Holcomb Gardens turned out to be an interesting place too visit, and we got some nice pictures…read moreclose to the waterfalls :-) Tip: The path around the pond isn't handicapped friendly Like with most venues of this type, there are a lot of insects here, so it's a really good idea to bring along some bug spray. Admission here is free, and spending some time in the Gardems can be quite enjoyable :-)

Beautiful and peaceful place, great for walking, picnics, or a nap under a tree if you want I guess.read more

We really enjoyed our visit to Tarkington Park! The big draw for me was Teas Me Community Cage…read morebeing right there, and I must say, it was fantastic to have an iced tea while in the sunshine on a sunny day! My mini BFF enjoyed the younger area--the small slide, the tunnels, the little hills. There are so many cool aspects of this park to climb, swing, jump, crawl,spin, and even make music. Next time I'm in this part of town, I'll be happy to stop by again!

My Realtor group assisted with cleaning the park today for Earth Day. We made a difference in four…read morehours. I can't believe how different the park looks. I stopped to grab lunch at Teas Me afterward. I forgot to take before and after photos.

This place was cute and a nice stop on our vacation. We showed up just after a couple had gotten…read moreengaged which was cute. Let them sit and take pictures while we waited to go explore, luckily my son was patient :P we were going to dinner after this so we didn't stay to long.

It's been a decade since my last review of Holliday Park, so it's time for an update. I've been…read morevisiting this park since I moved to Indiana more than 10 years ago, and it had stayed reliably the same, until recently. Now, there's a brand-new playground! The playground at Holliday Park has been completely redesigned as of November 2025. The new playground is nature-inspired, with lots of wooden elements. My favorite part of the playground is the loose parts area, where kids can make teepees and build forts with the collection of natural elements that are there: sticks, tree limbs, stumps, rope, wooden crates, straw and other things that allow kids to use their imagination to create. The playground is designed for all ages, but to me, it skews slightly in favor of younger kids. Which is nice for parents of younger children, because most playgrounds seems to be built for older kids. But there are some elements for older kids here, like the huge rope climbing structure. A niggling thing: There is zero shade on the playground now. None. Which isn't a big deal on overcast or cool days, but once summer comes around, this playground is going to be insufferable. They got rid of some of the trees that used to be where the new playground is, which is a shame. One cool thing, though, that I've never seen in any other playground: hammocks! There's an area near the trees with a bunch of hammocks that kids can lie in and just relax under the trees. The rest of Holliday Park is the same. There's still a splash pad by The Ruins during the summer. There's still a nice nature center. There are still lots of trails to explore. This is one of the best parks in Indianapolis, in my opinion.

The ArtsPark borders the Indianapolis Art Center in Broad Ripple. The Park and gardens are natural,…read morefor the most part, with meandering paths through natural wooded and open area. The trail is Certified Sustainable by the Indiana Wildlife Federation. We visited on a beautiful Memorial Day morning. I would not have known the garden was here, had I not been looking for the Twisted House sculpture. The park contains 13 sculptures by artists with Indiana ties. In addition, 37 garden features located throughout the park were gift by various benefactors. The art is interesting. There are a mix of concrete walkways and gravel paths. Benches provide seating at various points along the walkways. Free parking is available on the east side of the Arts building and there is no charge to walk through the trails. The park is a hidden gem and worth a visit.

I love the ArtsPark. It's a free, outdoor space that's on the grounds of the Indianapolis Art…read moreCenter. I would often visit when my children were young when we needed a place for them to roam and explore outdoors, so this place holds a special place in my heart. This park is super kid-friendly. The park is contains several art displays, statues and exhibits all throughout the grounds, all set among beautiful landscaping and trees. It's like a gallery without walls. It's also right by the White River, which you can see from a boardwalk that overlooks the river. It's also right by the Monon Trail, so it's easy to get to by bike or by foot. There are a couple of art displays that my kids would play at a lot, and they were the more hands-on pieces. One of them is the "Twisted House," which is a wooden house that's twisted and turny, but kids can go inside. It also makes for a super Instagram-worthy backdrop! "Circle" is another piece in the ArtsPark that my kids gravitated to. It's a Zen-like sculpture composed of a 10-foot ring of black granite with a sand garden on the inside. You can't miss "Crescendo," a bright blue sculpture composed of 6,000 tiles. If you look at the tiles closely, you'll see little uplifting quotes and sayings written on them. I can spend many hours just sitting at ArtsPark among all of the art and nature. It's a beautiful place in the heart of Broad Ripple, and a genuine hidden gem of Indianapolis.

