Nestled just South of downtown Indianapolis lies Garfield Park. This city park includes not only the standard grassy areas, ball diamonds, tennis courts and playground equipment but also an amphitheater, city pool with water slide, and (my favorite) sunken gardens, conservatory and a kid’s garden. The park is free and open the public. There is a fee at the swimming pool and a $1/per person donation at the conservatory. However, my favorite thing to do at the park is to walk the sunken gardens. There are several fountains and countless flowers. The gardens are open free to the public unless there is a special event (wedding, fundraiser, etc). Brett and I have gone there numerous times and decided to give it one last visit on our way out of town.

It will be a few more weeks before the sunken gardens are in full bloom but it was so nice to see the tulips and daffodils. In the conservatory, the orchids, paper flowers, and cactus flowers are blooming. The koi fish seem to be enjoying their ponds (one was outright gigantic). There are lime trees, succulents, cocoa trees and even a Cuban tree whose flowers look like barber’s shaving foam brushes. Some of the trees and palms are so tall that they touch the conservatory’s ceiling.

It is not as wonderful as the conservatory and gardens at the Indianapolis Zoo – but it is free and easily accessible. Below are some of our pictures from our visit.