During a recent visit to Lacy Park, I was dismayed to learn that for some reason someone had…read morereported this vibrant neighborhood park as closed. It is not closed. It was impacted by the current health pandemic (as was most of the state of Indiana). However, Lacy Park is alive and well and on a recent weekend when I visited it was definitely being utilized. Lacy Park is practically the definition of a neighborhood park. This 2-acre Fletcher Place park is nestled in nicely at the corner of Greer St. and East Street. In fact, it was originally known as Greer Street Park until being named after Edna Balz Lacy in 1995. The park itself was established in 1917. While Edna Balz Lacy may not seem like a familiar name, her impact on Indy is rather profound. She was an Indianapolis native who started off as a teacher in 1972; in 1934, she married Howard J. Lacy II (son of U.S. Corrugated-Fibre Box Company founder Howard J. Lacy). Lacy took over the company from his father in 1952. He passed away in 1959 and Edna took over the company and led it for 24 years. In 1972, it became Lacy Diversified Industries. In 1973, she established the Stanley K. Lacy Foundation in memory of her son. The Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Series is one of is many contributions to Indy and it continues to this day. Edna passed away in 1991. Lacy Park was developed to reflect its diverse heritage. If you notice, its gazebo is painted red, white, and green to reflect the Italian heritage of the area at the time. Along with playgrounds and picnic areas, there's a sand volleyball court along with four bocce ball courts that were contributed by the Italian Heritage Society. The group hosts bocce ball leagues here. Holy Rosary Italian Festival is also located in this neighborhood that is easily within view of Lilly and is close to downtown yet feels like a little bit of a wooded oasis. This is a small neighborhood park that remains as welcoming today as it was designed to be in the early 20th century. It continues to be considered a "family park" - a reflection of Lacy's own emphasis on family including ensuring that her business continued to stay within the family. While this is not really a destination park, for those near downtown needing to get away for awhile this is a perfect place to get away. If you're looking to have a near downtown picnic, Lacy Park is a great place to do so.

This park is a very small, only covering 2 acres. It does not have a parking lot, but there is a…read moredecent amount of street parking available. The park has a decent gazebo with a picnic table under it. The gazebo could use a coat of paint. There are also a few picnic tables scattered across the park. The grounds could have used a little TLC. I do not know if the parks department has stopped for the season, or if this park was just missed. In the front of the park you will find an adequate sand volleyball court. There is also 4 dirt boccee ball courts near the back of the park. They did not look very inviting though. The park has a small jungle gym with some slides, a larger jungle gym with more awesome slides, a bank of traditional swings, and a bank of toddler swings. The playground is lined with wood chips and the equipment is a bit on the older side. It has definitely seen better days. This park has a history dating back to 1917 when it was known as Greer Street Park. It was renamed the Edna Balz Lacy Family Park in 1995, to honor a notable local businesswoman. Fun fact: One of Indianapolis's first recreation centers was built here at this park. The park has a strong Italian heritage background. The gazebo is actually painted in the Italy flag colors, red, green and white. Also, the boccee ball courts were a gift from the Indianapolis Italian Heritage Society. They hosts spring, summer, and fall bocce ball leagues on those courts. This is an ok park to visit, if you are in the area. But last many of the features, and maintenance of the newer mega parks. It is definitely a gem if you live close by, but is probably not a park that you would drive to to bring the little ones, or run. I saw the park getting most of its use with kids on the playground equipment for a bit and it was also popular with people walking their dogs.

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.

Simon Moon Park got a MAKEOVER!…read more It's still the perfect toddler park, but now there are some upgrades for older toddlers and elementary-aged kids too! Start off learning to rock wall climb with the cutest metamorphosis-inspired climbing structures Meet Ichabod the Crane with more advanced rock wall climbing and even more climbing features Small toddler-friendly playground with a slide Rope climbing structure with a slide for older toddlers and elementary-aged kids 4 different types of swings Merry-go-round and other spinning equipment Soft turf throughout 2 pavilions Bathrooms nearby A few things to know: It's brand new, so some areas are still under construction There isn't much shade yet And there's SO much more coming! Sledding hill + warming shelter Amphitheater Kayak rentals + piers The trail around the lake is already open and currently includes a mix of gravel, paved paths, and boardwalks. This park is going to be AMAZING once everything is finished. Add it to your list now so you can watch it grow!

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.

This is a great neighborhood park that we like to visit when in town. The best part here is the…read morenewer splash pad area. Since its super old and rusty, it's usually empty, so the kids like it. There are 6-8 covered picnic tables to use out of the sun. There's also a few bike racks, park benches and an indoor bathroom. I'm not sure I'd let the kids go in, but it's there. Visit in a hot day to run out some energy and cool off on those super sunny days! It's never really packed and the water is controlled by pushing the button to start. Kids love it!

This is an "Ok" neighborhood park. They have a very small splash pad, that is very basic. It just a…read morecement pad with in ground water spouts and a bench right off of it. There is a "meeehhhhh" playground with some older equipment. You will find an accesible jungle gym with a slide, a tilted sky spinner, a bank of traditional swings and a bank of toddler swings (however some are missing). The area is lined with wood chips and has a bench to sit and watch the littles. Behind the play area is some small green space where you can play some stuff like catch, kick a soccer ball or a small game of football. Like I said, the area is small. There is a half decent walk path at the park, but it is also small and not really good for working out or getting your steps in. There is a also a picnic shelter with picnic tables under it and a grill right out side of it. Near the front of the park is where you will find the small unisex restroom facility. It is not open during the winter though. There is free street parking in front of the park and along adjacent streets that are within reasonable walking distance. This park could use a little investment. It has potential but is a bit outdated. It is not a bad park if you live within walking distance from it. Otherwise, I would not travel here just for this.

