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    White River State Park

    4.7 (110 reviews)
    Open 5:00 am - 11:00 pm

    White River State Park Photos

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    Nehal A.

    This is a huge park in the Indy downtown area, sits along the White river bank. Several tourist attractions are in and near the park such as Amphitheater, Indiana State Museum and history museum. There's a parking lot right inside the park. The walkway along the water is very nice. The park is mostly clean. There are several signs around the park with different historical facts about the park and the state. It is a a lot walk to explore the park fully, so be prepared accordingly depending on weather and temperature outside.

    November 2025
    Ann L.

    This is a nice green space downtown which can be accessed from the zoo and a few museums. Access from the zoo is a bit more complicated with the way they set up the new zoo entrance through the garden but there is still a path from the parking lot. There is easy access to the canal as well from here. I've been to some events here over the years as well, and it's a great location for food festivals and similar events. Some picnic tables might be nice, but bringing a blanket works for a picnic too.

    Nice walking area
    Ty L.

    The weather was cold the day we went downtown but we still took a few minutes to go to the park. There weren't many people outside since it was so cold but I do know when the weather is warm, a lot of people like to enjoy time there. They have bikes, electric scooters, and paddle boats that you can rent to enjoy. This is a nice place to bring your family, kids, or someone special. It's located in the heart of downtown and is just another example of where you can go and not have to pay a lot to enjoy yourself.

    Maggie W.

    Beautiful park!! We loved walking around, seeing the art, and enjoying being outside. The visitors center is cashless!

    Artwork
    Richard Walton C.

    I had never been to this park and didn't know there was a multi-level parking garage underneath it until I attended a festival event today. I like how the parking garage has plenty of signage to let you know which exits come out by which buildings. I didn't read my email well enough to know exactly where the event was being held so I ended up walking the perimeter of the park. There was only one handful of people walking in the park and it wasn't until I found a park employee to ask that I learned the location of the event which was Military Park. I didn't realize the park included areas behind all of the various museums. I learned that there were many museums and that the canal walk begins here. There are sculptures and artwork located throughout the park. The amphitheater seems huge at least the roof of it does. There is so much to see and do in downtown that you can't see from driving the streets. You need to walk around to get a better view of the various venues, especially here around this large city park in the heart of downtown. There wasn't much to the gift shop but at least it was open and staffed. There is surface parking available too but I didn't pay attention to the cost. The underground garage is $10 for the first two hours. I didn't realize it was within walking distance of the zoo until I left for the day.

    Breanna H.

    This was such a beautiful trail and park in general. I came out here on a beautiful sunny morning and was just amazed at how pretty it all was. This park just makes you appreciate nature and the water and trees. I walked past the zoo down the trail and is against the canal. I then turned onto New York Street and then passed the soccer stadium and continued to wander through the NCAA greens. This is definitely something that you should seek out if you are in Indy. There are clean trails and beautiful views all around

    Park time!
    Thama P.

    We love this beautiful park! We enjoy being here so much! The well manicured grass, the lovely trees, the clean pathways I could go on and on! We enjoyed the bike riding there and sitting down and just being with nature! There's close by restrooms, close by parking (for a fee), and some vendors for a little snack if you need one. The park can lead to the canal, the zoo, NCAA, and the museums! We certainly enjoy going!

    Helen H.

    White River State Park covers 267 acres. Canal Walk runs through the park. There are many attractions located within including Indianapolis Zoo and IMAX. As we were walking, we spotted a row of blossoming plum trees with the river in the background- picture perfect!

    Goose or as I now call them, wanna be Phish.
    Joseph D.

    Over all a great venue. They have booze and food trucks and tents and the prices are actually somewhat reasonable. The only draw back is that the hill slopes down in the back but other than that not a bad seat in the house. Not impressed with Goose.

    Les R.

