. I came out here on a beautiful sunny morning and was just amazed at how pretty it all was. This park just makes you appreciate nature and the water and trees. I walked past the zoo down the trail and is against the canal. I then turned onto New York Street and then passed the soccer stadium and continued to wander through the NCAA greens. This is definitely something that you should seek out if you are in Indy. There are clean trails and beautiful views all around

    Park time!
    Thama P.

    We love this beautiful park! We enjoy being here so much! The well manicured grass, the lovely trees, the clean pathways I could go on and on! We enjoyed the bike riding there and sitting down and just being with nature! There's close by restrooms, close by parking (for a fee), and some vendors for a little snack if you need one. The park can lead to the canal, the zoo, NCAA, and the museums! We certainly enjoy going!

    Helen H.

    White River State Park covers 267 acres. Canal Walk runs through the park. There are many attractions located within including Indianapolis Zoo and IMAX. As we were walking, we spotted a row of blossoming plum trees with the river in the background- picture perfect!

    Goose or as I now call them, wanna be Phish.
    Joseph D.

    Over all a great venue. They have booze and food trucks and tents and the prices are actually somewhat reasonable. The only draw back is that the hill slopes down in the back but other than that not a bad seat in the house. Not impressed with Goose.

    Les R.

    Awesome park and love the art and cannal. I had no idea White River State Park was here. Located in downtown Indianapolis and it's fun to explore on a nice day. We were standing at the Conrad downtown and heard about the canal and walked down to check it out. It was a beautiful day and to our surprise there was all of this green space, art, trails, the river, and the central canal. We even explored around and ended up at the 911 monument. There was a beautiful Old bridge that crossed the that was reimagined as a free space. It was such a good idea and was beautiful. Would love to have something like this in our city. Definitely recommend and worth checking out. ,

    Glenn C.

    Lots of water and grass. Museums and zoo on grounds. Take a paddleboat on the canal or bicycle around. Walk along the river or play in the park. NCAA museum borders it.

    Trail
    Joe K.

    Great state park that has miles of trails. I really enjoyed the walk/run/bike trails along both sides of the white river. During spring there is No shortage of blooming trees and flowers around every turn. The trails are well maintained. You'll find a number of spots where you can read about the local nature and wildlife as well as the local conservation efforts along both sides of the river. There's several bridges across the river, especially in the downtown Indianapolis area so you can cross easily. You'll get some great city views as well from the west side of the river. There's an amphitheater along the trail along with several parks. There's really lots to see and do. I really enjoyed my walk here and highly recommended it for everyone.

    White River State Park
    Nicole S.

    White River State Park has so much going on with it that I don't even know where to start. We initially visited the park to try to spot beavers. (Apparently, beavers live in the White River and make their dams around the bridges.) And although we didn't see any beavers, we did see a lot of public art located all throughout the park. It was a fun surprise to walk around and see such beautiful sculptures everywhere, and I can't believe I've lived in Indiana so long, and have visited this park so often, and never saw many of these art pieces. You'll find much of the art around the canal and around the bridges -- Washington Pedestrian Bridge is an especially good place to see sculptures. Because we're living during a time when there is an active pandemic happening, I especially love White River State Park because there is so much open space and grass on which to run around and explore. We weren't around anyone at all, and if we did see people, we had plenty of space to move out of their way. It's nice to have this park in the middle of downtown. I saw that someone mentioned that there was a playground here? I have never seen a playground at this park. If you know where this elusive playground is, send me a message -- my kids (and I'm sure lots of other kids) would love to know. On the grounds of White River State Park is the Indiana State Museum, the Eiteljorg, the Indianapolis Zoo, NCAA Hall of Champions and more. All of these museums require admission to enter, but I would say that you could make an afternoon just walking around the park, looking at all of the art, peeping the canal and enjoying the outdoors for free. One thing you will have to pay for is parking. There's just no getting out of that. There is surface parking and underground parking, but I recommend using the surface parking if you plan to walk around and look at art. It's just closer to everything.

