During a recent visit to Lacy Park, I was dismayed to learn that for some reason someone had…read morereported this vibrant neighborhood park as closed. It is not closed. It was impacted by the current health pandemic (as was most of the state of Indiana). However, Lacy Park is alive and well and on a recent weekend when I visited it was definitely being utilized. Lacy Park is practically the definition of a neighborhood park. This 2-acre Fletcher Place park is nestled in nicely at the corner of Greer St. and East Street. In fact, it was originally known as Greer Street Park until being named after Edna Balz Lacy in 1995. The park itself was established in 1917. While Edna Balz Lacy may not seem like a familiar name, her impact on Indy is rather profound. She was an Indianapolis native who started off as a teacher in 1972; in 1934, she married Howard J. Lacy II (son of U.S. Corrugated-Fibre Box Company founder Howard J. Lacy). Lacy took over the company from his father in 1952. He passed away in 1959 and Edna took over the company and led it for 24 years. In 1972, it became Lacy Diversified Industries. In 1973, she established the Stanley K. Lacy Foundation in memory of her son. The Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Series is one of is many contributions to Indy and it continues to this day. Edna passed away in 1991. Lacy Park was developed to reflect its diverse heritage. If you notice, its gazebo is painted red, white, and green to reflect the Italian heritage of the area at the time. Along with playgrounds and picnic areas, there's a sand volleyball court along with four bocce ball courts that were contributed by the Italian Heritage Society. The group hosts bocce ball leagues here. Holy Rosary Italian Festival is also located in this neighborhood that is easily within view of Lilly and is close to downtown yet feels like a little bit of a wooded oasis. This is a small neighborhood park that remains as welcoming today as it was designed to be in the early 20th century. It continues to be considered a "family park" - a reflection of Lacy's own emphasis on family including ensuring that her business continued to stay within the family. While this is not really a destination park, for those near downtown needing to get away for awhile this is a perfect place to get away. If you're looking to have a near downtown picnic, Lacy Park is a great place to do so.

This park is a very small, only covering 2 acres. It does not have a parking lot, but there is a…read moredecent amount of street parking available. The park has a decent gazebo with a picnic table under it. The gazebo could use a coat of paint. There are also a few picnic tables scattered across the park. The grounds could have used a little TLC. I do not know if the parks department has stopped for the season, or if this park was just missed. In the front of the park you will find an adequate sand volleyball court. There is also 4 dirt boccee ball courts near the back of the park. They did not look very inviting though. The park has a small jungle gym with some slides, a larger jungle gym with more awesome slides, a bank of traditional swings, and a bank of toddler swings. The playground is lined with wood chips and the equipment is a bit on the older side. It has definitely seen better days. This park has a history dating back to 1917 when it was known as Greer Street Park. It was renamed the Edna Balz Lacy Family Park in 1995, to honor a notable local businesswoman. Fun fact: One of Indianapolis's first recreation centers was built here at this park. The park has a strong Italian heritage background. The gazebo is actually painted in the Italy flag colors, red, green and white. Also, the boccee ball courts were a gift from the Indianapolis Italian Heritage Society. They hosts spring, summer, and fall bocce ball leagues on those courts. This is an ok park to visit, if you are in the area. But last many of the features, and maintenance of the newer mega parks. It is definitely a gem if you live close by, but is probably not a park that you would drive to to bring the little ones, or run. I saw the park getting most of its use with kids on the playground equipment for a bit and it was also popular with people walking their dogs.

This is a deceptively large park, spanning 12 acres. It has a full and half basketball courts in…read morethe front of the park. The courts are in very good shape and has a small set of metal bleachers for spectators to sit and watch. Also in the front of the park is a shelter with picnic tables and a grill. The park has a decent amount of parking spots, but they can go rather quickly if there is an event at the park. A little deeper in the park is a small ground with a jungle gym with a couple of slides and a set of swings. The play area ground is lined with wood chips. There is another shelter across from the playground that has picnic tables under it and a grill just outside of it. You will also find a restroom structure in the area of the playground. The park's bread and butter however, is it trails. The trails are partially paved and partially in the woods. Picnic tables are scattered about the park, along the trails. There is also some open green space along some of the trails as well. This park is dog friendly and very peaceful. It has a nice bridge that crosses soothing and flowing Pleasant Run Creek. Down the street from this park is the Northwest Park Annex which has many similar amenities. This is a nice park for renting a shelter or trail walking. The city's website explains the park saying the park is best defined more by the natural landscape than recreational amenities.

