I'm a big fan of parks and playgrounds, so I'm very glad that Commons Park exists. The playground…read moreat Commons Park has the biggest climbing spinner that I've ever seen on a playground ... and my children and I have been to a lot of playgrounds! It could easily fit a whole classroom of children on it. The playground also has a huge geometric climbing system; a huge play structure with a bridge, steps and a climber; slides; swings for all ages; and lots of opportunities to climb and get the wiggles out. The playground area is padded with soft tiles for easy landings. One of the best features of Commons Park is that this park is completely fenced all the way around. This helps to give parents with kids who like to dash some peace of mind. And not only is the park fenced, but the park is small enough to see where your child is wherever they are playing, as you sit at any of the benches that are placed around the park. This park also has an area where you can play table tennis (bring your own paddles and ball!), as well as a barbecue grill. Commons Park has a lot going for it. And I'm glad that this space is being used as a park, instead of what it used to be (apparently, this space was the site of a motorcycle gang). The downsides of this park -- which sits in a residential neighborhood -- is that there isn't a designated parking lot for the park. Parking is on the street. The other downside is that there isn't a bathroom or water fountain. So parents and caregivers of young children: Plan accordingly!

This is a very nice park. It is relatively new, opening in late 2018. It is very neat and clean and…read morehas newer/modern playground equipment. It is a very colorful park, which is good given the lands history. They have park benches and a grill. There is a cement ping pong table, a huge jungle gym , cargo nets, ropes, a large merry-go-round, two sets of swings, a beehive climber and other equipment I do not know the name of. The ground of the playground is covered in the rubber surface that is popping up at most newer playgrounds. Your kids will love this park. The park does not have a private lot, but there is free street parking available on the street bordering the park. The park is relatively small, spanning about a quarter acre. The playground is fenced in, which is good because it it right off of a busy throughfare. Kind of keeps the little ones corralled in. There is only one way in and one way out. There is no restroom facilities or water, so plan accordingly. The park was once the site of the Outlaws Motorcycle Gang clubhouse before the city took over the property after its seizure by federal authorities. This is a very nice park. I had past the park a few times and it was packed. I really like it. It can definitely entertain the little ones for hours. It is surely worth a visit.

Panther Park has a great playground with something for all ages. It's also one of those playgrounds…read morethat is great when you're looking for a mud-free place to play after it rains, because the ground all around the playground is rubberized, which allows for mess-free play. The playground has toddler play equipment and equipment for older kids. The toddler playground area has little sides, and lots of easy places to climb on. The older-kid playground has tunnel slides, a rock wall, fireperson pole, ropes and nets to climb, and a spherical climbing structure that spins. There are also swings, including a tandem swing where a toddler and adult can swing facing each other. The park also has a basketball court, a paved walking/strolling path that's circles the park that's about 0.3 miles, a restroom, a shaded picnic area, and shaded benches situated around the playground. I was most impressed by these shaded benches, because shade is often lacking at playgrounds. But the shade thing has been thought about here.

We discovered this park this weekend and so glad we did! My son made friends of different ages…read more(2-11 yrs) and everyone had hours of fun here. They have a huge field for kids to play soccer as well and have a basketball court on the playground too. We'll be back here for often.

I stumbled upon this park over the weekend while walking through downtown Zionsville. Until then, I…read morewas oblivious to this tucked away charming green space. This park features two sections- the higher level has a fountain, small green space and covered shelter overlooking the lower portion of the park with a large, lush field with a paved trail that winds along the Eagle Creek River. This park is located only a few blocks from the Main Street of downtown historic Zionsville and "next door" to the Lions Park. It looked like this was a popular spot to take your pups or ride a bike on the trail. Half the fun is enjoying the homes found on the streets neighboring the park.

