Riverside Park (Indianapolis) facts for kids

Riverside Regional Park is a large city park in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is located on the west side of the city. The park is bordered by 38th Street to the north and 18th Street to the south. Riverside Drive is to the east, and Cold Spring Road is to the west.

Park History

The land where Riverside Park now sits was used for farms starting in the 1820s. Later in the 1800s, the area along the White River became a popular spot for fun. Many private parks opened there.

In 1898, city leaders and Mayor Thomas Taggart bought large areas of land around Indianapolis. Their goal was to create new park systems. Riverside Park was designed by J. Clyde Power and George Kessler. It was one of the biggest city parks in the United States.

Riverside Park was the largest park in Marion County until 1962. After World War II, less money was spent on the park. Many buildings were torn down and not replaced. A big highway, Interstate 65, was built right through the park in the 1960s. This destroyed some popular recreation areas. In 2003, Riverside Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list of important historical places.

Fun Things to Do

Golf Courses

Riverside Golf Course

This nine-hole golf course opened in 1900. It was Indianapolis’ first city golf course. It grew to 18 holes in 1902. The course is next to the White River. It has old trees and hills. One famous hole is "Old Smokey," a 440-yard, par four.

South Grove Golf Course

South Grove Golf Course opened in 1901. It was the second golf course in Riverside Park. It expanded to 18 holes in 1915. A two-story brick clubhouse was built in 1916. It had locker rooms and a hall for events. This course was free for everyone to use.

The course got its name from the many trees on the park's south side. There was also a lagoon with a small bridge. A new clubhouse was built around 1990. The old historic clubhouse was torn down in 1994.

Coffin Golf Course

In 1903, a private group called Highland Golf Club leased land in Riverside Park. They built a 9-hole golf course and a clubhouse. The city later took over the property in 1921. It became a city golf course.

By 1924, it was known as the Charles E. Coffin Golf Course. It was named after Charles E. Coffin. He was a real estate developer and a long-time park official. The current clubhouse was built around 1962. The course was updated in 1995.

Riverside Golf Academy

In 1898, Park Superintendent J. Clyde Power started a nursery here. A nursery is a place where thousands of trees, shrubs, and flowers are grown. These plants were used for the city's parks. This 75-acre nursery worked with the Garfield Park Conservatory.

During World War I, land next to the nursery was used for "victory gardens." People grew food there to help with the war effort. The nursery closed in 1994. The Riverside Golf Academy was built on its site. It is a practice range recognized by the PGA.

Sports Venues

Lake Sullivan Sports Complex

The Lake Sullivan Sports Complex is part of Riverside Regional Park. It is also known as the Indy Cycloplex. This complex includes the Major Taylor Velodrome and a BMX Track. A velodrome is a special track for bicycle racing.

Marian University helps run the complex. The Lake Sullivan Skate Park is also here. The Cycloplex has a community garden and a weekly farmers' market.

Wilbur Shaw Soap Box Derby Hill

The Wilbur Shaw Memorial Soap Box Derby Hill was built in 1953. It is the longest track in the country, measuring 1,000 feet. It was renamed in 1955. This was after Wilbur Shaw, a three-time Indy 500 winner, passed away.

Shaw was very involved with the Soap Box Derby. Today, the track has modern features. These include a digital weighing system and a laser timer.

Kuntz Memorial Soccer Stadium

This soccer stadium opened in 1987. It was used for the 1987 Pan American Games. It is named after William F. Kuntz. He was a teacher and coach who worked for the Catholic Youth Organization in Indianapolis for 30 years.

Other Places to Visit

Indianapolis Canoe Club / Municipal Gardens

The Indianapolis Canoe Club was a private club that opened in 1900. It was located on the White River. The club built a new building in 1912-1913. It had a dining room and a ballroom overlooking the river.

The building burned down in 1916 but was rebuilt. The club sold it in 1920. New owners opened it as the Casino Gardens Jazz Club. In 1927, the City of Indianapolis bought it. They used it as a dance hall and sports venue, renaming it Municipal Gardens. It is now part of Riverside Park.

Colts Fitness Park

Colts Fitness Park opened in September 2016. It has a PLAY 60 Challenge Course. This course helps kids stay active. It also has a 40-yard dash track and exercise equipment.

What Used to Be Here

Zoo Department (1898-1940s)

Riverside Park had Indianapolis’ first zoo. It started in 1898 with eagles and foxes. In 1899, a bear pit was built into a hillside. It housed two brown bears. A fenced deer park was also created. It had deer and elk.

By 1901, the zoo also had monkeys, pheasants, owls, wolves, and other animals. By 1916, raccoons and coyotes were added. The zoo closed by the 1940s. A new Indianapolis Zoo opened in 1964.

Riverside Nursery (1898-1994)

In 1898, Park Superintendent J. Clyde Power started a nursery. This 75-acre nursery grew thousands of trees, shrubs, and flowers. These plants were used for the city's park system. It worked with the Garfield Park Conservatory.