    Awesome park and love the art and cannal. I had no idea White River State Park was here. Located in downtown Indianapolis and it's fun to explore on a nice day. We were standing at the Conrad downtown and heard about the canal and walked down to check it out. It was a beautiful day and to our surprise there was all of this green space, art, trails, the river, and the central canal. We even explored around and ended up at the 911 monument. There was a beautiful Old bridge that crossed the that was reimagined as a free space. It was such a good idea and was beautiful. Would love to have something like this in our city. Definitely recommend and worth checking out. ,

    Trail
    Joe K.

    Great state park that has miles of trails. I really enjoyed the walk/run/bike trails along both sides of the white river. During spring there is No shortage of blooming trees and flowers around every turn. The trails are well maintained. You'll find a number of spots where you can read about the local nature and wildlife as well as the local conservation efforts along both sides of the river. There's several bridges across the river, especially in the downtown Indianapolis area so you can cross easily. You'll get some great city views as well from the west side of the river. There's an amphitheater along the trail along with several parks. There's really lots to see and do. I really enjoyed my walk here and highly recommended it for everyone.

    Glenn C.

    Lots of water and grass. Museums and zoo on grounds. Take a paddleboat on the canal or bicycle around. Walk along the river or play in the park. NCAA museum borders it.

    White River State Park
    Nicole S.

    White River State Park has so much going on with it that I don't even know where to start. We initially visited the park to try to spot beavers. (Apparently, beavers live in the White River and make their dams around the bridges.) And although we didn't see any beavers, we did see a lot of public art located all throughout the park. It was a fun surprise to walk around and see such beautiful sculptures everywhere, and I can't believe I've lived in Indiana so long, and have visited this park so often, and never saw many of these art pieces. You'll find much of the art around the canal and around the bridges -- Washington Pedestrian Bridge is an especially good place to see sculptures. Because we're living during a time when there is an active pandemic happening, I especially love White River State Park because there is so much open space and grass on which to run around and explore. We weren't around anyone at all, and if we did see people, we had plenty of space to move out of their way. It's nice to have this park in the middle of downtown. I saw that someone mentioned that there was a playground here? I have never seen a playground at this park. If you know where this elusive playground is, send me a message -- my kids (and I'm sure lots of other kids) would love to know. On the grounds of White River State Park is the Indiana State Museum, the Eiteljorg, the Indianapolis Zoo, NCAA Hall of Champions and more. All of these museums require admission to enter, but I would say that you could make an afternoon just walking around the park, looking at all of the art, peeping the canal and enjoying the outdoors for free. One thing you will have to pay for is parking. There's just no getting out of that. There is surface parking and underground parking, but I recommend using the surface parking if you plan to walk around and look at art. It's just closer to everything.

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    16 years ago

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    7 years ago

    This is a nice place except they let people smoke anything they want. As soon as I got comfortable, some inconsiderate ass lit up a cigar.

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    16 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    9 years ago

    This place is beautiful. An absolute must for anyone visiting from out of town, just great spots to sit and enjoy life :)

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    13 years ago

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    10 years ago

    This is such a cute tourist location . Everything is clean and you enjoy the ducks and birds .

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    15 years ago

    Just a great place to start a walk along the canal!!!

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    Page 3 of 3

    Ask the Community - White River State Park

    Is there a playground or other activity for young children?

    Yes!

    My family and I love the Canal walk it's nice and relaxing great walk. How many miles are the walk?

    If you were to walk to entirety of the Downtown Canal Walk, it's 3 miles according to the Indiana Greenways Foundation. With it's connections to the Central Canal Towpath and the Indianapolis Cultural Trial it's easier to make it longer or shorter… 

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - White River State Park

    Usually I visit the canal and run it, since it's a 5k "track." If you are a runner, I highly recommend trying it!

    Mentioned in 44 reviews

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    Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens - Dragon for the castles  and dragon theme this year.

    Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens

    4.6(157 reviews)
    2.8 mi

    Little Green Thumb at Garfield Conservatory…read more We tried a new-to-us program today and it was honestly SO cute! This peaceful, hands-on story time was such a sweet way to spend the morning with the kids. The kids got to: Feed & pet the chickens Read stories about the sun Use the sunshine to melt crayons into cute animal shapes Pick peppers Check out dried sunflowers & their seeds Have a little dance party Plant beets Explore the garden It was such a calm, down-to-earth experience that combined story time, gardening, animals, crafts + outdoor exploring--perfect for little ones! Garfield Park Conservatory -- Indianapolis Ages: 2-5 $6 per child Registration required Next Little Green Thumb: September 16 | 10-11 AM Join them in Blake's Garden to learn about gardening and help plant, grow & harvest in the vegetable garden. There will also be a story, craft + time to explore! Definitely adding this one to our list of sweet Indy activities for little kids!

    The conservatory offers a variety of plants, flowers, and serene views of the waterfall. The…read morewaterfall and fish pond was definitely my favorite view out of everything offered at the conservatory with their scenic views and decor. The sunken garden was an okay view, the fountains were beautiful but there wasn't any other foliage, flowers, or scenery out there to enhance the view. The garden definitely has potential to be better than it is.

    Photos
    Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens
    Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens
    Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens

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    Holliday Park - Bird at the ruins

    Holliday Park

    4.7(153 reviews)
    7.3 mi

    I haven't visited Holliday Park in several years, but I was glad I did this week. There is so much…read moreto see and do at the Park. The history of the park is interesting. I was glad to find plaques describing the Holliday family. John Holliday was a journalist who founded the Indianapolis News. The property of the Park was the country home for his family. Holliday donated the property to the City of Indianapolis to serve as a Park. The "Ruins" on the property were formally the entrance facade to the St Paul Building in New York City. Indy Artist, Elmer Taflinger, won the facade when the building was demolished in the 1950's. Taflinger designed the exquisite monument that now stands as a focal point in Holliday Park. The monument includes a water feature that kid's (and I) were playing during my visit. The surrounding garden and fountain are beautiful and provide a magnificent backdrop for photos. The Nature Center in the Park is currently housing summer programs for kids. There are two classrooms and an auditorium. A bird watching room and library are relaxing spaces to enjoy. A nature area on the other side of the building offers interactive activities for children. Trail 3 starts from the Nature Center and meanders through a lovely rock garden filled with perennials in bloom and trees. The trail is a perfect spot to watch birds. The playground is sprawling with multiple climbing features and slides. Shaded benches and lots of mature trees provide shade. The matting is cushy under the equipment to keep the kids safe. I saw a nearby pavilion with restrooms. I saw several parking lots. Signs mark where to find different venues. Bring sunscreen, water and wear bug repellent. Don't leave valuables in your cars according to signs.

    Holliday Park is a mix of nature and joy--once you go, you'll want to stay all day…read more From climbing towers and hillside play to hammocks under the trees, this park truly has something for everyone. Mix of natural play materials: turf, padded ground, rock & mulch Slides built into the jungle gym AND into the hills Lots of swings Open-ended building materials + natural loose parts play Bathrooms fairly close by Lots of trails + open space for exploring Small rock garden + historic ruins Fountain area where kids can splash and get wet Nature center on-site Hammocks + shaded areas for relaxing Plenty of seating for parents + cute little tables for kids This is one of those parks where kids can explore, climb, create, and slow down all in the same visit

    Photos
    Holliday Park - Squirrels on trail 2 along the river

    Squirrels on trail 2 along the river

    Holliday Park - It's hard to beat their nature center.

    It's hard to beat their nature center.

