White River State Park (Indianapolis, Indiana)

 urban open space, state park, tourist attraction

801 West Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 233-2434
www.whiteriverstatepark.org

White River State Park covers 250 acres in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, on the western edge of the downtown. It is also one of seven Indianapolis Cultural Districts, designated in 1999.

Among the attractions located in the park are the Indiana State Museum and IMAX Theater, Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, NCAA National Office and Hall of Champions, Victory Field (home of Indianapolis Indians baseball), Everwise Amphitheater, and the Indiana Cross Country Arena.

Restoration in this area began in the late 1980s when public attention fell on the Indiana Central Canal. The canal was originally engineered in the 1830s as a way to ship goods through the State of Indiana, but the project went bankrupt and the Indianapolis section of the canal was the only part completed. Although the canal was never used for what it was built for, its restoration into a recreational amenity has spurred public and private investment into the 2000s.