This is a great spot for locals and visitors alike! We stopped by from out of town thinking it…read morewould be a good winter activity for our little one while it's too cold to walk much outside. The conservatory exceeded our expectations! Admissions is affordable at $5 per person, but it was free the day we visited because of a reptile show! We got to see tortoises, skinks, salamanders, tarantulas, snakes, and more! Inside the conservatory, there are fish and a couple other critters permanently on display. The signage around the gardens is informative and interesting- and the plants are simply beautiful! So well cared for and healthy. I could have walked around the loop 5 times and noticed new things each time. There are several places to sit and relax throughout the gardens (we fed our baby on one of the benches). There is a restroom and coat racks- which you'll need because the gardens are quite warm! What a great find for the afternoon! Bonus that it's located right in a park, by a library, several cute places to stop and eat, and public art. The only downside I can think of is that there wasn't a ton of parking- probably more accessible when there isn't a special event going on!

There is something about plants and nature that brighten up my mood. I came here on a gloomy rainy…read moreday, and it was the perfect decision to lift up my spirits. It's close to the highway so easy access and near my house - double plus. The admission to get in was $4 per person, and they take card - another plus for being inexpensive. They have plants for sale and host events/activities, the lady working was friendly and explained all of that. They have brochures in the front as well. Inside is so astonishing, there is so much to see. It's so beautiful, I adore and admire all of it. I love how things are labeled and have informational tidbits about the plants. They have ponds with live fish and waterfalls around. They have a restroom and it had a window so of course there is a plant inside, I love it. I'll have to take note next time I go here that it was very warm inside, I felt very hot so dress accordingly. There is parking available. Check hours before coming, holidays vary.

Please be careful my friends... I came here to walk my dog with my boyfriend and my walk ended very…read morequickly. The trail is pretty short but what looks like a the rest of trail is cut off. There was this very tall person with a mask and a hat behind me, once the trail ended I turned around and they also turned around and started to walk very quickly. They seemed to have different intentions if I had gone beyond the path... please don't go to parks by yourself. please be cautious of your surroundings. I'm not sure what would have happened if i wasnt walking with my boyfriend. this happened a couple of years ago but it still crosses my mind. I wonder if this has only happened to me or if someone else has experienced this.

I found myself with some time to kill and stumbled across this park. This is a small pocket park…read morelocated behind LA Fitness. being that it is behind LA Fitness, it shares it huge parking lot, so their are more than ample spots to park. The park is relatively small and is purely a nature park. You will find a pond and a nature trail that runs along Little Buck Creek. There are also some benches, some having a more scenic view than others. A few are along the creek and one overlooks the pond, and another has a nice view of the parking lot. Talk about the short end of the stick. There are no restrooms, playground equipment or shelters here. There was a bunch of trash on the ground in the front of the park. I visited the park after a snow. It was nice because I could see all of the animal trails. The trails are not very long and either loop or end in a dead end. The trails are pretty well defined, at least during my visit. It may be a little different with spring blooms. The park is not very far off of busy Southport Road, but it still finds a way to provide a level of peace and tranquility. This is an interesting park that does not have much to offer outside of nature. I still found this a nice place to walk around and kill some time.

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.

I was in Ellenberger Park recently and had the opportunity to spend some time on the underrated…read morePleasant Run Trail. The Pleasant Run Trail is a 6.9-mile trail that has Ellenberger Park as its north point, Garfield Park as its south point, and it also goes through Christian Park. The trail also connects to the Red Line at the Garfield Park station. The trail mostly runs through residential areas other than its park connections. You will pass by the Kin Hubbard Memorial, Howe (which I believe is becoming a middle school now), the conservatory at Garfield Park, and a few other familiar features. The trail is almost completely paved, though I would say a handful of curb-cuts were a bit difficult in the wheelchair. The trail is also well-marked with clear signage for directions. There's generally good visibility on the trail, though I do know there's been some crime issues on the southeast side of the trail. There's quite a bit of greenery. I'm not quite sure why, but I've never spent a ton of time on this trail. I typically head to the nearby Pennsy or the Fall Creek Greenway farther north. However, this really is a lovely little trail that is for the most part well-maintained. The Pleasant Run Greenway continues to grow and I believe the plan is to connect to the White River Greenway (another underappreciated trail). Parking is readily available at all three parks and wheelchair users can easily access the trail at any of the three parks.

