What are the Orange Chairs on Interstate 65?
While driving on Interstate 65 in Indianapolis, you may notice some bright orange chairs watching over the highway where it meets I-70. This isn’t a joke. When I asked my friends for some help coming up with a title for this article, they had various responses, but most asked if it was real. It’s a real thing! This roadside attraction in Indianapolis is pretty cool!
A while back I saw a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for this special park that people could go to and watch the traffic drive by on the highway below. The park would be named the Idle and would reunite or reconnect neighborhoods that were divided because of the construction of the highways. The Idle – a point of view is a piece of public art, meets urban green space. The Idle Park reconnects four neighborhoods; Holy Rosary, Fountain Square, Bates-Hendricks and Fletcher Place. These neighborhoods became divided when the interstate was built.
Several symbolic pieces of art line the path, including a quote in the pavement from the John Lennon Song, Watching The Wheels: “Sitting here watching the wheels go round and round.” Orange chairs from Bush Stadium sit in rows, covered by a blue canopy.
This would be a neat place to show your kids and just sit and watch, but it really depends on your kids and the kids of things they like to do. We meet a couple while we were there, they were walking across the U.S. with their two dogs. Indy was one stop along the way and they were two months in to their journey.
I love this idea, but I’ve never liked “normal” things. Let me know what you think!
Parking Near Idle Park
Visitors can park their cars on Virginia Avenue, between McCarty and Leonard, walk down a short gravel trail surrounded by bushes and trees.
Address for the Park Watching the Interstate
The address for the Idle Park to watch the highway is 800 Virginia Avenue, Indianapolis
How to get to the Idle Park in Indianapolis
You can get to Idle Park by way of Virginia Avenue. It’s located between McCarty and Leonard. From there, you’ll walk on a short trail to the orange chairs. The Idle is located along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail between the interstate bridges. There’s a short chain-link fence barrier that you are advised to enter at your own risk.
Address
800 Virginia Avenue
Indianapolis
in
46228
Visit Idle Park | Watch Traffic on the Highway
Very interesting. Are some of those trees Ailanthus (Tree from Heaven)? If so, do those have some noise reduction property. I have a Certified Tree Farm in Ripley, Ohio and I spend a lot of time trying to eliminate Ailanthus, since it is invasive. Interested to know.
Very neat idea by the way.