White River State Park
Located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana’s first urban state park offers a variety of recreational facilities and natural green spaces. The park is home to several exciting venues.
The Indianapolis Zoo has nearly 3,000 animals and 1,900 species of plants, and is the only facility in the United States to be accredited as a zoological park, botanical garden and aquarium. White River Gardens is the site of a 3.3-acre botanical garden with seasonal shows, theme demonstration gardens and water and wedding gardens.
Indiana’s only IMAX theater, the IMAX Theater lets visitors experience a movie like never before. Whether it is watching a 3D or 2D movie, the six-story screen and digital sound system make you feel like you’re in the movies. In addition to IMAX movies, the theater also holds periodic Hollywood film festivals. The IMAX Theater is currently closed for renovation during the construction of the new Indiana State Museum. It will reopen this spring. The National Institute for Fitness and Sport is a state-of-the-art fitness and research center open to professional and amateur athletes along with the public.
One of only two museums east of the Mississippi with both Native American objects and Western paintings, The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art features a collection considered one of the finest of its kind in the country.
The park also features one of the best new baseball stadiums in the country. Victory Field serves as the home to the AAA Indianapolis Indians, who are affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers. Since it opened in 1996, the park has attracted record crowds.
White River State Park also features great outdoor spaces. The extension of the Central Canal that runs through the heart of the park was completed in 1996 and ends at the White River with a 17- foot waterfall below McCormick’s Rock. The rock commemorates the founding of the city in 1822.
The River Promenade, a half-mile walkway located along the northern boundary of the zoo, is a nationally honored walkway constructed of 1,272 massive limestone blocks and features carved renderings of famous buildings constructed of Indiana limestone and a hand-carved “rose window.” There are also great green spaces in Celebration Plaza leading down to the river and Military Park, the site of the first state fair and a civil war encampment and training field.
White River State Park will gain even more attractions in upcoming years. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) relocated from Overland Park, Kansas during the summer of 1999. The NCAA Hall of Champions opened in March 2000.
Indianapolis Zoo
Opened in 1988, the $64 million Indianapolis Zoo is one of the few new zoos to be built from the ground up and is the nation’s only accredited combined zoo, aquarium and botanical garden. It occupies 64 acres in White River State Park.
Its facilities include the world’s second-largest, fully-enclosed, environmentally controlled whale and dolphin pavilion and the state’s largest aquarium. The “cageless” zoo features nearly 4,000 animals in simulated natural habitats and 1,900 species of plants.
The Zoo is divided into biomes, or natural settings that replicate African and Australian plains and forests and also many different water habitats.
The Deserts Biome is a conservatory covered by an 80-foot diameter transparent dome. A variety of plant and animal life, including free-flying birds and free-roaming lizards, reside under this unique dome.
White River Gardens
The Hilbert Conservatory and White River Gardens at the Indianapolis Zoo are now open. The $14.5 million development is the site of a 3.3-acre botanical garden with seasonal botanical shows, theme demonstration gardens, and water and wedding gardens. The complex also features a gift shop, a restaurant overlooking the downtown skyline and a 5,000 square-foot conservatory filled with tropical plants.
Eagle Creek Park
With 3,900 acres of wooded terrain and a 1,300-acre reservoir, Eagle Creek, located on the northwest side of Indianapolis, is one of the largest municipal parks in the United States. The park has footpaths, bike trails, a nature center, a 27-hole golf course, an archery and pistol range, shelter houses, playgrounds and two retreat centers that are available for day conferences or retreats. Visitors can swim, sail, canoe, bird watch, fish and cross-country ski. Horse-drawn carriage rides through the park are offered seasonally.
Eagle Creek is home to one of only two rowing courses in the United States sanctioned for international competition by the International Federation of Rowing Associations. In 1994, it was the site of the World Rowing Championships.
Garfield Park and Conservatory
Purchased by the City of Indianapolis in 1873, Garfield Park represents the first land purchased specifically for park use. The park was originally named Southern Park and renamed Garfield Park after the assassination of President James A. Garfield. As early as 1895, the park began serving the horticulture and floriculture needs of Indianapolis. That year, a greenhouse was built to overlook an old harness racing track. Gardens of flowers, plants, shrubs, exotic foliage and grasses were planted to beautify the park. During the 1920s, the Amphitheater, now named the MacAllister Center, was built.
Today, Garfield is the oldest and second largest park in Indianapolis. Its 128 acres include the Burrello Family Center, an aquatic center, pagoda, conservatory, sunken gardens, MacAllister Center, greenway trails, wedding circle, shelters, horseshoe courts, outdoor basketball and tennis courts and several playgrounds.
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