This is a very nice trail. It spans almost 7 miles and runs from Ellenberger Park to Christian Park…read moreto Garfield Park. You can access the trail at either of the tree parks. They all have their own parking. I accessed it from Garfield Park. The trail is well marked, paved in most areas and pretty wide. There are other paved trails that branch off from it, but it is pretty well marked to keep you on the right path. The trail is good for walking, jogging, biking, and skating. It was a nice day when I was out on the trail and there was not a lot of traffic. I think this trail gets overlooked a lot for some reason. This trail is not circular; its linear which means you have to come back as far as you go out unless you have prearranged transportation at the other end. You have have to cross some streets while on the trail. The trail is relatively peaceful and well maintained. This is a nice trail just outside of downtown. It gets it name from Pleasant Run, the roadway that it runs along. It also gives you the sights and sounds of a creek and some neighborhoods along the way. I enjoyed the trail and I believe that it feeds into longer trails such as the Pennsy and Cultural Trails.

It is basically a little island in the middle of an intersection or the center of a large…read moreroundabout, depending on how you look at it. There is a small fountain in the dead center of it with little paths leading up to it from all 4 roads. It's a nice little neighborhood hangout for kids and nature lovers alike. Loads of trees, the fountain, some benches, a bust and a historical marker. Irvington host a few events on this circle, my favorite being the Spooky Hollow generally on Thursday night before the Halloween parade. The winners of a student spooky story contest get to have their stories read. During 'Intermission" you can often see a dance performance of the witches aka Black Hat Society of Irvington.

Irvington Circle Park, which has also been known as Irving Circle Park, has been part of the…read moreIrvington area since 1870 but officially established as a .1 acre park in 1904. In the early 20th century, it became known as a much more wooded area with quite a few trees the park underwent a renovation after it had largely declined in condition by the 1960s. This included improving the fountain and planting more trees. This park exists at the corner of Audubon and University in a neighborhood that housed the original location of Butler University. Now, it's largely adjacent to a 3-location strip center and within walking distance of Coal Yard Coffee. It primarily consists of flower beds, trees, natural sitting areas, and a bust of American author Washington Irving ("The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"), an appropriate author for this neighborhood that is noted for its haunted locations and Halloween festival. There are no true "amenities" here, though if you look closely you will see a brick paver program for people who sponsored the plaza. The park is also right off of the growing Pennsy Trail. It gives trail users a great place to stop for lunch or ice cream (Heartbreaker) or a baked good (Landlocked Baking Company) or a drink (Strange Bird). Friends of Irving Circle Park is a non-profit established to help maintain the park. While it's obviously a small park, it does host small events throughout the year - especially during the summer. This includes concerts. Geocachers should also note that there's a fairly easy to find geocache here. The 19th century Castle House is about a block away (and also has a geocache extremely close to it). Irvington was originally considered an Indianapolis suburb. It was annexed in 1902 and became part of Indianapolis. It was established by Sylvester Johnson and Jacob Julian. The two felt like it looked like Sleepy Hollow and decided to call the area Irvington. The park, as a result, is named after the established neighborhood. This little park is a great place to rest, renew, and enjoy one of Indy's more unique neighborhood areas. You can spend time on the Pennsy and/or visit one of the area businesses. There's lots of history to be found within walking distance and the streets in Irvington are nearly all named after American cultural icons.

They did construction on this park semi-recently and it is so nice! The playground is full of…read moreslides, climbing areas, musical stations, and more. There are accessible areas for wheelchair users as well. The swings are best for small kids--they're low enough for those with little legs to get on and push themselves back--but no swings for older kids unfortunately. There's a nice court with low nets. I'm not sure if it's meant for pickleball, tennis, or something else. But it's bright and new with benches inside and a fence with a gate. Basketball courts are across the parking lot. There's an obstacle course section that has some adult-sized workout stations--elliptical, a stationary bike, and a step-swing thing that's name eludes me at the moment. Plenty of shaded seating for picnics and a grill under the shelter. My favorite was by the large chair -- individual seats of four around some nice tables under a pavilion. Around the playground, there are stone seating areas and benches, plus the larger shelter is right off to the side of the toddler playground area. The big drawback for me is there is no bathroom. Not even a port-a-potty. This is easily a playground that you could spend a few hours at, but without a bathroom, that becomes difficult. I hope they put one in soon! All in all, this is a great park with a little something for everyone. My mini BFFs and I will be back! Next time, I think I'll walk the trail too.

Such a massive improvement to this park especially in an area with few public green spaces. This…read moreplayground has something for everyone. They have a toddler area, big kid area, exercise area with almost ninja warrior type equipment. They have basketball and tennis courts. They have a picnic area with grill. They also have trails. There is no bathroom which is a downside.