I'm honestly amazed I've never reviewed Arsenal Park. I live just east of SoBro, South Broad Ripple…read morefor the uninitiated, and drive by and/or visit Arsenal Park on a pretty regular basis. It's a 13-acre park smack dab in the middle of the SoBro area. This is a definite residential park with parking that's pretty interesting - it's essentially around the perimeter of the park. This is a very wooded park. It's actually a pretty heavily utilized park and there's very few times that I drive by here that I don't actually see people at the park. This park was purchased by the City of Indianapolis in 1928 (Fun fact: Original price was $19,915). It resulted from a desire for a park in the area east of what's known as Meridian Kessler. Early development came from such projects as the New Deal jobs programs and the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s. Arsenal Park offers a variety of activities including basketball courts, a bicycle polo course, a multipurpose field, a splash pad, playground, a shelter and a comfort station. Arsenal Park was purchased by the City of Indianapolis in 1928 following community interest in establishing a park in the area east of the Meridian Kessler neighborhood. Much of the early development of the 11-acre park was done through New Deal jobs programs like the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s. This park offers basketball courts, a bicycle polo course, a community garden, a multipurpose field, a splash pad, playground equipment, a shelter, and a comfort station. This seems to be a park that's always under some sort of development. There's a current master plan for the park and it's a beautiful setting that I don't feel like has ever lived up to its potential. Another fun fact: It's called Arsenal Park because it used to be on Arsenal Avenue (which became Indianola). At one point, it was also called Haverford Park. If you pay attention to this area, there's a Haverford baseball complex down the street. I tend to agree with most of the reviews here. I love this park. It's also great for those who geocache - there's more than one geocache in this park. It's not the most wheelchair friendly park and there's really not a walking path here. However, the playground is fairly accessible. Overall, this is a solid 4-star park that could easily be developed into a 5-star park with some love, attention, and vision. I typically do feel safe in this park, though the bike area can get a bit congested. It's surrounded by houses and pretty open concept.

This is a neat park. It is a bit older, dating back to 1928, but still has a lot of life left. It…read morewas originally named Haverford Park, after Haverford Avenue which borders it on its West side. The park is home to a garden. I believe it is one of those community gardens that are popping up all over the area. It has a table and chairs to sit and looks nice. The park seems well maintained and has adequate parking available. It spans 13 acres and spans a bit of everything. They have a skate park that has seen better days. It sits on what use to be old tennis courts. It looks like it was put together using items that were found laying around. It has rails, ramps, stairs and other pieces that I do not know the name of. It may be makeshift, but it works. There were people shredding (is that still the word) when I was there. The park also have a restroom facility and a couple of shelters with picnic tables under it and grills outside of them. There is also a very nice water park there. It seems relatively new. There are benches over there that are shaded by canopies where parents can sit and watch their littles play. The park also has a lot of green space that could be used for activities such as football, soccer, flying a kite, or having a picnic. The park's full basketball court has seen better days. It will do for those wanting to just throw up a few shots. The court could use a fresh coat of paint though. Of course the park has a playground. It is on a bed of wood chips and consists of a few pieces of older traditional equipment. It is not a very big area. Some of the equipment includes a bank of traditional/toddler swings, an accessible medium sized jungle gym with slides, and a spinning net climber. The splash pad makes this park a destination park for some. It is a nice traditional park that has a lot to offer.

This park never gets old for us. We stroll through here a couple times a week since it's located…read morejust around the corner from our house in the Old Northside. From the little community library and changing flowers with the seasons to the sensory section of the park and fountain, it's a peaceful refuge in the heart of downtown. We like to sit on the bench and listen to the birds chirp. It's a very simple pocket park that is managed by the neighborhood foundation. Throughout the year, you'll find small events, neighborhood cleanups and engagement photo shoots taking place here. It's a perfect spot to take a book and read for awhile.

The park is located in a somewhat upscale neighborhood, the Old Northside Neighborhood. This is a…read morevery small park that is maintained by the neighborhood. It is decent and consists of a fountain, a sensory garden for the visually impaired and a gazebo. The walkway is mostly gravel around the park. Free street parking is available in the neighborhood that the park is in. The fountain was not operating while I was there, but it was full of pumpkins and looked very festive. There are benches around and just off of the fountain. The gazebo and decent sized and has seating. It is well maintained. The sensory garden sits in the back of the park and it is for the visually impaired. There is a nice bench back there too. The park is well maintained and sits between two houses. If you are not paying attention you could pass it. You will find some green space pockets at the park and there is a give a book, take a book kiosk in an old green newspaper dispenser. The park is home to special events, such as Plunder in the Park. This is a decent park for someone wanting to take a load off. It is not however, as peaceful as it is intended. There are many houses under renovation in the neighborhood and lots of construction nearby. On top of that, there was a lot of neighborhood dog barking going on while I was there. So, this park is not worth making a special trip for for definitely cool if you are in the area or live in the neighborhood.

