My 2 year-old and I LOVED this playground (and the pun in the name is just amazing)!…read more When you walk in, you're immediately greeted with a shaded parent area. This is great if you have older kids, but since there are two (that I saw) other entrances, it's still best to follow behind younger kids if you want to make sure they don't leave the park. There is an area called Tot Lot for toddlers, which is a scaled-down version of the rest of the park with baby swings, smaller slides, climbing structures, mounted instruments, etc. We spent some time here, but my son was really drawn to the main playground. The main area is truly a wonderland for littles. With ramps, slides, swings, ropes, obstacles, and a zip line, there is never a dull moment. We visited on a day that was about 90 degrees, so there were only 1-2 other families with us at a time, but the kids that were there all gathered in the shade beneath the main structure. There was fun to be had even under there, with the different ceiling heights and areas making playing tag or hide & seek a blast for everyone. Personally, my favorite part was the large, adult-sized swing (I regretfully did not get a photo... because I was on it the whole time!). It's a standalone swing that is supported by 4 cables. The actual seat is so comfortable it makes me wonder why all playgrounds don't have these! I imagine it's truly for older kids with different abilities, but on a slow day it was my perch. I could see the whole park, including under the main structure and 2/3 entrances, so I just enjoyed the breeze while my son played tag with his new friends. There is also a picnic area and restroom building that looked nice from far away, but we did not check them out. The whole place seems very structurally sound and well-maintained. I was positive it must be brand new because of the quality, so imagine my surprise on the way out when I noticed it had last been renovated in 2014 (11 years ago). Overall, if I could give this playground 10 stars I would. Great job, Valparaiso!

This is likely one of the best playgrounds that we have recently visited…read more We arrived early on a Sunday morning before it got busy. The vast playground has a rubbery ground and is consisted of a section for young toddlers and a larger area for older children. We have two young, energetic daughters so we gained quite a bit of steps in chasing after them as they kept running between the different play areas. I am under the impression that either everything is brand new or incredibly well-maintained. The playground equipment appear to be high-end with exceptional diversity and quality. There are several wooden structures, multi-level jungle-gyms, swings, climbing structures, slides, monkey bars with different height levels, and zip line. Several themes were highlighted in the play spaces too - from fire trucks to solar systems to Vikings. There was never a dull moment in the two hours that we spent there.

This is a very nicely kept area. Very relaxing walk, beautiful flowers and greenery. It took about…read more15-20 mins to walk around the park.

This was a beautiful Botanical Garden! There was plenty of street parking right in front of the…read moreentrance. The property was full of beautiful flowers, lush greenery, and bright colors. There was so much to take in! It's a great place for a photoshoot, relaxation, or just enjoying nature! There were a few groups relaxing around the gardens on benches or in the gazebos. Over the small bridge was a stream and a small pond with koi fish & turtles. I wasn't able to see any of the fish in the pond. The water was pretty murky, but a few did pop up. I was able to spot a few turtles! I had a fun time exploring the botanical gardens. The property was very clean and well maintained. It was extremely peaceful & a nice escape from the normal day to day to experience nature's beauty!

Great place to visit if you need a little nature. Be sure to look up the hours before you go if…read moreyou want to get the full experience.

Deep River County Park is a really nice park to visit. We've been here numerous times. Sometimes…read morejust to walk the trails, other times to visit the museum and gift shop. During the summer the Deep River Grinders play vintage baseball on scheduled Sundays. They are so much fun to watch and interact with. It's a great time for all, young and old alike! We highly recommend you come and watch a great game of baseball!

Beautiful clean park! Nice neighborhood, very well taken care of and the equipment was very fun for…read moremy kids!