It's no secret that I'm both a wheelchair user and an avid trail user. I've wheeled trails all over…read moreIndiana, though I've not always been good at reviewing them. Here's hoping I'll start catching up on that. The White River Trail starts at Riverside Regional Park on Indy's near-westside. It's currently about 4.75 miles long, however, it seems to be a trail that is perpetually growing and the goal is that eventually it will be a 23 mile long trail that connects the Fall Creek Greenway, Pleasant Run Greenway, and Little Buck Trail. It currently follows the White River to White River State Park. The trail currently connects the Central Canal Towpath and goes right by the Indianapolis Museum of Art (Newfields), Lake Sullivan Sports Center, and the Indianapolis Zoo. You can also access the Monon Trail. The White River Trail is approximately 4.75 miles long. It starts at Riverside Regional Park and follows the White River to White River State Park. The trail connects to the Central Canal Towpath and passes several attractions, such as the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Lake Sullivan Sports Center, and the Indianapolis Zoo. Users can also access Monon Trail. This trail is nicely done, though I find the area around the Central Canal Towpath to be a little challenging as a wheelchair user. Most of the trail is smoothly paved and quite a bit of it has a well-maintained sidewalk. I did a 5k event on part of the trail last year and found it quite nice. While there are some tourist options on the trail, actual amenities are minimal including restroom options. Yes, both Newfields and the Zoo have restrooms - however, both require a paid admission. Riverside Regional Park is quite the gem and actually a great place to begin or end a nice five mile run. I'm not quite willing to call this a 5-star trail, however, it's definitely a great option for those wanting a scenic, gentle walk/run/roll.

Indianapolis is home to a growing number of hike and bike trails, which have exploded in popularity…read moreover the last 20 years. With the trails becoming more and more interconnected, they allow walkers, runners, and cyclists a more enjoyable way to exercise - in addition to a convenient way to get from point 'A' to point 'B.' The White River Trail is absolutely gorgeous. Following the White River and beginning near West 38th Street, the trail takes the traveler through Downtown - and all the way to the intersection of Harding and Raymond Streets on the Southside. While it is by no means a long distance trail, its connectedness to other trails allow one to go for miles and miles and miles. While the entire trail is nice, the real magic is once you're south of Downtown. As the trail winds down past White River State Park, a lush, winding trail will emerge. Despite being in the heart of the city, you'll feel as if you're in a rural area. The White River Trail is teaming with wildlife. I've seen deer, several species of turtle, slithering snakes, beavers, hawks, great blue heron, and even a bald eagle! If you're lucky enough to cross paths with one, you may just run into a fox or two. Indianapolis isn't known as the prettiest city on Earth, but with gems like the White River Trail, the naysayers might just change their minds.

If you're looking for a great park to take the kids, get a walk or run in, or even hop on a bike,…read morethis spot is perfect! The playground equipment is super nice--you can definitely tell they put some money and effort into making it great. It's right next to the canal, so once the kids are done playing, you can head out for a walk or rent a bike and ride along the water. There's even a dog park area, which is a huge plus if you want to bring your pup along. They have poop bag stations stocked and ready, so no worries if you forget yours. The whole place was really clean too--I didn't see any trash around, which shows people actually care about keeping it nice. The only downside is that there aren't any restrooms by the park. So definitely make sure you (and especially the kids) empty your bladders before you get there, otherwise you'll end up leaving to find a bathroom nearby. Parking is mostly street parking, and yes, you'll need to feed the meter. But if you go on a Sunday or a holiday (like I did), you're in luck--free parking! And honestly, who doesn't love free parking downtown?

This place is really dang cool. Tons of things for the kids to climb around on and explore. The…read moresurface was pretty spongy so if one did fall it would most likely not be too bad. I took my family here to get them amped up before heading down the road to goto the awesome Childrens Museum. This is a must visit park if your kids love climbing on EVERYTHING!

