I just thought the view itself was very pretty. Being able to overlook the highway was nice.read more

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!

The area of 106th and College is getting all kinds of attention right now. This part of Carmel used…read moreto be called Home Place, and was once Indianapolis before it was enveloped into the warm, monied bosom of Carmel several years ago. Now, Home Placers are reaping the benefits of being a part of Carmel, and the intersection of 106th and College is getting turnt up. The 106th and College Pocket Park was installed last weekend (early May 2025), in what used to be an empty lot. In the past, a barbecue food truck would sometimes pop up in that spot on Fridays, but other than that, it was a sad little space. Now, there's grass, picnic benches and a mural wall painted by some community members. It's a start! The pocket park was installed by a grassroots organization called 106th and College Inc. (catchy name) and the City of Carmel. I like that Carmel is always trying to improve, in big and little ways, so this small park is much appreciated by me, and hopefully other people who live in the area.

It's a little bit rare that I discover a spot previously unknown to me, however, this was the case…read moretoday when I visited Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve. I was between tasks near Castleton and decided to do a Yelp search to see if I could snag a review or two during my free time. As is often the case for me, I searched for "parks" and Oliver's Woods popped up along with a review from the always dependable Nicole S. It's amazing to me that I've driven by this preserve many times without realizing its existence. In fact, even while looking for it today I drove by it a couple of times before realizing the place where I needed to turn. It's not particularly well marked from River Road. As it turns out, this is part of its charm. Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve is a 56-acre preserve owned by the Central Indiana Land Trust. It includes 16 acres of woods, 37 acres of prairie-savanna restoration, and a mile of White River frontage. As is true for most preserves under Central Indiana Land Trust, Oliver's Woods is fairly light in development but a fairly nice effort toward some ADA accessibility is noteworthy. It's not perfectly accessible but, let's be honest, nature seldom is perfectly accessible. As Nicole S. notes, this is a rather sublime weaving together of urban and nature. In fact, I really expected this to be more like a pocket park considering it's situated so close to an office park, apartments, and a nearby shopping center along with the highway. Remarkably, this is simply a well preserved area of nature amidst it all. In terms of accessibility, the accessible parking is by the Daugherty house. Oliver Daugherty, who passed away in 2009, donated the property to Central Indiana Land Trust and some unexpected funding received allowed for increased development of it in 2017. The accessible parking spot allowed for access to a .6 mile trail made of crushed gravel. I'm a wheelchair user and had no issues with it. However, it's worth noting that parking in the usual parking lot is more difficult because the gravel isn't quite as crushed. While the preserve is open daily, there are specific times when a volunteer docent is available to give a tour of the preserve. There is a canoe launch available for any craft legally allowed on the water in the city of Indianapolis that you can carry to/from the river from the drop-off area in front of the Daugherty House. The southern half of the Town Run Trail Park also runs through this property with an agreement that was made between Indy Parks and Daugherty himself. Volunteers have helped plant native trees and plants and to remove invasive species. "This special care is allowing native species like wild ginger, Virginia bluebells, waterleaf, wild hyacinth and trillium to flourish," according to the CILT website. Because this is so wooded and you are along White River, seeing wildlife is also a strong possibility. This is not a "recreational" preserve other than the ability to launch a canoe. This is a wonderful preserve for enjoying nature, appreciating White River, and enjoying a short but nicely done trail. There are signs around the preserve explaining the preserve (including at the Daugherty House). Quite honestly, I'd have loved living here. I saw one other vehicle while I was here, though I never saw the person associated with that vehicle. I did hear traffic and the highway, though on a warm and sunny Fall day it all felt really perfect. Now that I know this is here, there's no doubt I'll return!

Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve is truly an urban oasis. You can see and hear the vehicles roar by…read morefrom I-465, just a short distance away. You walk through tall grasses as you walk past billboard signs. I love the city and I tolerate nature, so this place is a great combination of both for me. There are hiking trails here, but they're not clearly marked, so as we were walking and enjoying nature, we encountered several mountain bikers who raced past us. There must have been some sort of mountain biking thing going on, because there were a lot of bikers at the park. We must have been on the biking trail, because we didn't see any other walkers, just bikers. The path is super slim, so we had to duck into the brush whenever we saw a bicycler, which was every three to five minutes. Eventually, we headed back and found an actual walking path. All this to say: If you find a dirt path that is jutted, it's probably not the walking path -- it's the biking path. Once we found the walking path, it was very pretty and peaceful. The hiking / walking path will take you to the boat launch, where you can take your boat out onto the White River. It will also take you to the Daugherty House, which is a house that belonged to the original owner of the property, Oliver Daugherty. You can't go inside the house, but you can look at the outside, and there are signs and QR codes that give you more information about it. We found a lot of native plants here, including wild raspberries that were ripe and ready for picking. We also saw a beaver (!) and trekked across a stream that fed into the White River. This is such a cool place, and it's a true Indianapolis hidden gem.

