Calling all nature-loving families…read more If your kids would rather play with sticks, logs, and their imagination than a traditional playground, this spot is for you Little play hut with a table and two chairs Hopscotch and balance beams Lots of tree logs, sticks, and natural elements for open-ended play Encourages creativity, imagination, and nature-based exploration Completely covered by trees, so there's plenty of shade Multiple walking paths nearby for a family nature walk ‍ This is one of those places where kids can slow down, get creative, and connect with nature. No flashy playground equipment--just all that Mother Nature has to offer #coolcreekpark #nature #natureplayground #carmel #hamiltoncounty

What a great nature center and park! We visited to check out for our granddaughters. The Nature…read moreCenter has a nice bird watching deck, a selection of live turtles and snakes and much more. We found the bird collection particularly useful in helping us identify some of our backyard birds. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. They were preparing for a school group during our visit. After the nature center, we walked on one of the nature trails. Some flowering trees were in bloom. The trails are wide and well marked (but not paved). Strategically placed benches along the trails make perfect spots to bird watch. Nearby, is an outdoor amphitheater with a large grassy area for seating. I'm not sure what programs they host, but the space is nice. Near the front of the park, is a modern playground with several colorful climbing structures, swings, slides and the usual equipment. A pavilion is available to get shade or feed the kids. There is a water fountain to keep the kids hydrated. Behind the playground, adult exercise equipment is available. We also saw a soccer field perfect for local practice. There is dedicated parking with handicapped spaces and restrooms on site.

Highland Park has some of the best views in the city. Whether I come here to have a picnic, hang…read morewith friends, or watch the 4th of July fireworks - I always have a good time. My only complaint is that there is no public bathroom at the park. It's always clean though. Free of garbage and well taken care of

This totally might be conjecture, but I'm wondering if Highland Park was so named because it's…read moreliterally a park that sits on high land. Get it? Highland. I don't know -- but that sounds like a good guess, doesn't it? Anyway, because the park is a bit elevated, you can get a great view of the downtown Indianapolis cityscape. It's really cool. The park itself is small and is more of a neighborhood park. It has a small playground with a small play structure. It has slides, some bars to climb, and some swings. The play structure is definitely more appropriate for kids ages 5 and under. I think older kids would get bored with it quickly. I would not go out of my way to visit this park just to play at the playground, but I would visit to sit at one of the picnic benches to eat and enjoy the view. Parking is along the street -- there isn't a designated parking lot. There also weren't any restrooms or water fountains that I saw.

The city has really invested a lot into this area. It is booming with interactive murals and…read moresculptures. I like this area. It runs along the Monon Trail and is home to the amazing sculptures Sails and Love at First Ride. There is also an interactive selfie mural in the area on the reverse side of a big screen. You will find a decent small play area on Monon Blvd that has a small rock climbing wall, a slide, a luckey climber, a colorful ping-pong table, a spray plaza, bocce ball courts, and a shuffle board. The play area is lined with green artificial grass and is very clean and trendy. You will also find some tables and chairs with umbrellas out in this area to sit and eat along the street and in the plaza. You can also sit on the area's benches, if you so choose. But wait, there's more...there is also hand sanitizer stations. There are a lot of trendy restaurants and business located in the plaza such as La Margarita, Java House Coffee Bar, PI and Sun King Spirits. It is an awesome place to hang out. I really like this area. They host movies there every Monday and live music every Tuesday as part of Midday at Midtown. They have been also known to host events like Midtown's Got Talent. There is free street parking all along Monon Blvd and a garage is available to park within a very short walk. I cannot stress enough how nice the area is. The trail is awesome going through there. One of the better stretches. The equipment, furniture, and landscaping is world class. You will have to see it to believe it. It is amazing. I wish I could give it a 6th star. This is a really nice spot that the city should really be proud about. I visited during the winter when it was not really happening. I cannot wait to come back during warmer weather.