A new favorite walking trail near to Southport and Greenwood area. Great scenic, paved walk with a…read morefew loops. Can accomplish a there-and-back in 30 minutes walking casually. I have never felt unsafe along this walking trail.

This park is more than meets the eye. The front part, where you first enter, isn't much to see. I…read moremean, it's beautiful -- there's lots of grass and open fields, a lovely amphitheater, lots of flowers and benches under shady trees -- but kids don't care about that. Kids want playgrounds, and fortunately, University Park indeed has a playground. And the playground is pretty awesome. You need to drive a little through the park to get to it, but once you do, you'll see giant play structures with lots of slides, bridges, fireman poles, monkey bars, swings, rock walls and lots more. The playground area has wood chips on the ground for a soft landing. There's an indoor restroom right next to the playground too, and a water fountain. Just beyond the playground, you'll see signs pointing out different hiking paths. We walked into the woods and came across all kinds of beautiful nature, as well as bridges. This is a great place to take an easy walk or hike with kids. For the doggies, there's a little dog park here (Four Paws Dog Park), with some agility equipment and lots of room to run. The whole dog park is securely fenced and gated. University Park is another great park in Greenwood!

It's very nice I also like the monkey bars below the park it's really cool nice place to take your…read morekids and theirs another park across from it for smaller kids

This is a very nice traditional park located near the Masonic House and the Franklin Park and Recs…read moreoffice. It is huge, spanning 50 acres and has a lot to offer. First, there is an awesome water park located right outside of it. It is classified as a nature park and has many shady trees. The park has two playgrounds, one near the entrance and one near the exit. The one near the entrance is newer and consists primarily of a large green and brown jungle gym with slides, monkey bars, hanging spinners and bridges. There is a bank of expression swings and a bank of traditional/toddler swings over there. This playground area is on a bed of wood chips and has benches on the perimeter for parents to sit while their littles play. You will see a few picnic tables spread out in this area and a set of nice outdoor corn hole boards. The shelter nearest that area doubles as a rest room facility. The park has a few nice shelters with picnic tables under them and grills just outside of them. I counted at least four of them. The other playground area is fenced in and a little older. It has a jungle gym with slides, monkey bars, and bridges. There is a bench under a canopy for parents to sit and the area is on a bed of wood chips. Like the other playground area, there is a bank of expression swings and a bank of traditional/toddler swings. Other park amenities include a gazebo, a small creek for fishing, and an old graveyard, yes a graveyard. The park is home to a nice paved trail, the Franklin Greenway, that runs right through it. The park is pretty spread out and I like it. There is lots of space to roam. There is not much open green space for field activities such as soccer and football though. This is a very nice option for a nature park in the Franklin area. It is a diamond and the rough and can keep you busy. It does have a somewhat peaceful vibe with it. This could possibly be a destination park and I recomend checking it out.

This park is a true gem. Located just a short walk from downtown Franklin, it features several…read morepicnic shelters, multiple playgrounds, and beautiful views. It's a fun place to explore with your pet or family, and easy to connect with a creek side trail if you want to get in a good walk or run. This park is well maintained and great to visit any time of year, but it particularly shines in spring thanks to flowering trees and colorful flowers!

I wish I could be arsed to find out why this park is called Wolf Run Park. I can't, though, so I…read moreguess it will forever remain a mystery. Because the name of the park has "wolf" in it, I kind of thought it would be a bit more bad in the good way (like Michael Jackson's Bad), but instead, it was just good in the bad way (like boring). Kids will love the playground, though. And that's the point of visiting this park. The playground has a big structure for the older kids, and a small structure for the younger kids. There are saucer swings, regular swings, a rope climber, slides, musical instruments, a merry-go-round and other fun things to play on. The whole playground is padded with wood chips. The playground looks like it is relatively modern (no metal equipment), but there isn't anything that stands out about this park. It has a run-of-the-mill playground, and it does its job. There are basketball courts a ways away. There's a big, grassy field to enjoy. One thing to note is that there is zero shade on the playground. That was fine when I visited, because it was an overcast day. But I imagine that this playground can be insufferable on a hot, sunny day. Another thing to note is that there are restrooms at Wolf Run Park, but on the day that I visited, they were closed for the season. So I guess if you visit this park during the fall and winter (and maybe even early spring), the restrooms will be closed.