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!

Marott Park is formally known as "Marott Woods Nature Preserve." Established in 1987 following the…read moredonation of land by Indianapolis businessman George Marott (think Marott's Shoes and what is now Marott Apartments) and dedicated to his wife, Marott is an 102-acre nature preserve unassumingly located right at 74th and College Avenue. Admit it. You've often driven by it and wondered. The preserve protects some of Indy's oldest remnant forest and native wildflowers. For years, it was known as Marott Park and had signage to support the name. However, it was Friends of Marott Woods that helped spearhead the name change to more accurately reflect the nature of the preserve and goals for it. It's important to note that because Marott Woods is an actual state nature preserve, it's protected under state law. According to the Friends website, "protecting the habitat takes precedent over our personal whims. Because of this, activities like off-path hiking, biking, fires, and off-leash animals are all illegal under state law." Marott Woods has a relatively small area for parking, picnic tables, and hills that are somewhat cleared yet definitely natural as opposed to paved. I definitely would not consider the trails wheelchair friendly, though there are areas where a wheelchair can access and still appreciate the preserve. Nature Preserves are, of course, far more natural than a public use park and while some effort is made for accessibility the focus is on natural preservation. There are some very cool spots that I can technically get to, but not fully utilize. As others have noted, Marott Woods doesn't look like much from the street, but it becomes amazing and it's pretty awesome to think that it's basically smack dab in the middle of a residential area. I do like that the name has changed. I think it creates more realistic expectations of what this space is and how it should be used. This is definitely one of Indy's northside gems and pretty easy to reach from Broad Ripple and Nora. I'm not quite ready to call it a destination spot, but if you've found yourself curious about it I definitely recommend stopping in and enjoying the remarkable natural setting.

This is a neat mural that depicts a bookshelf. I am not sure if the mural has anything to do with…read morethe library that is so very close to. It was painted by French artist Youri Cansell aka "Mantra"in 2019. It is located in a section known as Library Square, which is fenced off and under major construction. The area is fenced off and private, but that did not stop me from checking out the mural. The pieces uses natural colors and depicts an oversized old-fashioned library shelf with books and curios on it. The building that it is painted on windows are incorporated in the mural and you will find some butterflies on some of the books. I would have liked to see more color, but that is just me. Anyway, There is metered street parking available for you to park and get out and check out the mural. As with most murals, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. It is probably best to plan out additional stops at many of the other wonderful murals in the area.

Fun to see but when I went it was gated and you had to take pictures through the gates. Also all…read morestreet parking so something to note.

Yesterday, my family and I decided to spend a day at the water park. I spent $65 for our tickets…read more To our disappointment and shock, we came across a concerning issue - geese droppings along the wall barrier of the lazy river. This experience left us feeling quite unsettled, and I believe a refund is in order.

Great facilities, but not much space to sit outdoors, very full. The snacks are also quite…read moreexpensive.

This is a nice sculpture that is part of the cultural Trail in downtown Indianapolis. It was…read moresculpted by Michael Kuschnir and was dedicated in April 2012. It is made up of 53 colorful acrylic window forms. The overall shape of the piece reminds me of a light bulb. There are two benches in front of it that you can sit on and a decent sized and well maintained grassy area behind it. It is almost like a mini park. The piece is eye catching and you will definitely de drawn to it as you pass by. The Cultural Trail runs right in front of it which is open to runners and walkers. This is a very small area, but I really like it. Not sure how much you would hang out here outside of being on the trail or living in the adjacent neighborhood, but it is surely worth a look.

This colorful sculpture at the corner of Indiana Avenue and St Clair is one of those pieces that…read moretakes on a different look depending upon your viewing angle. From the side, it looks like a curved hand, while from the front, it reminds me of a fist rising from a narrow wrist (the base). The piece is constructed from multiple colors of windows arranged and overlapped to create dimension. The artist, Michael Kuschnir, created the piece in 2012 for Cultural Trail to represent a "window" into the area's past and future. If you are lucky enough to catch this sculpture on a sunny morning, the light streams through the glass panes to create an equally colorful shadow on the plaza on the corner. Review #1669

