Indy Parks Part 3: A Guide to Indianapolis' Neighborhood Parks

Indianapolis is home to over 100 city parks of various sizes and purposes. The handful of "regional parks" are large natural areas that allow Indianapolis residents to forget how close they are to the city. These scenic reserves are usually centered around lakes or rivers near or within the city. Indianapolis community parks are typically smaller and have facilities such as a nature center, family center, pool, or ball parks. Community parks are where Indianapolis residents go for swim lessons and baseball games. Finally, there are "neighborhood" or "mini" parks. These parks may be only as big as a block or two, but you can't turn a corner in Indianapolis without seeing one. These small simple green spaces offer picnic areas and playgrounds, a close convenient place to eat lunch or play with the kids after school. In this three-part article series, we will explore each kind of Indianapolis' parks in more detail.

There are 102 "neighborhood" or "mini" parks in Indianapolis. These parks usually have picnic shelters and playgrounds, and may have a spray area or basketball court. There are far too many of these parks to learn all about all of them in one article, so my hope is to help you find the ones in your neighborhood so that you can discover their secrets for yourself. Read on to discover the parks closest to you!

Downtown

These are all the "neighborhood" parks located south of 16^th Street, north of Morris and Prospect Streets, east of the combined I70/ I65, and west of the White River. Near the heart of downtown Indianapolis is Presidential Place, an urban plaza at 301 East Washington Street. Fall Creek and 16^th Park offers fishing, basketball and tennis courts, play structures, and picnic areas on its impressive 67 acres. Near the IUPUI campus, Ransom Place is at 801 Indiana Avenue. The Cancer Survivors Park can be found at 985 Indiana Avenue and features a statue that honors cancer survivors. The Edna Balz Lacy Family Park is located at 700 Greer Street, just a few blocks from the Lilly Corporate Center. The Babe Denny Park is located at 900 Meikel Street, just south of Lucas Oil Stadium. It offers a picnic shelter, playground, and basketball court.

North

Here are all the parks located between I65 North and I70 East. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park is located at 1702 Broadway Street. The park is home to a number of features, including the Kennedy-King Center, an inspired statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy, an outdoor pool, playground, basketball court, and picnic shelter. Frank Young Park is located at 1000 Udell Street and has a picnic shelter and playground. The John Ed Park is at 2000 Roosevelt Avenue and has a basketball court and a playground. Barton Park is located at 2334 North Capitol Avenue and offers limited access to Fall Creek. Kessler Park is at 2501 North Pennsylvania Street and overlooks Fall Creek. The Broadway and 29^th Park is at 2921 North Park Avenue and is one of the smallest parks in the Indy Park system. The Al E. Polin Park, also known as the Talbot & 29^th Park, is located at 100 East 29^th Street and has a playground, shelter, and basketball court. The Beckwith Memorial Park is at 2302 East 30^th Street and has a playground, football field and basketball court. The Fall Creek Parkway and 30^th Park offers basketball and tennis courts. The Oscar Charleston Park is at 2800 East 30^th Street and has a baseball diamond, play structures and picnic shelter.

Southwest of Crown Hill Cemetery is Highway Parcel #15 at 3100 Rader Street. This park offers play structures, basketball courts, and a slide. The Wes Montgomery Park is at 3400 North Hawthorne Lane. McCord Park is at 3600 Watson Road. Across the street from Crown Hill Cemetery, the Bertha Ross Park is located at 3700 North Clifton Street. The park has basketball courts, baseball diamonds, and a playground. The Eva Talley Park is located at East 38^th Street and North Graham Road. Roselawn Park is at 5000 Roselawn Drive and offers a basketball and tennis court, play structure and picnic shelter. Tarkington Park is located at 45 West 40^th Street and offers a tennis center, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, a playground and picnic shelter. The Doris Cowherd Park is at 4050 North Irvington Avenue and has a playground and a field. The Andrew Ramsey Park is located very near Crown Hill Cemetery, at 310 West 42^nd Street. This park has a playground and a spray pool. Just north of Crown Hill Cemetery and very close to the Butler University campus is the Elwood & Mary Black Park, formerly the Fairview Park, located at 4241 Fairview Ter.

