Richard P.
Yelp
White River State Park is one of those parks that you simply don't realize "Hey, this is all a park!" until you're actually visiting it, traveling around it, and actually getting kind of tired trying to catch it all.
White River State Park bills itself as the nation's only "cultural urban state park." I have no idea if that's true because, well, I have no idea what that actually means. I mean, sure, it's an urban park since it's right off downtown Indy. It's also mighty cultural. I'm just not sure about the "only" part.
But, hey, it's a really cool park. I work at the Indiana Government Center. So, White River State Park is easily within wheeling distance, though to really catch it all I'm probably better off actually parking in the park. White River State Park actually includes Military Park, the Central Canal, the banks of the White River, the Indianapolis Zoo, White River Gardens, the Eiteljorg Museum, The Indiana State Museum (with an IMAX Theatre), Victory Field, the NCAA Hall of Champions, and the recently renovated Amphitheater at White River State Park.
That's a whole lot of park.
You can walk, run, bike, and wheel it. You can rent bicycles. You can rent pedal boats and kayaks. There are other vehicles you can use, as well. While it's a lot of ground to cover, it's all also pretty darn wheelchair friendly. However, I will note the canal does have some exits that are steps only (which is kind of weird).
Parking is for the most part paid in garages or on the surface at the park. If you're going to IMAX, for example, you can typically get validation.
The park is definitely close to downtown and quite a few other restaurants and places to visit. You can easily make a day out of White River State Park and downtown Indy. Heck, you can easily make a day out of the zoo and probably spend another day at the museums. The Hall of Champions is about the only thing I'd say is a fairly quick visit.
There's lots of greenery and places to relax. While all the venues are following current health guidelines, traffic is light these days and even most state employees are still working from home during the pandemic. So, it's a fairly peaceful visit.
If you're a geocacher, you'll also find multiple caches within the boundaries of the White River State Park. I know the Indiana State Museum has multiple ones, while the zoo has some and there are other spots around. A good number of them are virtual and fairly easy to snag.
Overall, White River State Park encompasses about 250 acres. It was first really begun in 1979, though the first place to truly call it home was the zoo in 1988. The Eiteljorg opened up a year later and before long this park really started growing and it continues to be amazing.
If you've never visited, give yourself a day and just explore it. You'll enjoy it.