I live not far from Indy's Ellenberger Park, an Irvington landmark designed by George Edward…read moreKessler and opened in 1909. This makes it one of Indy's oldest public parks. The pool opened in 1930 and in 1962 an ice rink was installed. The park encompasses 42 acres and includes two playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, football/softball/baseball areas, and has played host to the popular Irvington Farmer's Market. It's also a popular spot for Indy Parks concerts. Those into geocaching should note the park actually is host to multiple individual geocaches. The park is actually surprisingly undeveloped. It has rolling hills, a popular spot for winter sledding, and a good amount of the park doesn't even have sidewalks. It's remained quite natural over the years with lots of mature trees. As a wheelchair user, of course, this can be somewhat frustrating given that a certain amount of development is needed to be accessible. While I love Ellenberger Park as a place to visit, there are geocaches I can't reach and places where I risk tipping over if I venture to them. Trust me, I've done it more than once. The park is close to most Irvington area restaurants along with the adjacent Pleasant Run and nearby 10th Street. The Park is named after John Ellenberger, whose family owned much of the land in the area and who'd been generous with the community and had often let residents use the land. In fact, there was controversy when the park was "officially" established as it required a tax hike. People couldn't figure out why they were being asked to pay taxes for something they'd already been using for free. But, they did. The park temporarily changed names, but residents again protested and it returned to Ellenberger Park as it has been since the early 1920s. Ellenberger Park lacks sheltered picnic areas and public restrooms. There was talk of creating more parking, but it would have cost the sledding hill and that was too steep a price to pay (Sorry, couldn't resist). The ice rink was closed in 2009 due to needed repairs that were deemed too expensive. Even the ball fields don't have seating with them. Ellenberger Park is that rarity - a rather large park more focused on nature than activity. While I can't quite go a 5-star because of accessibility issues and some general upkeep concerns, it remains a place I visit often.

This park is huge covering about 42 acres. It dates back to the early 1900s. It is a nice park,…read moreespecially for walker/joggers. There is adequate parking, especially by the pool. The park has a very nice paved trail to run. It trail is pretty flat and is rock/dirt. There is also more woodsy trails available to hike if you so desire. That trail runs along a small creek. Additionally, You will find benches and picnic tables scattered across along the trail across the park. I did not see any restroom facilities around the park. I did however, see a few porta-potties. The park's tennis courts (2 sets of 4) are in need of repair. The nets are decent, but the courts themselves are ragged. It has a unique set up, The fence is tall in the back and short on the sides. It makes it easy to watch, but I can imagine some balls sailing over the fence. The park is home to a huge green field that is well maintained. There is where you will find a football field, or at least two opposing goal posts and two baseball/kickball fields. Those fields are the pure basic and they do not offer many amenities or features. The field can be used for activities such as playing catch, frisbee, soccer, kite flying, and field hockey. It was surprised to see that the park had an aquatic complex, however, it is not operational and was empty. It does look like it has a lot of potential though. There is a small playground at the park that consist of a swing set with an older set of swings and an accessible jungle gym that has parallel bars and slides. The ground is lined with wood chips. The park is also home to a sand volleyball court and some of the most bold squirrels I have seen. They are not afraid of people at all. The volleyball court is decent, nothing special. The Irvington Farmers Market, day camp, community water gun fight and some concerts are hosted here. It is a nice park to play sports or workout. The playgrounds are a bit lacking and would probably not be as fun for kids.

Great cities have magnificent urban parks. New York City wouldn't be New York City without Central…read morePark. Locally, Eagle Creek, along with White River and Fort Harrison State Parks, provide thousands of acres of green space and a life of activity: hiking, biking, boating, attending concerts, and visits to the zoo. But, what if there was a park wherein there was little to do? There is. It's called "The Idle - A Point of View," and it's magnificent in its simplicity. Author Virginia Woolf wrote, "It is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top." The frenetic pace of modern life rarely allows us to "just be," and its effects have proven deleterious to our mental and physical health. At The Idle, you needn't a Fitbit, a water bottle, or a credit card; your humanity is the only requirement. The Idle is the brainchild of Tom Battista, a local visionary, business owner, and friend to many. Using private donations, public space, and lots of volunteers, the park was carved from a strip of land between the Fletcher Place and Fountain Square neighborhoods - overlooking Interstates 65 and 70. It was created with the hope of connecting neighbors and inspiring conversation. Without a careful look, The Idle is missed in the hubbub of Virginia Avenue - just as idle moments in life are. Entering the park, you'll wind through a peaceful and lovely path, ensconced by dense (but well-groomed) foliage. In a matter of seconds, the scene changes; the sound of the interstate rises, and three rows of stadium seats, overlooking traffic, emerge. This, dear reader, is where the magic is. The magic is in the sitting; the magic is in the watching; the magic is in the moment when the harried circus of the city flows around you - and you're none but an observer. Be alone. Be a neighbor. Be an observer. Just be at The Idle - A Point of View.

I finally checked out Idle Park on the south side of Indy. I knew it was a community park where one…read morecould sit in stadium seats and watch the highway. It was all that. However, I wasn't prepared for the sweet path walking up to it, the signs, benches, and the bins of bricks. It also made me sad as people have added graffiti and broke some of the chairs. I wish it could have been cleaned up and then maintained. It has potential to be a better place!