I was pleasantly surprised by this plaza. It is very niiiicccceee. It is located in the back of the city county building and across the street from the IndyGo transit center. It is named after Richard G. Lugar, former Mayor of Indianapolis and U.S. Senator and was opened in 2017. It was funded by Funding the generosity of Lilly Endowment Inc., the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, the Central Indiana Community Foundation and the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee. So, you have tons of transportation options, being that it is right across the street from the bus main transit center. And the Cultural Trail passes rightin front of the Plaza, in addition to there being a bike share kiosk right on the side of it. It has a rest room facility, glider swings two grass areas with Adirondack chairs and small wooded stages. The plaza is also home to a splash pad, but I visited off season, so it was shut down until next summer. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, the plaza has some very nice public art. You will also find an awesome origami looking sculpture there called Alloy and 6 granite spires, suspended above a granite area with benches, rising five stories high. And if that was not enough, they play music over a PA system throughout the plaza. The plaza has artificial green space and has been used to host fair, small concerts, movie nights, yoga, and corn hole. The lawn is listed to have a capacity of 1,500 people The plaza is very clean and neat. There is tons of metered street parking and commercial lots within a reasonable walking distance where you can park. I find this park as relaxing as it can be, being in the heart of downtown with a lot going on. But wait....theres more...Free wifi. You can surf the world wide web while you hang out here without using your phone's data. I love this plaza. It is an awesome place to hang out while downtown. I enjoyed my time there and sure that you will too. read more

This plaza is one of my favorite Indy additions. The big open space with hanging chairs, public art, bike racks and flat area of grass is much needed in the city center. Located by several of the big downtown corporations (specifically behind Cummins and the mayor's office), this space has been used in many ways. Last year, they held many free outdoor yoga classes here in the grass that were incredibly relaxing and wonderful. On a particularly hot day, we were even able to run through the water spouts afterwards, and many mothers let their kids play in the little water fountains as the class went on. One family was here with a soccer ball and a few people were seated on the swings. This place looks great and serves all people in the downtown. It's a great place to picnic, get your workout on, or simply walk through and admire. read more

I drive by Richard G. Lugar Plaza every single day on my way to work. To be honest, it didn't click immediately that this was intended as a downtown park. However, I finally took some time and explored it and completely fell in love with this relatively simple yet charming plaza named in honor of former Indy mayor and Indiana Congressman Richard Lugar. Located on the Southside of the City-County Building, Richard G. Lugar Plaza is a public square. It offers a bit of nature and a gathering space for downtown Indy residents. Funding was provided by Lilly Endowment, Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, and Central Indiana Community Foundation. Ground was broken in May 2017 under the administration of Mayor Greg Ballard. It was an increasingly rare show of bipartisanship to have all of Indy's living mayors show up and announce that the plaza would be named after Lugar. The plaza was dedicated in October 2018 under the administration of current Mayor Joseph Hogsett. Senator Lugar was the longest serving Congressman from Indiana in our state's history. He was an iconic figure and a master politician who also did an awful lot for Indiana's children and youths. Lugar Plaza is essentially a wide-open space with hanging chairs, public art, lots of grassy areas, and bike racks. There are tables set out for sitting and enjoying the area. The plaza also hosts a variety of events ranging from yoga to movie screenings to even water play (which I had no idea of until I actually looked closer!). There's a piece called "Alloy" that is especially impressive here and is designed to represent Indy's relationships with our sister cities. There's also six granite spires that practically leap up and are five-stories high. The lawn has a capacity for 1,500 (at least during non-pandemic times). There's also free wireless internet here. For those who hold an event here, there's also a sound system. As a matter of note, most wheeling devices are not allowed here - skateboards, bikes, skates, scooters, and roller blades specifically mentioned. If you check out the actual buildings in the space, you can learn a bit about Indy history. I will admit I'm not completely fond of some of the park's color choices, though overall I'm a super fan of this wonderful public space for downtown Indy. read more

Great update to a public space on the eastside of Downtown Indy. Prior to the renovations, the Lugar Plaza was a nondescript space with raised plant beds and granite barriers and served as the entrance to the City-County Building. It was a maze of sorts to navigate, and you never knew where you were going until you actually exited out of the plaza. With the new multi-million dollar upgrades, the Lugar Plaza feels much more open and accessible with improved green space. Bright colored tables and chairs serve as resting spots, The swinging seats provide an aesthetic anchor and give an additional fun factor to the seat users. With additional space available, there is potential to do more art installations to add to the look and feel of the plaza. In addition to the physical space, there are new programming events that are open to the public. Lunchtime concerts, movie nights, and night markets are just a few of the activities that takes place at the plaza. The new and improved Lugar Plaza is a great addition to public spaces available in downtown. It serves as a gateway to all of the new development in the Market East district. read more