This is a great little park to walk your dog in Zionsville. The park is relatively new, about five…read moreyears old and is in a low lying pasture along Little Eagle Creek. There is a good amount of parking in the park's lots upper and lower lots. Paved paths route in a large circle around the park and are accessible and keep Fido's feet clean. There are nice benches at regular intervals in the park for bird watching or just reading a book. At the upper end of the park is a small shelter with bench and a good place to watch summer fireworks. The is also a nice fountain and a few more benches to enjoy the view of the wetlands. This is a quiet hidden treasure in Zionsville and a good place to meditate and relax.

A really good park for nice weather days. There's a nice kids play area, a clean shelter spot, a…read morenice flat concrete hike by a little lake almost behind the park. There's a small parking area right at the park but a bigger spot about 20-30 steps away. Clean and well maintained, dogs are allowed. My family and friends had a lot of fun and enjoyed visiting Simon Moon park.

What a nice park. This one has a cute playground for kids -- probably younger kids would enjoy it…read moremore than big kids. It has a few slides, climbing wall, monkey bars, horsey ride, a playhouse, a teeter totter and a big circle thing that we couldn't figure out how to play with. (If anyone knows how, let me know!) There is also a fire pit and shaded picnic benches. Simon Moon Park is also located along a trail; we saw people walking and jogging along it. One thing to note: The only type of restroom available is a Porta-Potty.

I am starting to see a trend with Indy Parks. They build parks by elementary schools so that they…read morecan use them, I guess. This is another city park that has been commandeered by an elementary school, in this case Stout Field Elementary School. The playground was packed with students from the school while I was there. I think it was actually worked into their schedule. Anyway, the park is relatively small and has a small parking lot. The park is about 14 acres. There is also a half decent full basketball court at the park. I have seen better and I have seen worse. The park has a small restroom facility as well. There is a huge green space with a picnic table on it there. The green space/open field can be used to play catch, soccer, football, throw a frisbee, or other outdoor activities. There is also a single shelter with picnic tables under it. The best part of the park however, is its nice paved walking trail and playground. The trail is a decent size. The park does has what appears to be a very nice splash pad. It is small but has a lot of colorful parts and things that shoot water. However, I visited the park off season and the pad was already shut down. The playground has a couple of saucer swings, a futuristic merry go round, a set of traditional swings, and an awesome jungle gym with ladders, slides, rock climbing walls, and monkey bars. It is very nice. There is a small jungle gym for the smaller kids that is shaped like a truck and has a cargo net and a couple of slides. You will find benches that parents can sit and watch while their kids play in this area. The playground is lined with wood chips and as an added bonus they have a musical instrument piece of equipment with blue congos, shakes and other instruments There is also an electronic game (NEOS) that kids can play that has them running around chasing lights. It is programmed with 8 different game modes. The park has some gym equipment by the playground area. There are a few pieces, not much, like an elliptical, chest press, and a lat pull. It is a decent park, especially when the neighboring school is out. It is well maintained and the grounds are well kept. The littles really enjoyed it. It is very accessible an open.

This park has a lot of fun equipment for the kids. My children thoroughly enjoyed the trip…read more However, I picked up tons of trash upon arrival - nasty used masks, water bottles, ink pens, soda cans. Yuck. That was a little disappointing to see. I'd recommend showing up with rubber gloves and a trash bag if you don't like you're kids playing around a lot of trash. The restrooms were locked. That's disappointing since it's well after May 1 when they should be open. Also, note the park is located next door to a public school, so it's constantly inundated with classes at recess. My kids love that, but it's worth noting if you're looking for a quiet spot to play. We will go back, but when schools aren't in session, and prepared to pick up trash in a sanitary fashion prior to playing.

I haven't been to this park in years since it was redesigned. I visited with my 3 year old and 1…read moreyear old. It was fun and safe for both of them. We will be back!

Doesn't look like much as you're driving by. But it's a great space for kids to play. There's…read moreoutside playground equipment for all ages. There are bathrooms and drinking fountains on site. There's also a covered gazebo with picnic tables open to first come first serve. The parking lot small but this is a fun hidden gem.