    Holliday Park - The Ruins

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    The Ruins

    Indianapolis Canal Walk

    Indianapolis Canal Walk

    4.5(207 reviews)
    0.4 miMile Square

    It's been a while since I've been to the Canal, but when I saw they were having a Full Moon Yoga…read moreParty, I knew I wanted to check it out and I'm so glad I did! The yoga was provided by The Hot Room Yoga, and I believe the event was in partnership with Indy Cultural Trail. There was also a local artist, Lily Groot, who was there creating free prints for at least 450 attendees. I got print 13. Honestly, it was such a great event! You could purchase items from Black vegan cafe food truck, while we hung out and watched the sunset. Then around 8:30 PM, we turned on the glow lights they provided and got ready to do yoga under the full moon. The yoga session was about an hour. It was definitely challenging as you really just had to listen on what to do, but it felt so good for my body, mind, and soul. There was something really special about doing yoga outside, surrounded by the Canal, with the sunset fading and the full moon coming out. It was a vibe. I'm really glad I got to experience this! There's another one coming up in September, so if you've never been, you should definitely give it a try, it was free! Such a fun and unique Indy experience!

    Goodness, have I walked the canal about 50 times now?!…read more It's such a unique experience for Indy to have some water space in the middle of the city. This 3 mile loop will take you from 11th Street down to White River State Park to access the green space and extra trails down there. The canal water itself is not super cute, where there can be litter, and the water is rather opaque. They do drain the canal every so often to keep it from getting too uncute. The sidewalks are kept nicer, though a few spots in front of apartment buildings could use some TLC. There are also a few spots where the sidewalk is not level, so take caution if that is an issue. It's mostly stair access to the canal, but I *think* I've seen an elevator around the Ohio street basin. The canal has a few businesses along it for your merriment. Notably, there is Fresco on the Canal (I have a separate review for this) which is open March-October. Eiteljorg museum cafe is open daily around the lunch hours (11-3) and can be accessed through their patio gate. Entertainment wise, there is more going on. I've done the swan boat rentals, where you can pedal around on the canal. This is quite a workout! Rental of swan boats and kayaks is near the Ohio Street basin. There is also the gondolas, where your gondolier can sing, and they've always sounded marvelous. There's also a few stations for the Pacers Bikeshare around the canal, which is free for Marion County residents. Any time the weather is right, you can find me getting my steps in!

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    Indianapolis Canal Walk
    Indianapolis Canal Walk
    Indianapolis Canal Walk - Look for this tall colorful mosaic to start your canal adventure!

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    Look for this tall colorful mosaic to start your canal adventure!

    Potter's Bridge Park

    Potter's Bridge Park

    4.8(20 reviews)
    23.0 mi

    Zipline, shade, and water... oh my! If you're looking for the perfect summer park, you need to…read morevisit Potters Bridge Park! Tons of shade--no baking in the sun or hot slides! Kid-friendly zipline One slide and no traditional swings Climbing structure Wood chip playground Stick-built play hut for imaginative nature play Bathrooms close by Scenic walking trails with overlook points Historic covered bridge overlooking the White River Access to the White River for tubing or exploring along the shoreline Bonus: This is one of the drop-off locations for White River Canoe Company, so you'll often see people finishing their river adventures here! Home of the annual Potters Bridge Fall Festival each October. Whether you're coming to play, hike, explore the river, or simply enjoy the shade, this is one of my favorite parks to escape the summer heat

    My first visit here was in July 2021 when I resided in Indiana. The bridge was built in 1871 and…read morewas used for 100 years and since 1971 was listed in the National Register of Historical places in 1991. I made my first visit in July 2021 when I resided in Indiana. The park has restrooms, children's playground, paved trails to walk, tubing, jogging, running, kayaking, paddle boarding or biking. The park is also dog friendly. The park was well kept. The bridge was nicely constructed. My first sight to see this type of bridge. Overall, I enjoyed walking on the peaceful and beautiful park alongside the White River.

    Photos
    Potter's Bridge Park - Potter's Bridge Park, Noblesville

    Potter's Bridge Park, Noblesville

    Potter's Bridge Park
    Potter's Bridge Park

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    White River State Park - parks - Updated September 2026

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