    I LOVED going to White River State Park! My roommate and I took some time to take a walk here today for one of my classes! We parked in the lot by the Amphitheater and parking was reasonable. We paid for 2 hours and it was $6. We pretty much did a loop of the entire park. We first stopped at the Visitor Center right by the parking lot. Inside, they had a ton of print materials about Indianapolis and the different areas, along with park souvenirs like tshirts, magnets, and more. They also had some local artist art for sale which I thought was cool! Definetly was a good place for us to start and to just learn more about what the park has to offer! We decided to walk down the bridge that leads from the main section of the park to the zoo. While we didn't go to the zoo specifically, it was nice to see a bigger view of the river and all the different artwork on the bridge too. We continued around by the NCAA Hall of Fame, and went to my favorite part of the park, the canal! I truly think the canal is one of the best parts of the park, as it's so clean and modern, and in the warmer months, it's usually super lively and they even have little swan boats you can rent to go down the canal! While I truly love the park, I think I would go more if there were more things to see or events to go to. I'm sure during the warmer months it is easier ti take advantge of what the park has to offer, but at the time that we went, it was pretty dead and it was just a bunch of people going for a leisurely stroll or such. Although, the park does contain some fun museums as well, we just didn't have the time to go and explore that. Overall, a fun place to go and explore, and it's great that it is so close to the heart of Indianapolis!

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    Ask the Community - White River State Park

    Is there a playground or other activity for young children?

    Yes!

    My family and I love the Canal walk it's nice and relaxing great walk. How many miles are the walk?

    If you were to walk to entirety of the Downtown Canal Walk, it's 3 miles according to the Indiana Greenways Foundation. With it's connections to the Central Canal Towpath and the Indianapolis Cultural Trial it's easier to make it longer or shorter… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - White River State Park

    Usually I visit the canal and run it, since it's a 5k "track." If you are a runner, I highly recommend trying it!

    Mentioned in 43 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Lady Spray Fountain

    Lady Spray Fountain

    4.5(2 reviews)
    1.9 miFountain Square

    You may think that the fountain has some historical value or is an antique. Nope, not even close…read more This fountain was built in 2009 and installed in 2010. The only thing historical about this fountain is the location that it is in. It is the fourth fountain to be installed here, with the first being installed in 1889. The fountain is made of cast iron and is cast from the same mold as a historic one in New York. On the top of the fountain you will see Goddess Hebe, who is nick named Lady Spray (hence the fountains name). Hebe is the goddess of is the goddess of youth or the prime of life. As I mentioned the fountain is pretty weathered and it was not operating while I was there. I am not sure if it is functional or if it was just shut down for the season. Parking to get a closer look is somewhat simple. There is metered street parking within a very reasonable walking distance. There is no real easy way to cross the street to get to the fountain no matter what side you approach it from. It is on an island. I am sure you know it already, but I would be remiss if I did not say it, please be careful. There is no fountain square without a fountain. Even though this fountain is relatively new, they did a great job maintaining its antique look and nostalgia feel. Definitely worth a peek if you are in the area.

    Okay, I get that this current version of the fountain was installed as recently as 2009 and is a…read morecopy of a statue in New York that features "Lady Spray" or more commonly known as the goddess Hebe. But what makes this latest version so great is that an entire neighborhood is named because a fountain was put at this intersection in 1889. The original also featured Lady Spray. I love that the neighborhood wanted to capture some of the original statue/fountain by returning to the first theme even though the original was destroyed. This is the fourth version of the fountain to exist on this spot and it still features the goddess on top a series of supports that have different types of ornamentation (including geese). The water sprays and is collected in several dish shaped layers. Although not everyone in the neighborhood wanted to go with this version, a compromise of sorts was reached when the sculpture that topped the second version was saved and put on display to the southwest of the fountain. Review #1888