This is a small neighborhood park located in the Broad Ripple area. The park was built by the North…read moreSide Optimist Youth Club and is maintained by its volunteers and funded through donations. There is not much to the park. It has a baseball field that is OK and a small picnic shelter with two picnic tables under it. There are no grills though. the field is well maintained and does not have any benches or dugout. I am not sure if it is part of a full course, but I saw a disc golf hole in the outfield. The baseball field can also double as an open field where you can play catch, a soccer or football game, hold a picnic or even fly a kite. The park's play area is lined with wood chips. Some of the playground equipment includes a large jungle gym with slides, monkey bar rings, a balance beam/parallel bars, a sit n spin cup, U-shaped ladder, sliding poles, a bank of traditional swings and a bank of toddler swings. There are picnic tables and benches on the perimeter of the playground area to sit and watch the littles. The park has a moderate sized parking lot and there is also street parking available. The sheds on the park's property have cute little murals painted on them. You will also find a share a book box at the park too. It is a neat little park, but my little was not very entertained by the playground and did not play there very long. The park is well maintained for the most part, but the trash was overflowing while I was there, and some left a bunch a trash on one of the picnic tables under the shelter. I did not see any restroom facilities or porta johns, so I suggest using the bathroom before you come and to bring your own water.

I came to Opti Park for the broad ripple beerfest and it was good. This was my first time here at…read moreOpti Park in Broad Ripple. For a beerfest, the space was perfect and nice for the vendors. It is not a big park, but for family picnics and events, Opti Park is perfect. The park was run down and not really kept up well from what I could see. I think I did see a playground for kids at the park which is a nice feature, but nothing else really caught my eye as to being impressive. I do not go to a lot of parks, so I really cannot compare this park to another park in Indiana, but for what it is, Opti Park is a decent size park for family gatherings or special events. I personally will not be coming back to this park unless there is a special event. If you are looking to have a family reunion or event, then I would say check out Opti Park for your needs. The children will love the playground. It is all about what your preference is for a park.

This is the spot for indoor and outdoor kid friendly fun. The interior is small, hosting many…read morerescued reptiles, amphibians, and other exotic animals. There's a small play area with lots of opportunities for hands on learning. Outside there's chickens, walking trails, a play set, and giant chess board for good weather fun. This park is free to explore. Staff is knowledge and passionate about caring for the animals. Looking forward to coming back to check out some of the programs.

I finally stopped by Helen Pecar Park this past weekend on my way through Hendricks County to my…read moreparents' home. Pecar Park & Nature Center is a fairly new Avon Park that is a unique balance of primitive meets contemporary. The park has its own naturalist and the nature center offers turtles, tortoises, bearded dragons, and other animals. There's an amphitheater that is primarily used as an outdoor education space. The Nature Center can be rented by the hour or by the day (only between the hours of 10am-9pm). Pecar Park offers 9 primitive campsites, though there is an indoor bathroom and shower to make everything a little less primitive. Rental of a campsite is $15 for township residents, $25 for non-residents. The park also offers a playground, community fire pit, pod, greenspace, GLOW lab, and geocachers should know geocaching is available at this park (and encouraged). Pecar Park still feels like a work in progress. It's one of those parks that's always a dilemma for me - technically, it's accessible. Yet, it's really not. The way Yelp's accessibility questions are phrased, technically this park meets them. However, this park tends to be a place where it's best to have a companion with you, especially if you have mobility issues, as there are places where paths are a bit more rustic and even the playground is a bit more natural in setting. Pecar Park is off the main drag in Hendricks County and seems to be a still underutilized park. It seems to be more about natural activities than just "fun." There's also a bird aviary and a low ropes challenge. Again, this feels like a work in progress but a cool work in progress. It seems like this park has grown a bit since its 2019 opening, however, it remains one of Avon, Indiana's more underrated gems. While accessibility is definitely a bit of an issue here, with a little assistance it's likely one can really appreciate this more natural and relaxed setting. As near as I could tell, the nature center itself was solid in terms of accessibility. I got everywhere I wanted to go here - it just took a little effort.