My nieces love this park and it's become one we visit fairly often. The playground has equipment…read morefor a variety of ages to enjoy with swings, spinning spots, play houses, climbing materials and plenty of slides. The ground is a wood chip base, so sneakers are better than sandals and slides for shoes! There tends to be a lot of bugs, little tiny flys of some kind today, so something to be aware of. They did just add a bathroom recently, and I used it for the first time today. There was no toilet paper or soap. The toilet and sink water worked fine, and there was a changing table. One of two water fountains worked too. I'm hoping that all improves soon, but I'm still grateful they put in bathrooms here! It was a problem before. The trail is nicely paved and there's a little break to the left when you turn down the trail. If you follow it, you'll find a little spot to see the creek. Not really enough to play in, but we like to go take a minute to see it sometimes.

Rev. Charles R. Williams Park is Indy's latest public park. Named after the late Indiana Black Expo…read morepresident and the founder of Indy's Circle City Classic, Rev. Charles R. Williams Park resulted from an over $2 million partnership between a Land and Water Conservation Funds Grant matched by Indy Parks. The park features horseshoe courts, new playground equipment, a picnic shelter, an open lawn area, a perimeter loop trail, and a connection to the Monon Trail. The space also offers a universal expression swing, rubberized surfaces in a variety of colors and patterns, an arch basket swing, a sensory cove, musical equipment, and more. The park is located within a residential area and is relatively small at about 7 acres. Parking is clearly defined, though this is very much a neighborhood park rather than a destination park. Rev. Charles R. Williams Park was officially named in 2015, though it's actual development has taken several years. The resulting park may not be Indy's fanciest park, however, it is a fine legacy for Rev. Williams's long history of community work in Indianapolis. With an official ribbon-cutting on 9/20/23, Rev. Charles R. Williams Park honors a man who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of Indy's African-American residents. He became Black Expo president in 1980, initially as a volunteer before a Lilly Grant began funding staff in 1983. Rev. Williams served as Special Assistant under Mayors Lugar and Hudnut and was instrumental in the city's first observance of Black History Month. He also organized the first Indy Jazz Fest in 1989. An ordained minister, he provided leadership for several organizations and received a myriad of community awards. He passed away from cancer in 2004. If you get a chance, I'd definitely check out this latest addition to the Indy Parks network of neighborhood parks.

We had never been to this park before, I was looking for a trail to walk and this was perfect!…read morePerfect location, has so much to offer. Playground, creek, bridges, basketball court and walking trail. It was beautiful!

Sarah T. Bolton Park is named after the woman largely considered the first lady of Hoosier poetry…read more(I bet you can guess what her name was!). Originally known as Beech Bank, the park was purchased by the city from the Bolton family 1930 and is a nearly 32-acre park that includes picnic areas, a one-acre dog park, play equipment, shelters, restroom facilities, athletic facilities/courts, a creek, and it has a sort of winding topography that makes it Beech Grove's most popular park. It is also recognized as a certified wildlife habitat. In 2012, the baseball diamond was named after Richard "Dick" Templin, a lifelong Beech Grove resident and longtime city council member who managed Beech Grove's American Legion Baseball Team for over 35 years and had scouted for the Philadelphia Phillies. He's a member of the Beech Grove Little League Hall of Fame. I bet you didn't even know that Beech Grove Little League has a Hall of Fame, did you? The park has ample parking and is paved throughout. Generally, it's wheelchair friendly. The paths/sidewalks do have gentle inclines, though I've never had any difficulty navigating. Bolton herself was a poet and women's rights activist whose most known poems were "Indiana" and "Paddle Your Own Canoe." She wasn't well known outside Indiana, though she was quite popular in Indiana. She is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery. There is also a veterans war memorial in Bolton Park that is also wheelchair friendly, though it also has a bit of an uneven surface. Geocachers should also note that Bolton Park has a couple of geocaches within its boundaries, though one, in particular, is definitely a bit tricky to access due to the park's popularity!

Along the Monon between 64th and 66th Streets in Broad Ripple is a stretch of land between Cornell…read moreAvenue and the trail that has been landscaped and designated as the Bill Brink Memorial Garden. Brink was a naturalist and nature photographer who contributed to the conservation of central Indiana. After he passed in 2011, locals decided to build this nature park which was completed in 2014. The park includes native plants and some of the flowers that attract local pollinators. The park also has a gazebo with information about the park and Brink. The gazebo is named after Tom Revard who was one of the key players in getting the city to acquire the land rights to the Monon rail line so that it could become a popular hiking & biking trail. Revard was an advocate for bicycle safety and served as safety director of the trail. I would have liked to give this garden a higher rating, but like many other memorials around the state, there was a lot of effort put into creating the space. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be the same amount of energy into maintaining it. There are numerous bare spots in the lawn and since there doesn't appear to be any watering, the rough summer has allowed some of the grassy areas to brown. Review #1177