Midtown Carmel is a great area for families. There is so much for young kids to do, and it's all…read morefree, and it's all well-taken-care-of and thoughtfully planned, and the vibe is just very chill and relaxed. There's a playground with a climbing structure and rock-climbing feature built into the Astroturf. There's a big slide, and lots of things to climb on. There's a bocce ball court, and ping pong tables, and shuffle board, and corn hole. There are two small splash pads that are perfect for toddlers and babies, because the water just barely bubble up. There are lots of tables and places to sit. There's public art everywhere, and an outdoor big-screen TV that shows family movies on certain days, and sporting events on other days. There are great places to eat and drink, namely the Sun King food hall. I'm trying to think of all of the things that make Midtown Carmel great, and these are some of them, but I know I'm missing a lot. Just visit and you'll see. Carmel has really made this area a great destination, and a big reason to visit Carmel.

Splash pad with a waterslide and THREE other playgrounds? Say no more…read more Lawrence W. Inlow Park is the place to be this summer! Waterslide fun for all ages Two separate splash pad areas designed for different age groups Three playgrounds for varying ages and abilities Lots of seating for parents, including shaded options Bathrooms conveniently located near the splash pad Bonus amenities include disc golf, trails, and open fields My biggest tip? Go early! The splash pad area gets VERY busy during the hottest part of the day. This is one of those parks where you can easily spend an entire day bouncing between the playgrounds and water play

We loved this new to us park adventure! Plenty of benches throughout for adults to sit while the…read morekids play either on the playground or in the splash area which also holds a kids 'water slide'. There are shaded areas as well as full sun areas. Great escape for a warm day! As there were many children here then I didn't take photos of the water area out of respect for privacy.

This is such a lovely space with so many things to offer. I've visited the park before to board…read morethe Nickelplate Express. You will also find an aquatics center, picnic areas, playgrounds, a merry-go-round, Tom Thumb mini golf, a disc golf course and tons of wide-open green space. It is adjacent to a golf course, as well. On this day, we were going to visit the pool area but found that the majority of pool chairs had already been claimed, so we opted for a picnic instead. We stopped by the nearby KFC and grabbed some chicken and sides. I keep folding chairs and blankets in the trunk of my car for just this sort of occasion, so we laid out a couple of blankets and enjoyed some fresh air, vitamin D directly from the sun, and literally touched grass. It was nostalgic, calming and peaceful. There were several other groups of people present. There were parents with young children on the playground. There was a group hosting a baby shower underneath one of the picnic shelters. There were several young ladies and women enjoying the swings. There was a group of teenagers/young adults listening to music and tossing a ball around. We also observed several young men enjoying the skate park (I forgot to mention the skate park earlier) and riding e-bikes and bicycles around the park as well. There were several barbecues/cookouts taking place as well. There is, indeed, something for everyone to do and enjoy here. I was happy to see such a mix of people of all ages, ethnicities, and sexes present to enjoy this beautiful space.

The park that truly has it ALL? Check out Forest Park…read more It has my FAVORITE playground for kids who are just starting to walk It's the perfect place to let toddlers safely explore and gain independence while playing. Bonus: kids get the added excitement of seeing real-life trains nearby They have the perfect 9-hole golf course to teach your littles--no water hazards, super beginner-friendly, and it's actually Hamilton County's oldest golf course I CANNOT wait for the pool to open!My favorite time to go is Tuesday and Thursday mornings for Tiny Tots They have such a great fenced-in toddler area and splash pad, plus a diving well and long course pool. They even do movie nights in the pool ‍ But seriously... you NEED to try the mini golf here It's ONLY $3 per person and feels like stepping back in time in the best way. The holes are fun, unique, and old-school with moving features you just don't see anymore The second playground at this park is the newer one--and it's such a win for all ages The third playground at this park is such a fun old-school option for older kids There really is nothing else quite like this around here. Pack snacks, bring the kids, and plan to stay awhile