During World War I, land next to the nursery was used for "victory gardens." People grew food there to help with the war. The nursery closed in 1994.

Riverside Amusement Park (1903–1970)

Riverside Amusement Park was built next to the public Riverside Park. It was easy to reach by streetcar. It had roller coasters, a mirror maze, and a carousel. There was also a miniature railway and a big water slide.

The park also had a skating rink and a dancing hall. You could rent canoes and rowboats. There was a swimming beach with a tall diving tower. The park also had arcade games. Riverside Amusement Park closed in 1970.

Riverside Park Shelter House / Casino (1904-1962)

The Riverside Park Shelter House was built between 1903 and 1904. It was designed by J. Clyde Power. The building had golf locker rooms and a bicycle storage room. The first floor was a dining and picnic room. The second floor had a meeting room.

The roof had four towers with views of the park. This building was also called the Riverside Park Casino. The word "casino" here meant a fun recreational building, not a place for gambling. The Shelter House was torn down sometime between 1956 and 1962.

Riverside State Fish Hatchery (1910-1960s)

In 1910, the State of Indiana leased 20 acres in Riverside Park. They used it for the Riverside State Fish Hatchery. A hatchery is a place where fish are raised. A total of 31 ponds were built.

The hatchery raised fish like bass, bluegill, and crappie. Nine large ponds showed off different fish, turtles, and alligators. The Riverside State Fish Hatchery was destroyed when Interstate 65 was built through the area in the 1960s.

Interesting Park Features

Old Bridges and Dams

Emrichsville Dam

The Emrichsville Dam was built from 1899 to 1900. It was built to make the White River deeper for boating. The dam was made of concrete and limestone. It had towers on each side. These towers were observatories where people could enjoy views of the river.

Emrichsville Bridge / 16th Street Bridge

The Emrichsville Bridge opened in 1906. It was designed by H. W. Klausmann. This bridge was made of steel-reinforced concrete and limestone. It was meant to be a grand entrance to Indianapolis. It also marked the main entrance to Riverside Park.

After World War II, traffic engineers suggested replacing the bridge. They wanted to allow faster highway traffic. It was replaced by the current Sixteenth Street Bridge in 1946-1948. The old bridge was torn down in 1949.

30th Street Bridge

The current 30th Street Bridge was built from 1906 to 1907. It replaced an older iron bridge. It was also designed by H. W. Klausmann. It had similar features to the Emrichsville Bridge. These included a concrete arch, limestone, and fancy lampposts. It also had grand staircases leading down to the river.

Suspension Bridges

Two steel suspension bridges were built over the White River in 1901. These were for bicycles and people walking. One was about 1 mile south of the 30th Street Bridge. The other was about 0.5 miles north of 30th Street.

The north bridge was damaged by ice in 1904. It's not clear if it was fixed or removed. The south bridge was swept away by ice in 1918. Its steel was sold for scrap.

Lake Reginald Sullivan

In 1934, a special area for nature study was built. It was a habitat for waterfowl. This 20-acre area was named after Reginald H. Sullivan. He was the mayor of Indianapolis.

Lake Sullivan needed to be cleaned many times. This was because of dirt and trash from Crooked Creek. The building of Interstate 65 cut the lake in half. This left a swampy area. In 1977, the city stocked the lake with fish. In 1995, Indy Parks and IUPUI agreed to manage the park. They wanted it to be a center for wetlands education.

Thomas Taggart Memorial

Thomas Taggart was elected Mayor of Indianapolis in 1895. He was the first Irish American to hold a big city office there. Taggart strongly supported building a city park system. He oversaw the purchase of over 1,100 acres of land. This land became Riverside and Brookside Parks.

After being mayor, Taggart became a national figure in politics. He also co-owned the French Lick Springs Hotel. Riverside Park was officially renamed Thomas Taggart Park in 1926. Bronze signs were put up at all 16 park entrances. It is not clear when the park's name changed back to Riverside Park.

After Taggart passed away, community leaders honored him. They built a beautiful memorial in the park. It was designed by Carleton B. McCullough. The Taggart Memorial was dedicated in 1931.

After the 1930s, the memorial was not well cared for. The reflecting pool was drained in 1940. In 1994, part of the main entrance road was removed. This left the Taggart Memorial isolated. It damaged the grand entrance to Riverside Park.

In 2019, the city announced a plan to restore the memorial. They will also build a new outdoor amphitheater. It will have terraced seating for 650 people. The project is partly paid for by a $9.2 million grant. The Indianapolis Shakespeare Company will use the amphitheater. The road will also be rerouted to its original design. This project is the result of efforts by Indiana Landmarks. They had listed the memorial as one of the most endangered landmarks.

Images for kids

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  Landscape architect George Kessler prepared the 1913 plan for Riverside Park.

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  A 20th-century postcard featuring the Thomas Taggart Memorial.