This review is based just on the surprise of finding a clean playground in the middle of no-where…read moreto help give the kids a chance to stretch legs during a long road trip.... Surrounded by corn fields, this small-town community park is a very quaint little picnic area and playground, complete with a baseball field flanked by a tattered American flag waving in the late summer breeze. This was such a picturesque classic place of americana, reminiscent of that "field of dreams" magic. This was a great place to bring the littles (ages 6 and under). Don't forget to stop by the Lizton Dairy Bar at the corner to bring a delicious ice cream shake for that perfect touch. We didn't go into any buildings, as everything was closed/locked at 6 pm on a Saturday. It would likely be a good place for a summertime family gathering or birthday party. My husband said this location is also a Hendricks County voting precinct location.

This park is situated between the the high school and middle school for Tri-West and is supported…read moreby the local Lions Club. The park has multiple baseball diamonds with gravel parking lots where some folks stay in their cars to watch the game with better comfort than those braving the seating around the fields. Beyond the outfield of the southwestern field is a small playground, hopefully out of range of any homers headed that way. There are a variety of pieces for kids to play on, but it seems a bit odd that they are stretched out instead of clustered for easy transitions between pieces. There is also a basketball court that doubles as a parking surface during morning games where finding a spot to park is a challenge. Review #822

Anderson Park is a 7-acre park in Plainfield with its primary feature being a skate park that's…read moreopen seasonally (April-October). The skate park can be reserved. The park opened in 1983 and is named after Frank Anderson, a longtime park employee and foreman. I always kind of chuckle when a fairly modest park is a "memorial" park. I'm thinking Hummel and Swinford got better deals. There's a decent amount of greenery here with trails, shelters, and picnic tables. The park is considered pet friendly. While I no longer skateboard (both age and disability), I did when I was younger and during good weather it's a blast watching kids of all ages boarding in the park. The skate park has ramps, grind rails, ledges, bowls, and is easily great for beginners and experienced boarders. I'd say the skate park seems a little better maintained than the overall park, however, it's also a much newer feature. There's not much else to be said about this relatively small park. It's best for those wanting to take an easy walk or those wanting to try some not so easy skateboarding. If you're looking for many other features, I'd likely check out one of Plainfield's bigger parks.

Sitting on only 7 acres, this park is Plainfield's smallest park, by far. The State of Indiana…read moredonated the land to Plainfield a few years ago. The city named the park in honor of Frank Anderson, a 27-year park employee and foreman. There is really no parking for this park outside of the roundabout located in the front of it. However, The much larger Swinford Park, which it is connected by a pedestrian walkway that crosses South Center Street. It is also connected to the nearby Hummel Park via a walkway that winds south along South Center. The park is home to a decent sized picnic shelter. But since I visited the park in the winter, there were no picnic tables under there. They were removed for the off-season. You will also find an "OK" fitness trail with equipment and directions on how to use said equipment. There is a push up station, and a sit up station, to name a few. Being such a small park, there is a lot of green space with benches places around to sit and relax. I did not see any playground equipment or restrooms, but if that is what you are looking for, you will find that and much more right across the street at Swinford Park. This is a what you see is what you get kind of park. There is not much to it. The main draw for this park is its skate park, which is open from Aril through October. It is a very nice skate park and can get packed. The only other utility I see of this park is its pavilion and green space. It would be a nice semi-secluded place to host a party or special event. The field, which is in good shape, could be used to run around, play catch, have a soccer game, fly a kite, or have a football game.

I've gone here a few times for my nephew's soccer games and I'm always impressed by home well…read moremaintained and beautiful the grounds are. There's a great view of the city skyline from the park and a walking trail close by.

Close to where the Monon Trail ends in Indianapolis, you'll find the Frank and Judy O'Bannon Soccer…read morePark. This park went through a facelift that was completed in May 2023, and it now includes a cool splash pad, a modern playground, picnic shelter and other amenities. I love a new playground, and I love when the city invests in parks, because it means it is investing in families. My only beef is that this playground has zero shade, unless you're lucky enough to be sitting in the shaded picnic shelter. When we visited, it was a bright, sunny day, and not only was there no shade for the parents and caregivers to stand under, but the playground equipment was hot to the touch, and my children -- who will typically ignore things like hot monkey bars in the name of fun -- gave up on playing after a short while because the bars were just too hot on their hands. It's a shame, because the playground equipment looked super fun. So maybe this is a playground to visit on cooler days. This park is located right on the Monon Trail, so you can see people running as you're playing at the park. It's just south of a great place to get coffee (Provider), so if you need a little pick-me-up before you watch your children play on the playground, you know where to go.

A smaller park worth checking out: Raymond Worth Park…read more Soft padded turf instead of mulch 2 closed slides + 1 open slide A climbing section that adds fun without taking over the whole park More secluded feel with a peaceful grass walking trail Downside: it's right next to the road, but there is a small fence and natural barriers Has a merry-go-round but no swings A simple, quieter spot that's great for a low-key park day

Raymond Worth Park is remote and isolated if you're looking for a quiet place to explore. I was…read morepleasantly surprised by the colorful and fun children's climbing structure on the playground. A circular trail leads from the parking lot through thick forest. The trail is wide but natural/unpaved. I found the trail muddy in spots. The Westfield Parks and Recreation people are actively managing invasive species in the Park. The Park includes 30 acres, mostly wooded that backs up to Eagle Creek. The land was donated to Westfield by a developer who bought the property from his friend, Raymond Worth. I like to learn about the people and the full story is on the Westfield Parks website. The park is a good place to walk a dog or ride a horse. There are no restroom facilities or water fountains. I saw plenty of parking. Wear bug repellent and bring water.