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    Lady Spray Fountain
    Lady Spray Fountain
    Lady Spray Fountain

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    Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument - Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Bridgeport

    Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument

    5.0(2 reviews)
    688.7 mi

    Bridgeport honors the local men who served in the Civil War with this elaborate monument in Seaside…read morePark https://www.yelp.com/biz/seaside-park-bridgeport?hrid=VuI9YRr0wFJzrDzQoIr4BA. The monument features a large, granite base with several decorative elements that narrows into a shaft topped by a bronze allegorical figure representing the United States. The monument's side feature bronze statues depicting an infantry soldier and a sailor. The plaque on the southeast face reads, "Dedicated to the memory of the heroic men of Bridgeport who fell in the late war for the preservation of the Union. July 1876." The plaque also features the conclusion of the Gettysburg Address. Plaques on the other faces list approximately 180 local residents killed in the war, along with their unit, as well as their date and place of death. [Review 15155 overall, 657 of 2021, number 12 in Connecticut.]

    With my family and I were doing on North East trip we stopped in Bridgeport Connecticut and we saw…read morethis wonderful monument for soldiers and sailors. I've noticed that a lot of cities that I've visited have the same soldiers and sailors monument on this trip. It looks a little different but it's always titled soldiers and sailors so curious might look that up. But anyway there's a nice looking Memorial monument and it just really represents the respect and love for soldiers and sailors and people that have fought for our country and have passed away it's just a nice tribute

    Photos
    Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument - Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Bridgeport

    Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Bridgeport

    Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument - Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Bridgeport

    Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Bridgeport

    Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument

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    Indiana Law Enforcement & Firefighters Memorial - Circle of names

    Indiana Law Enforcement & Firefighters Memorial

    4.3(3 reviews)
    0.4 miMile Square

    The Indiana Law Enforcement & Firefighter Memorial is somewhat hidden in a courtyard within one of…read morethe State's office buildings west of the Indiana Statehouse. I happened upon the monument quite by accident walking to the library. The memorial pays tribute to police and firefighters that lost their lives in the line duty. The monument itself is composed of two semicircles of granite pillars with the names of the fallen heroes etched in the stone. There are two larger limestone structures with plaques for firefights and police. Tree covered benches encircle the pillars and offer a peaceful place to reflect about the people that have served. Flags fly over the monument. The memorial was dedicated in June 0f 2001. Today, the 20 year old limestone is in need of a good cleaning and I had the urge to climb up and remove the mold. Street parking is hit or miss, but there is some outside the Statehouse that is inexpensive and available early in the day.

    Indiana law enforcement and fire fighter memorial is a massive rock figure sculpture along with…read moresome pieces with names of fallen first responders. My family and I were in town for the weekend my daughter cheer Competition held inside the Convention center. Over the two days while waiting between performances and awards ceremonies me and sometimes my family walked the surrounding areas and explored as the public art scene here is plentiful and creative. We found this massive piece while Checking out all the awesome sculptures on the state lawn in downtown Indianapolis. Kinda off to the side near a building entrance this is a very nice memorial and very well done . Overall it is always great seeing honors and tributes to first responders who have risked and lost there lives protecting there communities.

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    Indiana Law Enforcement & Firefighters Memorial
    Indiana Law Enforcement & Firefighters Memorial
    Indiana Law Enforcement & Firefighters Memorial