The brand new Lugar Plaza is certainly quickly becoming the downtown spot for rest and rejuvenation. Dedicated last fall by the late former senator and mayor Richard Lugar, the Governor, and all other living former and current Indy mayors, Lugar Plaza is a child of the Department of Metropolitan Development and supported by the City Market and Big Car. The Plaza is the south entrance to the City-County Building, right across from the Julia Carson Transit Center on Washington in the heart of downtown. There's a splash pad, public art, plenty of big swings, tables/chairs, and grassy space for picnics. As someone who works in the CCB, I am so, so grateful for this perfect space to get out of the office for some fresh air or to enjoy my lunch away from a screen. The grounds are very well manicured. Pleasant music piped in speakers? Check. Free public WiFi?? Check! And don't even get me started on the programming... I highly recommend following the Plaza on Instagram to stay up to date with all the happenings. Basically every day provides a new opportunity: think yoga, getting your portrait drawn, movies, live drumming and jazz and other music, markets, and surely more to come. It's all free and all for the public. Check it out, yo! read more

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This is such an incredible addition to our downtown landscape. #parkgoals ya'll. As I sat there zenning out at the free Wednesday evening yoga ‍ I couldn't help but think of all the fun ways this park can be used. The beauty of it is there is so much incredible infrastructure here - bike parking, water play features for kiddos (and adults), public bathrooms, swings, mini soccer field, free public book sharing, speakers, grass and concrete areas, art, seating areas and a small stage. There are so many reasons to love this centrally located park. Speaking of location, the Lugar Plaza is conveniently located on the Cultural Trail and across the street from the shiny new-ish transit center. Talk about accessibility! The park is an easy ten minute walk from Monument Circle and City Market and ideal for a lunchtime picnic. Cheers to all the magic on the horizon for this great space. read more

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This could be 5 stars. It is a great, well thought out space, to be used in a variety of ways. Pre-pandemic, it was a pleasant place to go for a fresh air during a break, swing a little, or sit at a little table to enjoy a coffee, purchased at the nearby City Market. I don't smoke...can you see where this is going? Smoking is banned in 212 city parks in the INDY PARKS system. Why is it allowed here? I'm sure this will gain a fair amount of hate, from the "Freedom" crowd, but truly, my freedom to breath is affected, and I'm not alone. I sat away from people to enjoy my lunch in a little sunshine, then someone sits at the next table over from me, to light up. I left. read more

Lugar Plaza is full of activities and places to have fun and relax. I have to go to the CCB twice a month usually for my job and this is such an improvement from the previous state. The art, games, swings, splash pads and more- there is something for everyone. It's great to see that no one has been taking anything from the Plaza and shows the community's appreciation for spaces like this. This is a great spot to take your lunch from the City Market to eat on the lawn or on the tables. I had the pleasure of meeting Richard Lugar while a student and I know that he would be proud of this space. read more

Richard G. Lugar Plaza - Ping Pong tables - Parks Near Me - Indianapolis, Indiana

Indy has a new park (Fall 2018) that opened on the south side of the City-County Building on Washington Street. The plaza is a makeover of the former concrete sidewalk/patio that was boring and unattractive. Now, the out buildings have information about the city's history. There are colorful pastel tables and chairs for those wishing to bring their lunches. There are even bench swings on the west end for those who wish to spend their time having a little more fun than the rest! The old sculpture that was on the corner didn't survive relocation, but a new art installation has been added. The plaza is supposed to hold up to 1500 people for gatherings downtown. Looks like just one more perk for folks who don't want to feel chained to their desks at lunch time! Review #1752 read more

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Super bummed the splash pad wasn't in operation. We were visiting and it was well into the upper 80's and 90's. We were so excited to see there was a splash pad in walking distance. Unfortunately it was kind of smelly and not in operation. read more

What a great space - with an amazing line-up of programming! To find some of it follow Big Car Collaborative, which appears to be one of the entities that coordinates programming in this public space. I haven't been able to attend any of the live music events, outdoor movies, focused conversations, or painting/drawing YET but I've been drooling over what I've seen. I finally was able to hit up a free yoga event on Lugar Plaza last week and it was fantastic. I love practicing in different and unique settings -- and this was both different and unique indeed. There was the sound of the splash pad (which was still running in chilly October?), lots of loud conversation and laughter nearby, cars and busses, a swift calming breeze, and some really chill low beats playing in this public space. It made for a really interesting mix of high energy and calm. From my mat I saw a variety of seating options, public restrooms, open grassy space, functional sculptures, trash cans complete with dog-poop bag dispensers, empty cafe tables, huge slabs of smooth cement and these cool sun orbs that I'm sure cast some neat shadows when the sun is out. It's a great public space and made me proud of our city for turning a once run-down lot into something with so much potential for activity, connection, learning and peace-finding. There are metered spaces for parking along all sides, but pickings can be slim at peak times. I somehow snagged a free paralell-parking spot directly across from the bus station. read more