White River State Park

A great place for a walk or run… A nice to place to get some exercise or even people watch. Always a pleasant time down by the canal, even if there are a few people milling about, it’s very low key and relaxed! The White River Trail is also a great place to bike ride and get some fresh air — you can easily forget how close to the city you really are.

Beautiful area and we love the canal walk. We rented the couple’s bike and rode it around the entire canal. This is a nice, scenic area of Indy and I highly recommend as far as parks go.

This park has it all. Concert venue, across the street from the Indians ball park, the cultural trail, the NCAA hall of fame, next to the Zoo and White River Gardens, connects to the Canal, the Cultural Trail, White River Trail (north and south), IUPUI campus, NIFS (a cool gym), Natatorium, Stadium, Art Museum… wow. It has sculpture, a huge green, bike rentail, demonstration garden, wild flower garden, a terrific plaza to watch the sunset, a huge green space… see, I wasn’t kidding. This city park packs a punch.

This is my favorite place for a concert! It is the perfect setting and lovely views of the canal. I haven’t visited many of the other places such as the zoo or museums. Otherwise, it is a wonderful area to just chill out right in the city!

We came here for the earth day festival. They had six tents set up with vendors and food trucks were on hand as well. Many free trees were being offered and lots of. information about everything green. Whenever we go to an event at White River State Park I like to park at the north end of the canal and walk the canal to the park. Parking can usually be found for free off of Senate Avenue. Even though it rained all day we still had fun and found lots of places to get out of the rain.

As the current Duchess of White River State Park I feel a strong responsibility to step up and speak of the awesome things that are contained within the grounds of the White River State Park complex. It really has a lot going for it, so if you’re visiting Indianapolis and the weather is nice, be sure to check this place out.
Formally known as The Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park. The Lawn is a lovely place to see a performance. It sounds good and looks good. There is urban cityscape behind you, greenery and a body of water in front of you… oh, and usually the Nicey Treat truck is nearby (
.)
The canal walk is great for slow, aimless people watching and an excellent excuse to handhold.
The Growing Places Indy Slow Food Garden is a smart use of open space. Fresh, local produce grown and sold at a nearby farmers market and to restaurants. They even donate some. Midwest folks are so nice.
There are pathways, random acts of art, and lots of green squishy grass. Grab a bike, a blanket, a friend, a snack, see a show, take a stroll, relax here — just go here.

Smoking at concerts continues to be a bummer, but otherwise, this place is top-​notch!

My boyfriend and I had rented a canopy bike to ride along the canal walk. Since the walk is only 1.5, I would of prefer to walk. Renting the bicycles literally only gives you enough time to ride around once and stop a couple times to take pictures. They also have where you can rent paddle boats, canoes… those would probably be worth it vs the bike. The same price too depending on how many people are in your party. We wanted to do the gondola but it was closed. Like a previous reviewer said… if you’ve been to San Antonio’s river walk. It’s similar. Although the one I’m Texas is a lot better but this one is a lot cleaner. I wish the canal walk had more restaurants or gift shops but it’s more housing.

This place has about all of my favorite things in the world. The canal, the river, the nature and the zoo.
My favorite thing in the world about this place though is that I pretty much met what I think was the love of my life at some of the free concerts held here during the NCAA Final Four. I don’t know if I’ll ever see him again, but good heavens me, what a memory to have.
This place is perfect for making memories. It does a great job of hosting events and there are so many things you can do in this area just to hang out at. I’m going to pretend that I’m transforming my body to something magical this summer by attempting to take some jogs around the canal here.
I just find White River State Park to be the most romantic place on earth. I would definitely call this a hot date location at all hours of the day and definitely a hot place to make out (well appropriately that is). Who doesn’t want to go on a hot date with a stroll along the canal and playing around the fountains and what not? Maybe go hang out in the Eiteljorg and the State Museum earlier in the day? I don’t even know anyone who wouldn’t want to.
Also, there is this new Burgerhaus restaurant down the canal that I can’t wait to try. It’s almost so ridiculous how many of my favorite things in the world are located here. I absolutely love cheeseburgers.
I love burgers, I love parks, I love zoos, museums, trails, romance, and rivers. This place is legitimately my personal heaven.
The only thing I don’t like are geese, but that’s just a personal problem of mine.

