Parks in Indianapolis are operated primarily by the City of Indianapolis Department of Parks and Recreation, also known as Indy Parks. There are 192 such park facilities grouped into several categories.
Contents
- Regional parks
- Community parks
- Neighborhood parks
- Natural Resource Areas
- Other facilities
- Independent not for profit parks
- Parks in excluded cities and towns
- References
In addition to the parks operated by Indy Parks, there are also independent non-profit parks, as well as parks operated by the state of Indiana and by the excluded cities of Beech Grove, Lawrence, Southport, and Speedway.
Regional parks
Regional parks are the largest parks in the Indy Parks system. They are intended to provide an open and natural setting, while also containing other facilities such as cultural or nature centers.
Community parks
Community parks are smaller than Regional parks, and generally place more emphasis on facilities such as recreation centers than on natural landscapes.
Neighborhood parks
Neighborhood parks are the smallest of the parks. They are generally 3 acres (1.2 ha) or smaller, and are intended to serve the immediate surrounding neighborhood with facilities such as basketball courts and playground equipment.
Natural Resource Areas
Natural Resource Areas are kept in their original wild state, and most have only dirt trails.
Other facilities
Indy Parks also operates athletic facilities, including Kuntz Stadium and the Major Taylor Velodrome.
Independent not-for-profit parks
Not managed by any municipality, each of these parks is run by its own independent volunteer board of directors, and operates with fundraising and volunteer support.
Parks in excluded cities and towns
Under Unigov, the excluded cities and towns own and maintain parks within their municipal boundaries.