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    Urban Wall

    Urban Wall

    4.0(2 reviews)
    0.9 miMile Square

    This mural is an abstract piece that seems to have its best years way behind it. It is located…read moreacross from the City/County building and is painted on a parking garage that overlooks a commercial parking lot. It was painted by Roland Hobart, with assistance from Naegele Outdoor Advertising, in 1973 as part of the Indianapolis Urban Walls Project and was founded by American Fletcher National Bank. It was the first installment of the project. I would call it old, but we are close to the same age, so I will just call it a mural with seniority. The mural was also originally on two walls. The white wall perpendicular to where the mural is now was part of the mural in 1973, but severe deterioration forced it to be repainted and all they could come up with was white. The mural has been receiving increasing calls for restoration and people are starting the raise funds. The walls being located on private businesses with different landlords presents a little bit of an obstacle because they have to have them agree to have their walls painted. It is a simple piece that consists of geometric shapes, Consisting of mostly red, yellow, and orange circles, pie shaped wedges and triangles. I believe the mural has not been painted or maintenanced since it was originally painted. It is severely faded, peeling and chipped, but I guess considering that it is almost 50 years old it almost has some historical significance. It is old school. I think the mural has more value as a historical piece than the actual art work. Anyway, there is a lot of metered street parking available near the mural, so you can park, get out and take a closer look. There are also a few garages within a reasonable walking distance too. You could also get a decent look from the windshield of your car doing a strategic slow-rolling drive by. As with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other wonderful downtown attractions.

    Having spent more than 40 years in the metro area, I am continuously amazed at how the downtown…read morearea has transformed from the well earned "Naptown" label into a destination. And for as much as sports, construction, and the canal have done for the area, I believe that public art has to be considered as another great success. Think about it: Colorless limestone building with no imaginative decoration filled the area (with just a few exceptions). But in 1973, the City took a chance and created an "Urban Wall" Project that set things rolling. Back in '73, the original mural selected for the project was a Shelbyville artist named Roland Hobart who oversaw the installation of a two-wall mural. The colors were vibrant! The impact was amazing! Indianapolis with a multi-story mural? And an abstract at that? Really? It got people around here to think about art beyond what was in the IMA. It got people to remember that there were older pieces of art around town that should be maintained. But sadly, when murals are painted on private property, it is difficult to control the maintenance of the piece. Heavy water damage on the south facing wall led to a decision to whitewash the entire half of the mural. It was assumed that the empty lot would eventually be built on and so, go ahead and paint over it. Sad. And what is left of the east facing wall is faded and has damage to it as well. It is just a shadow of itself today of what it once was. The good news is that there is movement towards restoring the mural to its vibrant origins. Now that the near east side of downtown is finally getting some development with the Cummins Building and others, maybe someone will generously contribute to the project to restore this landmark piece. For more information about the history of the wall, check out the Arts Council of Indianapolis website for an excellent write-up. (see website on the business page of this review.) Review #1323

    Photos
    Urban Wall - Untitled Urban Wall by Roland Hobart (1973).  Only half the mural remains and it needs restoration

    Untitled Urban Wall by Roland Hobart (1973). Only half the mural remains and it needs restoration

    Urban Wall
    Urban Wall

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    Ayres Clock

    Ayres Clock

    4.0(1 review)
    0.7 miMile Square

    This clock is an Indiana historical landmark. It was installed by L.S. Ayres Department Store in…read more1936 on what was their building at the time. The clock is at the corner of Washington and Meridian streets, weighs 10,000-pound, and stand 8-foot-tall. The clock served as a visual landmark back in the day. Legend has it that there was a popular saying, "meet me under the Ayres Clock." The clock currently belongs to the city of Indianapolis and is maintained by Indiana Landmarks. As with anything of that age, repairs are desperately needed. This clock is no exception. It has been through multiple repairs, most recently in 2020, when its frame and structure were serviced. Since 1947, there has been a small sculpted cherub that randomly appears perched on the clock every Thanksgiving, and remains there until New Year's Day. I visited during that time and saw it tucked in between the clock and the building. It was kind of hard to see. I am glad though that the tradition continued in spite of the volunteer that had been placing the cherub for decades, passing away. His family just carried on the tradition for him. There is metered street parking available near the clock and there is also a few paid parking lots in the vicinity to park at and take a closer look. It definitely not a very long stop. I was there less than 3 minutes. You may want to consider making this trip as part of a larger itineraray of downtown things to do.

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    Ayres Clock
    Ayres Clock

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    White River State Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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