One of my favorite parks in the city!!! Ok… downtown at least. It covers the canal, the zoo, the museums, and of course the Lawn. So much in a park! You can do anything and everything. If you want to run, bike, walk, get cultured, have a picnic, see a concert… this is the place to do it!
The city also takes advantage of this beautiful park. There are many concerts here in the summer, on the lawn and at the Historical Society. There are also a lot of running events here since it’s a big running spot. It’s the home of Dig-​in, place where you can get gondola rides or rent a paddle boat. I mean anything cultural you want to do, this is where you can do it!
One of my favorite parts is the Promenade which runs behind the Indianapolis Zoo on the west side of the river. If you’re a runner or cyclist, you’ve probably been here. It’s a been quieter and makes for a great run to see the city from the other side of the river.
This is definitely a great park with plenty of amenities and always full of events!

Beautiful! I haven’t attended a concert here but I’d love to. The botanical gardens are very peaceful and lovely. They also have a wedding gardens which would be an ideal spot for a small wedding. Check it out!

What can I say? I love parks!
After moving to Indy, I had heard about the canal, but I didn’t realize how great it was until I visited and saw everything in full swing. Gondola rides, paddle boats, museums, and a great space to spend an afternoon.
I hope it gets further developed to include a few more restaurants and shops. I know I would love to enjoy something delicious while taking in a few of the canal and watching people passing by.
Zoo, movie nights outside, concerts. So many great things happen here!

Beautiful park. It is well maintained which is especially apparent during the winter months. The streets by my house may not be cleared of snow but these running/​walking paths always are! If you are ready to brave the cold outside, these paths are perfect for winter runs!

So many choices are available to while away your day. «So much time, so little to do. Strike that! So little time, so much to do!»
The zoo, the air.
The canal, a fair.
A concert, baseball game.
Gardens, Eiteljorg art.
No matter what the name,
Each plays a part.
Halls of Champions lead the way
Play hooky one day…

Had our first experience here for Shakespeare in the Park, and I was blown away! What a beautiful area with a full calendar of summer events. Very convenient situated at the end of the canal. We enjoyed the event and can’t wait to come back just to explore.

Miles of lush green lawn, a beautiful river and a very cool walking area around some nice buildings and a small canal. Add in biking, boats and lots of outdoor activities, along with an excellent location and you get yourself 5 stars!

I really enjoy taking my boys here for walks. We enjoy feeding the fish and the ducks. My only complaint is the fact that there is a smoking section on the canal however it is not off of the canal it is directly on it. It is like running through a smoke cloud. I wouldn’t care too much accept I always have the babies with me.

A beautiful park that I have played Thanksgiving day football with about 20 family members and I get my miles in when I run. Walking distance from just about any hotel downtown. Also, a stones throw from The Indianapolis Zoo. Pretty quiet in the winter but gets pretty busy once the weather’s nice. Very pretty and great skyline views

This is a beautiful park that holds so many unforgettable events. A few of my most recent favorites have been «The Color Run» and «Dig-​In: A Taste of Indiana.» Talk about a huge turnout! Not only does it bring people together, but it also provides you with a breathtaking view of downtown Indianapolis. I love finding those «perfect spots» where you can sit/​stand/​lay and gaze at the skyline. Though Indy isn’t a huge city by any means, it’s still a pretty one. I have gone to this state park many times to just walk the canal or sit on the grass and chat it up with friends. It’s lovely and should be kept that way.

My husband and I walked from the Indianapolis Zoo, over the Historic Old Washington Street Pedestrian Bridge to the Central Canal. The entire park is very well taken care of and the canal is gorgeous! It was the perfect place for us to spend an afternoon. We picked up some Lemon Ice cups, popsicles and water along the way from vendors, and stopped for many photo ops. In fact, when we stopped at a photo op at «The Tent» a groundskeeper offered to take our photo for us so we could be in the picture together!
We chose to stay at the Fairfield Inn & Suites and spent our second day in Indy further exploring the city. We’ll be back!