Washington Park is new and improved! The city of Indianapolis is on a roll right now, investing…read morefunds into improving the parks around the city, and Washington Park has been one of the targets for a much-needed glow-up. As of August 2025, there is an all-new playground in the center of the park, a splash pad, new picnic shelters, a huge parking lot and a comfort station. This is in addition to the other features that currently exist on the 120 acres of the park: a family recreation center, an outdoor basketball complex, walking trails, an 18-hole disk golf course, a mountain bike course and another smaller, older playground. The new playground at Washington Park is super fun for kids of all ages. There's an area made for kids ages 5-12, with a big play structure that has multiple slides, ropes courses and lots of things to climb. There's also a play area for toddlers, with a mini slide and a pint-sized play structure. There are also musical instruments, a teeter-totter, swings (including accessible swings) and cement creatures like turtles and salamanders you can climb on top of and ride, if you want to! The splash pad at Washington Park is one of only two splash pads in the near east side of Indianapolis, so it is a much-needed feature in this part of Indy. (The only other splash pad is at Wes Montgomery Park.) It has multiple water features and a fun water slide. One of the best things about it is that there is actual shade around the splash pad! Shade is a scarce resource at playgrounds, oftentimes. I've only visited the new playground and splash pad, but I'm impressed with the updates that have been made to Washington Park! I hope to come back and explore more of the park sometime soon.

I had never heard of this park until my family member started working here. The playground has been…read morecompletely redone. It's very nice with areas for big and little kids. My toddler had a lot of fun looking at the large animal structures they had. We walked some of the trails- they aren't super well kept so that's disappointing. I was surprised to see the mountain bike area and disc golf course.

This park is deceptively larger than it looks sitting at 2.7 acres. It does not have a designated…read moreparking lot, but there is a lot of free street parking available along the streets surrounding the park. The park was opened in 1928 and originally known as 61st and Broadway Park (after the streets it's located off of). It was renamed to Dan Wakefield Park in 2016, after a long time local resident and author/journalist, in part due to a campaign proposing the change was started. The park has a lot of green space. It would be good for activities such as picnic'ing, playing catch, flying a kite, or even a small football or soccer game. There are a few picnic tables placed on the green space to sit and/or eat. There is also a half decent tennis court and remnants of a volleyball court. The net is missing and the sand court is in very bad shape. You will find a relatively small picnic shelter at this park with picnic tables and a modest playground area. The playground area is lined with wood chips and has some older equipment which includes a jungle gym with slides, a bank of toddler swings and a bank of traditional swings. There are also a couple of sit and spins. The equipment could really use an upgrade. There is a lot of trees that provide decent shade at this park, which would be nice on a hot sunny day. There is a restroom facility at the park as well, but it was temporarily enclosed within a fenced area that they are doing some heavy construction on. I think it is where the splash pad is located. This is a good neighborhood park and has lots of potential, but time has seemed to catch up with it. The main draw for this place would probably be its splash pad. I hope it is back operational before the hot weather is here. Well, outside of the splash pad, it does not look like the city has invested much into the park in a while. This is not a park that you would travel to per se. But it may be worth while if you were in the area or lived in the surrounding neighborhood.

Here is another nice park for the folks in Broad Ripple. This one features tennis and volleyball…read morecourts, a splash park, a playground for kids, and a small swing playground for toddlers. There is a shelter with picnic tables but I didn't see a grill. There are restrooms and a water fountain available during park season. There is shade for adults who might not be participating in the splash park. Note: I thought the tennis courts looked like they were in really good condition compared to many I've visited. Review #595

Do you have a rock climber? ‍ If so, take a trip to Westermeier Commons Playground & Splash Pad!…read more Tons of places to rock wall climb--on both the play structures and the walls Multiple slides Lots of different climbing structures for all skill levels seperate toddler section A few different types of swings Bathrooms close by Mostly fenced in Close to the Monon Trail and the Monon Community Center Con: The padded ground has a lot of wear and tear, but it's being replaced in August! Some of the climbing structures can get wet and slippery since kids run back and forth between the splash pad and playground Pack a lunch and spend the whole day here! Between the playground, splash pad, and all the climbing opportunities, this is the perfect place to get out of the house and let the kids burn some energy

This is such a beautiful, well-kept park that offers something for everyone. The turf gives it a…read moreclean, modern feel, and the playground is thoughtfully designed with equipment for both younger kids and older ones, making it perfect for families with children of different ages. From swings to slides, to the spinning flower seats, there's plenty to keep the kids entertained for hours. We really enjoyed the sway fun feature of the park. The park is also very accommodating, with covered shelters that are great for relaxing or hosting small gatherings, along with conveniently located restrooms. One of the highlights is the splash pad which is perfect for cooling off on warm days and a big hit for the kids. What really makes this park stand out is the peaceful creek nearby. The sound of the water adds such a calming touch, making it a great spot to unwind and enjoy a beautiful day outdoors. It's the kind of place you can easily spend a few hours and not want to leave. They have a parking lot making it easy to access.