This is a very good park to visit and spend time. It has a little bit of everything. You do have to…read morepay an entrance fee during the summer months. There is ample parking once you get in though. The park has a little lake that you can swim in (if a lifeguard is precent). Around the beach/lake is a walking path, that does get a bit narrow in some parts. It is paved and well maintained. There is also covered pavilions around the park there are 4 decent sized ones with grills. One even has a patio that overlooks the beach/lake.In addition to the large and medium sized pavilions, there are a few personal sized ones scattered about the park. At the front of the park is an adequate baseball field. It is well groomed and ready to play on. Next to the ball field is a full basketball court. It is nice and has a smooth new looking deck. The rims are in good repair and have adjustable heights. I would love to shoot a few airballs here. In the back of the park is a dog park that is basically a fenced in area with a bench placed in there for you to sit and watch your pooch frolic. Behind the entrances to the lake is a sand volleyball court that needs a little TLC. The net was down while I was there, but did not look like it would take much to get the court back up and running. The park has two playground areas. The bigger of the playground areas is next to the baseball field. It has some pretty updated and newer equipment including, see-saws, merry go rounds, rock climbing walls, swings, rocking animals, a saucer swing and slide. The ground is covered in wood chips and has rubber mats in high traffic areas such as under the swings. The playground is very impressive. The other playground is by the lake entrance and is ok, but not as nice as the one on the other side. It has a set of the older style swings and a small jungle gym with a slide. Both play areas are accessible though, which is cool. I really like this park and was surprised that this is the first review. You can spend an entire day here and not even know it. There is a lot to do and it is a very relaxing place. It is well maintained and has a friendly staff. definetley a must visit.

A beautiful park, playground and experience. I came here for a few hours because the Plugshare app…read moreindicated that they have Level 1 power outlets here. Yes, they do. All along the fenceline. While the Sprinter van was charging, I took the time to enjoy this space. It was originally a fully functioning farm that was purchased by Colonel Robert Heffron Murray and his wife in 1934. After Colonel Murray passed away in 1972, his estate donated the land to Porter County. Now, it has walking trails, an accessible playground, some learning and caption signs and even cross-country skiing. The park offers seasonal tent camping. No RVs or cars or trailer campsites. But the parking lot is huge and you can certainly park here to visit. [Review 20602 overall - 136 in Indiana - 1583 of 2023.]

This is a great park. There are a lot of events in every season. My favorite is Touch A Truck and…read morethe drive thru Christmas tree viewing. There is also a harvest festival in the fall.

Coffee Creek is a terrific place for light hiking in Chesterton. The trails are maintained making…read moreit accessible for everyone.

A very cute nature preserve. It's not very big. I walked the whole thing in under 2 hours, and…read morethat was stopping and taking pictures and enjoying my surroundings. Multiple little bridges, a pond, and even an amphitheater. There are multiple benches throughout the park and there is a pavilion. Super cute. Beautiful area. I recommend checking it out.

Nice park with children's playground. In the winter you can rent skis for cross country skiing…read more Beautiful trees & trails. Bird feeders with lots of bird species.

Stopped here to check out the winter scenery. There was not enough snow for cross country skiing…read more Want to go back when the conditions are right. Nice park but a little out of the way for me. I am sure it looks totally different every season. Walked by their bird feeder and spotted a few unique birds. It was a nice nature reset.

Since it was donated to PNW, this place has gone downhill big time. I used to bring my two little…read moresons who are in High school now and it used to be our magic outing each time. Now, seems like all PNW gets out of this palace is money and puts nothing back into Arboretum. They don't cater towards kids and families and all they do is make money out of weddings, birthday parties, showers and school fundraisers and spend $0 on renovations and maintenance. Disgrace! Here is what you will see now: 1. No animals and that area with the garden for the kids looks poorly maintained. PNW hadn't added any new equipment or additions for the kids since Tall Tree arboretum setup. All the little houses, spider web, wooden maze are all from way back when, from the time it was Tall Tree Arboretum. Purdue hasn't added any new playground and the little houses are dirty with tall grass snd weeds surrounding the whole area. Add some new equipment for the kids and nice play ground. 2. Music Area has missing and broken parts with no sticks to play instruments. Bamboo Sticks were all missing. Pipes are missing. What a disappointment for little kids. If you charge for entrance, at least fix this area so the kids can enjoy their time. Again, add some new instruments. These music instruments were added since Tall Tree Arboretum and nothing new was added since PNW acquired it. Everything is old there. Total disappointment. 3. They charge separate fee for the train room. On top of the general disappointing experience, you have to pay extra for the train experience. They have no shame! I wonder where all this money goes to because they have students volunteering there so they save money on labor too. Put some money back into this place for kids sake. It's embarrassing to see how this magical place turned into ruins.

Really nice place to visit. Nice park for the kids, a variety of hiking trails, clean restroom's…read moreavailable. We enjoyed the train display (small charge).