Billericay Park in Fishers…read more This park has 4 playgrounds + a colorful castle-themed splash pad, baseball fields, batting cages, a walking trail, and a wooded area! Splash Pad + Main Playground The splash pad is SO colorful and fun! The playground has separate toddler + big kid sections, lots of monkey bars, padded ground, and bathrooms with a changing table nearby. Mayflower Tot Playground 3 small slides, monkey bars + a long tunnel. This one is pretty run-down and could use some TLC. Norsey Wood Playground 4 slides, rock wall, 2 types of monkey bars + a slow-moving zipline. Also a little run-down, and I'd supervise closely around the tire tether/saw. A few things to know: No swings at any of the 4 playgrounds Wooded area + walking trail Baseball fields + batting cages Bathrooms by the splash pad; porta-potties near the other playgrounds And don't miss the English phone booth near the park building -- it pays tribute to Fishers' sister city, Billericay, England! Billericay Park | Fishers, IN Save this one for your next park day!

We took our 8 year old granddaughter to Billericay Park and Splash Pad last Sunday afternoon. It…read morewas blazing hot outside, but my husband and I stayed comfortable under the roof of the picnic table area. Charlotte had a blast getting sprayed by the great variety of splash pad devices. She also had fun playing on all of the playground equipment. This was a super nice play area with restrooms and shade available. It deserves 5 stars for sure!

This park is just screaming for help. It is in desperate need of being saved. It has a lot of what…read moreyou want in a park, but most of it is outdated, worn and falling a part. There is a bunch of street parking across the street from the park and there is also parking available in the park's family center parking lot. It is 21 acres and has not been updated since it was constructed in 1931. It was originally called Northwestern Park. The park was the home field of the Indianapolis ABCs, the city's Negro National League team, back in the 1920's. The park was named after Charles T.H. Watkins, a remarkable community leader and a pastor at the historic A.M.E. Bethel Church. The park has 2 horse shoe pits, or at least areas formally known as horseshoe pits. The pits are overrun by grass, leaves and weeds and they do not have the post you throw the horseshoes on. The playground has some outdated equipment that includes traditional swings, a net climbing pyramid, a regular net climb and a jungles gym with slides. The equipment is pretty old/worn, as I mentioned. The playground area is lined with wood chips. There are two tennis courts at the park, but one of the court's net is missing. The court was packed with leaves and in desperate need of repair. You must really need to satisfy your tennis fix if you play on this court. There are also two basketball courts. They both have some decent rims, and backboards, but the court themselves are in desperate need of repair. You will find a picnic shelter here with picnic tables under it and a few picnic tables under a tree. The green space and fields are horrible. They are asking for ankles to be broken. it is very uneven and hard. It has so many divots. There is a field with football uprights on each end a two fields with backstops. As I mentioned though, I would make sure I was up on my health insurance if I played there. Lastly, there is a hopscotch area near the family center. It looked pretty good as far as hopscotch goes. It look relatively new. The city really needs to invest some money in this park and give it some much needed updates. It definitely has potential, but I would avoid this park if possible as it is now.

The park fills the corner of MLK and Fall Creek and features a community center about a block north…read moreon MLK. This seems to be the only area for parking since there are no other lots and no street parking on either of the busy streets. Besides the community center, there are basketball courts and a football field to the west of the courts. There is a playground and shelter and a great number of mature trees. There are two horse shoe courts that fit in among the trees on the southeast corner of the park. There also appears to be some raised beds for plantings on the north side of the parking lot. The park looks to be in pretty good shape. People were using the community center during my visit, but I didn't stop in. Overall, it is a nice park and greenspace. Review #685

Reasons we LOVE Finch Creek Park…read more The park feels safely contained thanks to the hill banks--less worry about little ones wandering off Separate areas for everyone: toddler section, big kid playground, music zone & splash pad So many slides! Open, closed, straight, curved, and different thrill levels Soft padded turf instead of mulch Plenty of seating for parents--swinging benches and picnic tables Swings for all ages: mommy & baby, big kid, chair swings & a swaying bench A walking path all around if mom wants to get her steps in Bathrooms are actually pretty clean (which matters ) This park checks ALL the boxes for an easy, fun outing!

Very mediocre park, lots of things are broken or just dirty.. looks nice from the outside but not…read moreso great. Lots of better parks near by!