We found this park in the beginning of November when the trees were fall colors. Lots of leaves on…read morethe ground but you could still see and indent where the trail was. It wasn't crowded at all. Quite a bit of trails that also run along the river. There is a huge field in the middle too with picnic tables. Great place to take a walk or have a picnic!

Beautiful, serene little "pocket" park just north of Broad Ripple. Even though it's pretty tiny,…read morethere are plenty of trails, trees, and river tributary to feel like you've stepped back into the wilderness. Great place to quickly detach from the surrounding city and get some natural peace and quiet. Lots of dog walkers and other people at times, but never enough to really disturb the sense of tranquility. One of my favorite places in Indy.

I love Newfields and their events such as Winterlights! I went towards the end of December with my…read morehusband and family :) We loved how they changed it up a little this year. There were more interactive parts but also fan favorites. It was a nice way to spend time with family and loved ones. We enjoyed strolling around and of course taking some pictures for the memories. I highly recommend and will come back! I look forward to harvest nights :)

I visited Newfields for the winter lights and I had an amazing time. The thing about such events is…read morethe festivities, coordination and atmosphere. Everything just adds up and with Newfields being so thorough and welcoming it just always is the best experience. I spent about 2 hours in the light show walking around with my friends and I loved the Lilly house the most. It was so beautifully decorated and very well done. Everything was colorful, elegant and extremely vibrant. Highly recommend!!!

Even though they tried to open it for only the Fourth of July without any fanfare, umbrellas or…read moresnack bar it still was a hit! This very historical pool is still gorgeous and the fact they want to tear it down is unsettling. I have just never heard of putting a lazy river in front of a real river, but that's just me. Every time I go here I see somebody I know and it is such a great neighborhood area. It definitely is the best pool in town. The bathrooms need work as well as the concrete area but there's plenty of handicap parking and there is a dog park there as well. There's a nice walk along the river and many many playground activities available. They even have a soccer or rugby area as well as a tennis court. This truly is a jam in the city with White River and all its glory.

I have mixed feelings about this park. It is a 62 acre park, with 10 of it being woods. The park…read morewas originally a farm that dates back to 1882. It was then converted to an amusement park, the White City Amusement Park, in 1906. The park was opened in 1922 and still maintained some of the amusement park rides. The park has an outdoor pool that is in need of some intensive TLC. It is very raggedy. There are two picnic shelters, one of which is huge. They both have picnic tables under them and grills just outside of them. They have 2 sets of 3 tennis courts complete with benches and are awesome. They are well maintained and one of the park's better amenities. The baseball and multi-use field, not so much. The baseball field has an old backstop and the grounds need some maintenance and landscaping. The field had one goal that was not set up out there. The field was hard and had a lot of divots, aka ankle breakers. There is a nice dog park at the front of the park. It was packed with large dogs. There is a lot of obstacles and grass for the dogs and a shaded place for their owners to sit while the dogs run around. The park is located just off of the White River and has a public boat ramp to launch your watercraft. The ramp is very long and steep. There is also a nice wood viewing platform that overlooks the River. The park has a playground area is lined with wood chips and has 2 jungle gyms with slides and monkey bars. One of the jungle gyms is accesible. There is a set of traditional swings and a set of ADA/toddler swings. The equipment is old and the playground area is far from exciting. There are benches around the playground area to sit and watch the kiddos. There is an area called the Picnic Knoll that is located right outside of the playground area. It is where you will find a bunch of picnic tables placed in the forest. The final amenities I will discuss is the parks neglected walking/jogging/running/bicycling and fitness path. Many of the fitness path signs are damaged and/or unreadable. The trail is mostly a dirt path and dog walking is welcomed. The park has a decent sized parking lot, but a lot of it is being taking up by construction material and equipment. I believe they are currently building a new family center. That is a step in the right direction, because much of this park seems neglected. I was unsure if, outside of the dog park, if it was being maintained. This is a decent conventional nature park, that with a few upgrades and some TLC, could really be awesome. I know the are working to improve the park and cannot wait to see what Fun fact: The park's pool hosted the 1924 and 1952 Olympic swimming tryouts as the Broad Ripple Amusement Park

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!