The Arsenal Park is located at 1400 East 46^th Street. One of the larger neighborhood parks, Arsenal Park offers a playground, spray pool, tennis and basketball courts, a playground and picnic shelter. Gardner Park is located at 6900 East 46^th Street, very near to I465. This park offers basketball and tennis courts, playgrounds and picnic shelters. Canterbury Park is at 5510 Carvel Avenue. Bordering the Monon Trail, the park offers playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, and picnic shelters. Alice Carter Park is located at 5700 North Meridian Street. Fox Hill Manor is located at 5900 Woodside Drive. The Broadway and 61^st Park is at 6051 Broadway Street and offers a playground, sand volleyball court, picnic shelter, tennis courts and a spray pool. The Juan Solomon Park is at 6100 Grandview Drive and has picnic shelters, walking trails, tennis courts and soccer fields. WISH Park, a partnership with WISH-TV, is located at 2602 West 71^st Street. Riverwood Park is at 7201 Crittenden Avenue and has a playground and picnic shelter.

East

These parks are located between I70 East and I65 South. The Hot Shot Tot Lot Park is located just east of the combined I70 and I65 at 948 Elm Street and is ideal for families with young children. Highland Park is located at 1100 East New York Street and offers trails, basketball courts and play structures. Stacy Park is at 1503 Hoyt Avenue. Spades Park is connected to the larger Brookside Park at 1800 Nowland Avenue. Orange Park is at 1900 East Pleasant Run Parkway North. Finch Park is at 801 South State Avenue. Beville Park is located at 400 North Beville Avenue. Porter Playfield is at 404 South Saint Paul Street and can only be accessed by alleyway. Willard Park is located at 1901 East Washington Street. This park offers an outdoor pool and splash area, in addition to basketball courts, soccer fields and other facilities. Forest Manor Park is at 2000 North Forest Manor Avenue and has lighted softball and baseball diamonds. Dequincy Park is at 1980 North Dequincy Street and has play structures. Near Fountain Square, Sandorf Park is located at 2020 Dawson Street and offers a basketball and tennis court, playground and picnic shelter.

The Virginia Lee O'Brien Park is at 2300 North Bolton Avenue. The Kin Hubbard Memorial park is at 5100 East New York Street. The Irvington Circle is at 236 South Audubon Road and offers a fountain and landscaped flower beds. The Clayton and LaSalle Park is at 401 South LaSalle Street and has a soccer field. Brown's Corner Park is at 5050 East Washington Street.

South

These parks are located between I65 South and I70 West. Kelly Park is at 1200 South Meridian Street, just south of I70, and has playgrounds. Perhaps the newest addition to the Indy Parks system, Hendricks Park is located at 1313 Madison Avenue and is home to beautiful flower gardens and outdoor artwork. Little Valley Park is at 1052 York Street. Sexton Park is located at 200 East Beecher Street, near Garfield Park. The Ross Claypool Park is at 2300 Howard Street and offers a basketball court, playground and picnic shelter.

Emhart Stadium, which houses only softball diamonds and a concession stand, is at 200 West Pleasant Run Parkway South Drive. The Bel Aire Park, formerly a drive-in movie theater, is located at 2915 South Tibbs Ave. and features a sledding hill, picnic shelter and playground. The Bluff Road Park is located at 555 West Hanna Avenue and offers many amenities, such as basketball courts, softball diamonds, playgrounds, shelters, and unpaved trails. Near the University of Indianapolis, Southside Park is at 1941 east Hanna Avenue and offers a football field, softball diamond, basketball courts, play structure and shelter. Stout Field Park is at 3820 West Bradbury Avenue and offers basketball courts and playgrounds.

