Riverside Park (Indianapolis) Informations

Riverside Regional Park is located on the near west side of Indianapolis, and is bounded by 38th Street to the north, 18th Street to the south, Riverside Drive to the east, and Cold Spring Road to the west.

The area now occupied by Riverside Park was developed for agricultural use beginning in the 1820s. The area along the White River became a popular recreation space during the last half of the nineteenth century and several privately owned parks opened along this corridor. In 1898, the Board of Park Commissioners and Mayor Thomas Taggart negotiated the purchase of large tracts of land around Indianapolis to form new park and parkway systems in the northwest and northeast parts of the city. Originally designed by J. Clyde Power and George Kessler between 1898 and 1913 as part of the Park and Boulevard System for the city, Riverside Park was one of the largest municipal parks in the United States. It would remain the largest park in Marion County until the creation of Eagle Creek Park in 1962. Investment in Riverside Park declined after World War II and many facilities were demolished and never replaced while others suffered decades of neglect. Interstate 65 was built through the park in the 1960s, destroying some of its popular recreational spaces. Riverside Park was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 as a part of the Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System Historic District.

Address: 3502 White River Pkwy West Indianapolis, IN 46222

The nine-hole Riverside Golf Course opened in 1900 as Indianapolis’ first municipal golf course. It was expanded to an 18-hole course in 1902. Sited along the White River, the course has mature trees, elevation changes and is the home of "Old Smokey," a 440-yard, par four which ends on a significantly elevated sloping green.

Address: 1800 W 18th St, Indianapolis, IN 46202

South Grove Golf Course, the closest 18-hole golf course to the metro downtown area, was built in 1901 as the second 9-hole golf course in Riverside Park. It was expanded to 18-holes in 1915 and a two-story brick clubhouse with a wraparound porch, locker rooms, a refreshment stand, and a second-floor assembly hall was built in 1916. The course was free and open to the public.

The name of the course came from the grove of trees that lined the south side of the park on which the course is now located. The grounds included a lagoon with a rustic footbridge. The lagoon was located along the west side of the courseand was largely filled in during the 1990s. Another clubhouse was built around 1990 and the historic clubhouse was demolished in 1994.

Address: 2401 Cold Spring Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46222

In 1903, the private Highland Golf Club was organized to lease the southwest part of Riverside Park for use as a golf course. The City of Indianapolis leased the land to the club, allowing them to construct a 9-hole golf course and a clubhouse that would eventually become public property. The golf course and clubhouse opened in 1904 and a lease renewal in 1908 included space for expansion to an 18-hole course. Upon the expiration of the final lease in 1921, the property became a municipal golf course.

The property has operated as a municipal golf course since 1921 and was known as the Charles E. Coffin Golf Course by 1924, honoring Charles E. Coffin (1849-1934), a real estate developer, long time member of the Board of Park Commissioners and the director of numerous community organizations. The present clubhouse was built around 1962. The course was redesigned and rebuilt in 1995.

Address: 3702 N White River Pkwy W Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46208

In 1898, Park Superintendent J. Clyde Power established a nursery for the propagation of thousands of trees, shrubs, and flowers for the city's park system. The 75-acre (30 ha) nursery was part of a system with the Garfield Park Conservatory, which propagated flowers and tropical plants. During World War I, land adjacent to the nursery was developed as a victory garden, raising produce that was sold at cost. The nursery was eliminated in 1994 and the Riverside Golf Academy was built on the site. The Academy is a PGA recognized practice range.

Address: 3649 Cold Spring Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46222

As part of the Riverside Regional Park bordered by Lake Sullivan, the Lake Sullivan Sports Complex operates as the Indy Cycloplex. The complex includes the Major Taylor Velodrome and BMX Track, which is owned by the City of Indianapolis Department of Parks and Recreation and operated by Marian University. The Lake Sullivan Skate Park is owned and operated by the City of Indianapolis Department of Parks and Recreation. The Cycloplex is home to an urban garden, weekly farmers' market, daily programming, and more.

Address: 3001 Cold Spring Rd. Indianapolis, IN 46222

The Wilbur Shaw Memorial Soap Box Derby Hill, built by the city of Indianapolis in 1953, is the nation's longest track, measuring 1,000 feet (300 m). It was renamed in 1955 following the three-time Indy 500 winner's death in a plane crash in October 1954. Shaw had been active with the Derby both locally and nationally, serving as a referee since 1938. Today, the state of the art track features a digital weighing system, laser timer, scorer's bridge and pit area.

Address: 1502 West 16th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202

Dedicated in 1987 as a sports venue for the Tenth Pan American Games to William F. Kuntz, former teacher, coach and administrator who devoted 30 years to the Catholic Youth Organization in Indianapolis.

Address: 1831 Lafayette Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46222

The Indianapolis Canoe Club, an exclusive private country club, opened in September 1900 at the northeast corner of 30th Street and the White River, on the site of the present day Riverside High School. The club grew to about 600 members and built a new facility east of Lafayette and Cold Spring Roads during 1912-1913. The clubhouse contained a basement rathskeller pub, a main floor parlor and dining room, and a second floor ballroom overlooking the White River. The clubhouse burned in December 1916 and was rebuilt following a revised design by architect Herbert L. Bass. The club sold the facility in 1920 and new owners opened it as the Casino Gardens Jazz Club. The City of Indianapolis purchased the property in 1927 for use as a dance and music hall and sports venue, renaming it Municipal Gardens. It is now regarded as a section of Riverside Park. The building was remodeled in 1979 and c.1998 and a large addition was built to the northwest in 2004.

Complete article available at this page.