Historic Military Park at White River State Park

HIstoric Military Park is home to a variety of events - whether that be beer festivals to holiday celebrations to post-marathon hangouts, a lot happens here.

I find myself visiting the park quite a bit primarily for the events or to walk through it to get where I'm going at a bit of a quicker pace. I do see a lot of different types of people here though: you have your homeless, your people that like to chill and have some lunch, those that like to play ultimate frisbee or soccer in the northern part by the library. It's nice that the Cultural Trail runs through it as well.

Two of my biggest things: 1- I don't feel safe at all walking through here at night. No, it's not because of certain clientele but rather because it's not well lit and it's not patrolled the most. (I might add that the park is closed after sunset, but I like to walk through it to get where I'm going some times.); and 2- there are no restrooms. Yes, I know it's a public park but how horrible is it when you just arrive to take advantage of the beautiful area and then have to go to the bathroom? Gotta walk to a nearby business, purchase something and then use the restroom. Use my tax dollars to install a bathroom and some staff to keep it clean! It'll go along way.

Other than that, it's a good park, and a nice, quick break from city life.

Military park is pretty much a huge field with a few picnic tables, park benches and a little stage area. I have been here many times for 5Ks. The Indy mini even ends here. They also hold festivals and small concerts there. It is a cool place for a nice walk or a picnic. It is located right across the street from IUPUI McKinney School of Law. There is metered street parking nearby, within a short walk. The Whitewater River Parking Garage is also nearby. The park is well maintained and is adjacent to most of the downtown museums and White River State Park. They do not have restrooms unless you are attending an event that they brought in porta-potties. The canal runs along the backside of the park and makes an awesome grassy picnic spot.

This park is rumored to once be a Civil War encampment and training field and was home to the state fair in the mid 1800s. It is also said to be in the shape of a military badge, but I can't see it. This is a nice wide open park that does not offer the amenities that most parks do, but is a great spot for an event or to just chill.

This park serves as a hub for so many community events and I'm thankful for that! I've been here for Race for the Cure and a few beer festivals too. I like the expansive space and mature trees so that you can get a little shade. When there aren't events here, there aren't a *ton* of people just hanging out like you might see in other cities, but I'm always thankful for green space in a downtown.

Once a year I visit military park for the annual microbrewery festival. Seems like a great park made better by the availability of a hundred microbrews from Indianas finest breweries.

I'm ready for my next visit!

This is a great park located just outside of downtown Indianapolis, it's a good size and has lots of space that allows you to not feel like you aren't in in a major urban area and be one with nature for a bit.
The park is host to a lot of events that are held in the area, several beer festivals, the Irish fest, and the wine festival as well. They are always very well organized, and spaced out perfectly.
Military park is always clean! I'm not sure if this is because of the staff working hard to keep it spic and span or we in Indy just like to be tidy, but it's certainly an area that you can feel ok chilling in the grass.

Enjoying wine fest 2016 with friends... nice wine. Good food. Awesome friends! Awesome time.... this is my 2nd wine fest, and I love it!

Lovely park in the middle of the city. Came here with some friends for an evening picnic. We found a nice spot on the grassy bank overlooking the canal. Lots of people were out jogging along the canal and it was quite nice. Very clean and well-maintained. A great spot for a get-together or event. Theres even a couple of picnic tables under large trees.

Nice size park with big trees. The space works well for lounging as well as playing. One of the city's first parks!

A close relative of near-by White River State Park, this plave is the best spot to go for any local civic event.

Here's my suggestion, if you hear about anything going on at Military Park, its probably a really good bet for something fun to do.

The park is spacious and can be a great place to play some ultimate frisbee or just lay around and be lazy, and with some cool views of the canal as well.

Military Park plays host to some of Indy's largest outdoor events that focus on food, beer, and even fundraising efforts. The large grass area with mature trees scattered throughout and convenient parking options nearby make it a proven spot to throw a successful outdoor event.

The name "Historic Military Park" is fairly misleading though, especially if you decide to visit expecting any history lessons. It does have some history, as it was both a Civil War encampment and home to the first Indiana state fair. However, the only place I have seen this information is from sources outside of the park, and unless there are plaques somewhere that I haven't seen, it isn't a place to go learn anything new. Additionally, it certainly isn't a place that offers any focus on the military, as the name "military park" was chosen solely due to its shape like a military badge.

On weekends when there are no events, it makes a great place to go if you are looking to get outside and need some space. I have seen people using the park in a number of ways ranging from picnics to organized sports. It tends to have far less people than the nearby White River State Park, although that's mostly due to the fact that WRSP tends to win in a lot of park categories compared to Military, in my opinion. Getting to the park is very convenient, as it borders the cultural trail on 1 side, and the canal walk on the other.

My 1 complaint is that it seems, especially for a park, that places to lock up a bicycle are few and far between.