You are going to want to grab the kids and check out these three updated Indy Parks!
Riverside Adventure Park, Grassy Creek Regional Park, and Washington Park are all ready to be explored! With brand-new playgrounds, park amenities, and more in 2025, these parks are now fully equipped to become staples in the community as a place where families can come together.
These Indy Parks received special funding for the recent improvements through the Lilly Endowment Foundation. Riverside Adventure Park and Grassy Creek Regional Park received additional funding through Indianapolis’ Mayor Joe Hogsett Circle City Forward initiative. Washington Park received further funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
These initiatives made it possible for the parks to receive a host of new and updated amenities that will be utilized by the community for years to come.
Riverside Adventure Park
3502 N White River Parkway Drive West, Indianapolis
As part of a multi-phase and multi-year project, the first phase of Riverside Park’s improvements has been completed, and the new Riverside Adventure Park opened on May 1, 2025. Riverside Golf Course was redeveloped and revitalized into this new park that features a brand-new nature-inspired playground, over 4 miles of paved trails, outdoor exercise equipment, a covered shelter pavilion, and more.
The second phase of this project, which includes an archery range, is set to begin in 2026, and the third phase will include the development of a nature center. This summer, the new Taggart Memorial Playground will begin construction and will be located next to the Taggart Amphitheater.
The Riverside Adventure Park’s playground is situated on top of a mess-free rubber surface. The playground features a large structure with wooden pods with many levels and climbing features, including rope bridges and slides. For younger children, there is an artificial turf hill with a slide, different-sized stepping logs, and other climbing features, including a rope and web. The playground also features a couple of spinning attractions, a larger climbing web, a swing set, bench seating, and a bathroom facility. The park also has stationary exercise equipment that can be utilized by older children and adults.
Grassy Creek Regional Park
3510 N German Church Road, Indianapolis
In May, the much-anticipated Grassy Creek Regional Park and Grassy Creek Environmental Family Center finally opened to the public. The park boasts nature-themed playground equipment to correlate with the natural elements that surround the park. Grassy Creek Park is the city’s fourth nature and environmental education-focused park; the others include Eagle Creek, Holliday, and Southeastway Parks.
The new Grassy Creek Environmental Family Center is a community facility that features many different critters, educational resources, multiple rooms that can be used for programming and rentals, and bathroom facilities. There is also a bird-watching room where you can observe the birds as they enjoy the feeders and small garden in front of the viewing window.
The playground is the highlight of the park! The space features many different nature-themed attractions, including an owl play structure and slide, animal and insect climbing structures, and themed play structures.
The lower playground is very accessible and features a rubber mess-free surface and paved walkways and an accessible sway attraction. Along the wall near the playground to the environmental center are sensory play spinners, including a color wheel and gear shifters. Â This area also has different spinning and climbing features, animal play structures, and swings. The smaller playground structure features a nest that kids can climb up to access a large slide. Near the playground, there is also a toadstool, an ant, and a bee play structure, as well as a butterfly climber.
A grass turf hill on the playground has a roller slide and rubber geometric balls to climb on to get to the top level of the park.
The top level of the playground has a grass turf surface and features the large, big kid multi-level play structure with large slides that is reminiscent of a tree house, an interlocking log and netted rope climbing structure, a swing set, and — my kids’ favorite — a swing zipline.
Around the park are several bench swings, benches, canvas shade coverings, and shelter pavilions, as well as grills and picnic tables to utilize.
Washington Park
3130 E 30th St, Indianapolis
Washington Park has a rich history. The park was once home to the Indianapolis Indians and then became the first site of the Indianapolis Zoo, before it moved to its White River location. Washington Park amenities include an outdoor basketball court, walking trails, playgrounds, an 18-hole disc golf course, and a mountain bike course programmed in partnership with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Now an important park in the Indy Parks system, Washington Park just underwent a major revitalization. Updates include playground upgrades, a new splash pad, a shelter, a parking lot, and an event lawn.
Washington Park recently got two new updated playgrounds. The playground located in the north section of the park opened in June 2025. This playground features a mess-free foam rubber surface, a shaded pavilion with picnic tables, swing sets, geometric toddler and big kid play structures with climbing features, and slides.
A much larger new playground and splash pad, located right by the family recreation center, recently opened in mid-August. The playground is vibrant with lime green and orange accent colors, and a colorful, mess-free rubber surface. On the pavement, you can find different animal tracks engraved in the cement and frog, lizard, and turtle climbing structures. The big play structure has a lot of rope climbing and agility elements, as well as slides that are more suitable for older children. There is a smaller structure with slides just for toddlers.
The playground also has bouncing seats and many different geometric climbing and spinning features, including a climbing web and circular spinners. There is a swing set that does include an accessible hard plastic shell swing. The playground has covered pavilions for shade, plenty of picnic tables, and benches around the playground.
Kids are going to love splashing around and playing in the water. The new splash pad has water dumping buckets, rainbow-shaped spray tunnels, pop-up jets, a slide structure with a foam landing pad, and other water play features.
Interested in visiting the family center? This building features a fitness room with equipment that can be accessed for $3 a day, or you can purchase a monthly pass for $10.
All three of these new parks are open daily from dawn to dusk. Follow Indy With Kids to learn more about new parks and splash pads opening in Central Indiana.
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