West

These parks can be found between I70 West and I65 South. Just blocks from the White River State Park, the Stringtown Park is at 1605 West Ohio Street and has basketball courts and playgrounds. The Rev. Mozel Sanders Park is at 1300 North Belmont Avenue and has tennis and basketball courts, a playground and picnic shelter. Lentz Park is at 700 North Traub Avenue and has basketball courts. Denver Park is at 1024 Sharon Avenue and has basketball courts, a play structure and two grills. The McCarty Triangle Park is at 1100 West McCarty Street and has basketball courts. Centennial and Groff Park is located at 2300 North Centennial Avenue and has a play structure and spray ground. Centennial and 20^th Park is at 1919 North Centennial Avenue. The Max Bahr Park is at 300 North Warman Avenue and has softball diamonds, swings, soccer fields and picnic shelters. Hawthorne Park is located at 75 North Belleview Place and has swings and a basketball court. Haughville Park is at 520 North Belleview Place and has a softball diamond, playgrounds, basketball courts, a spray area, and picnic shelters. The Indianola Park is located at 1900 West Washington Street and offers basketball courts and playgrounds.

Olin Park is at 702 Olin Avenue and has basketball courts and play structures. Christian Oaks Park is at 4205 West Washington Street and has basketball courts and a play structure. Bowman Park is at 3600 Auburn Road and has a soccer field, spray area, and playground. Ridenour Park is located at 3800 Creston Drive.

Near Speedway, Faculty Park is located at 3307 Ashway Drive and offers basketball courts and play structures. The Gateway West Park is at 6150 Gateway Drive and has picnic shelters and swings. Also near Speedway is the Gustafson Park at 3110 Moller Road. This park has a pool, basketball and tennis courts, playground, and picnic shelters. Closer to the Speedway itself is the James Foster Bruiser Gaines Park, formerly the 21^st and Tibbs Park, at 2100 North Tibbs Road. This park offers a softball diamond, basketball and tennis courts, picnic shelters and playgrounds. Directly north of the Speedway is Patricia Park at 4326 Patricia Street. Moreland Park is located at 2935 North Moreland Avenue and has a softball diamond, football field, basketball court and playground.

Outside the Loop

These parks are outside of the I465 loop and are normally large with more amenities and programs. Near I465 is Greene Park at 1700 North Franklin Road. This park has many tennis courts and is home ot the Ryan White Memorial. East of the city in Lawrence is Bellamy Park located at 9501 East 36^th Street. South of Lawrence is Dubarry Park, at 3698 Dubarry Road. This park has many amenities, including softball diamonds, fields, basketball and tennis courts, a nature study area and trails, a pond, shelters and grills. Near the eastern end of the county, German Church and 30^th Park is 10510 East 30^th Street. This park has picnic shelters, grills, fields, basketball courts, and softball diamonds. Also east of the city on German Church Road is Paul Ruster Park, over 100 acres with hiking trails and one of the best sledding hills in Indianapolis.

Hanover Park is at 7848 Wolfgang Place, near where I74 exits southeast of I465. Acton Park is located at 7400 South Acton Road. This park aspires to be a wilderness park, but at the moment can merely offer a parking lot. Also in Acton is Retherford Park, at 8020 Acton Road. Franklin Township Community Park is a large 99-acre park located at 8801 East Edgewood Avenue. This park offers trails, creeks, and a pond, as well as shelters, basketball courts and playgrounds. Also southeast of the city, near Southport and Five Points Road, is Basswood Park, which offers a shelter, playground, and walking trails. Thompson Park is located at 6451 East Thompson Road and has a playground and picnic shelter. The Tolin-Akeman Park is at 4459 Shelbyville Road and has a playground.

Southwest of the city, Carson park is located at 5400 South High School Road and offers 9 softball diamonds, as well as basketball courts and picnic shelters. On the west side, Chapel Hill Park is at 900 North Girl's School Road, directly south of Chapel Hill United Methodist Church. The park offers tennis courts, basketball courts, a softball diamond, play structure and picnic shelter. On the northwest side, near the Eagle Creek Air Park is the Eagle Highlands Neighborhood Park, located at 4201 Eagle Creek Parkway. This park offers shelters, grills and play structures. Near Clermont is Robey Park, at 8700 West 30^th Street.