A free family outing doesn’t have to mean another lap around the neighborhood playground. Around Indianapolis, families can spend an afternoon making art, visiting farm animals, exploring museum exhibits or climbing through a play space that feels more like a paid attraction.
These spots are free to visit, though a few require a pass, advance registration or a little planning around limited public hours. Some also have paid programs or amenities elsewhere on the property, so it’s worth reading the fine print before promising the kids they can do everything they see.
Related Article: 101 Things to do in Indianapolis with Kids
Jump to:
- Free Indoor Attractions and Play Spaces
- Free Nature, Art and Farm Experiences
- Free Parks That Feel Like Full Destinations
Free Indoor Attractions and Play Spaces
Ignite Studio at Hamilton East Public Library
City: Fishers
Ignite Studio at the Fishers Library is what happens when a library gives its craft table an entire floor and a much better supply closet. Located on the lower level of the library, the free makerspace includes open work areas, rotating project kits, exhibit space and tools for drawing, sewing, building and experimenting with different materials.
Younger kids can settle in with a grown-up and work on the current drop-in projects. Older children, tweens and teens have access to more advanced equipment, including digital media spaces, an A.V. Studio and fabrication tools. Some of those require reservations, appointments or certifications, so this isn’t necessarily a show-up-and-use-everything situation.
Ignite works best for elementary-age kids and teens who’d rather make something than climb something. Younger children can enjoy the open studio areas, but preschoolers who need to run may lose interest quickly. Plan on spending one to two hours, though a committed maker can stretch that quite a bit.
Before you go: Ignite Studio is inside the Fishers Library at 5 Municipal Drive. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Projects and equipment availability change, so check the studio calendar before heading over.
Indiana State Police Museum
City: Indianapolis
The Indiana State Police Museum sounds a little more serious than the actual family outing. Inside, kids can see uniforms, historic equipment, department artifacts and a 1938 Chevrolet police vehicle while learning how the Indiana State Police has changed since its founding in 1933.
It’s a focused specialty museum rather than a giant interactive attraction, but that can work in its favor when you need an outing that fills an hour without taking over the entire day. Kids who like police cars, badges, history or displays about how things used to work will get the most out of it.
Most families will spend about 45 minutes to an hour here. Elementary-age children and teens are the strongest fit. Toddlers may admire the car and then decide they’ve completed the museum.
The catch: Public hours are limited to 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Admission is free, though donations are appreciated. Individual visitors don’t need reservations, but groups should schedule their visit in advance.
The Park at Traders Point Christian Church
City: Whitestown
When the kids need to climb, slide and burn off the kind of energy that’s making everyone else nervous, The Park at Traders Point Christian Church is one of the better free indoor options on the northwest side. The community play space is inside the church’s Northwest Campus, but it feels more like a dedicated indoor playground than a small church playroom.
There are separate areas for younger and older children, including a space for kids ages 3 and younger. Adults get picnic tables, Wi-Fi and places to sit where they can supervise without following their children through every tunnel.
This is mainly a preschool and elementary-age outing, and one to two hours is usually enough. Kids need socks and must remove their shoes before entering the play equipment. Adults should bring a government-issued ID for check-in.
The Park is closed Monday and Tuesday. Public hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Food and drinks are allowed in the picnic area.
Good to know: First-time families can register before arriving, but registration doesn’t reserve a spot. The play space regularly reaches capacity, and wait times vary. This is not the outing to casually promise five minutes before pulling into the parking lot.
Fishers Community Center Indoor Playground
City: Fishers
The Fishers Community Center includes plenty of paid amenities, but families don’t need a paid membership to use its free indoor playground. The play area is included with a free Community Pass, making it one of the most substantial no-admission indoor outings in the area.
The playground includes a two-story structure, tunnel slide, lower climbing features and separate toddler-friendly spaces. It’s large enough to feel like a real destination, and the surrounding community center gives families easy access to restrooms, seating and staff.
The playground is designed for children ages 12 and younger with direct adult supervision. It works particularly well for families with toddlers and elementary-age children who need different levels of play in the same room. Plan on staying one to two hours.
Fishers Community Center indoor playground in Fishers.
Every adult and child needs a free Community Pass or paid membership to check in. Nonresidents can register for a Community Pass too. Walk-ins are allowed when space is available, or families can reserve an entry window up to 48 hours in advance.
Playground hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, with a cleaning closure from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with cleaning from 2 to 3 p.m. The playground is open noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. It also remains closed until 4 p.m. on the first Friday of each month for a safety inspection.
Worth remembering: Showing up during the cleaning closure means waiting, and busy periods can fill up. The aquatics center and other membership amenities are separate, which may require a quick conversation when your child spots the pool.
Free Nature, Art and Farm Experiences
Fishers AgriPark
City: Fishers
Fishers AgriPark feels more like a farm visit than a regular afternoon at the park. Families can see animals, walk the grounds, check what’s growing and let kids loose in the mud kitchen and natural play areas.
When crops are ready, visitors can also pick a limited amount of produce for free. Families check in with staff, receive the correct container and follow the household limit for that day. Produce is first come, first served, so there’s no guarantee the tomatoes will wait patiently for your arrival.
The park works for toddlers through elementary-age children, with enough animals, trails and farm activity to keep many older siblings interested. Give yourself at least 1.5 hours, and longer if produce picking is available.
Fishers AgriPark is open year-round from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It’s closed Monday and Tuesday. Daily picking availability is posted through the AgriPark’s Facebook and Instagram stories.
Dogs aren’t permitted, with the exception of service dogs. Groups of 20 or more should submit a free group visit permit before arriving.
Parent reality check: Dust, heat and mud are part of the deal. Shade can be limited, and a child who finds the mud kitchen will probably need a change of clothes. At minimum, throw an old towel in the car and lower your standards for the ride home.
Holliday Park Nature Center, The Ruins and Playground
City: Indianapolis
Holliday Park is more than a playground, more than a nature center and more than a place to take family photos at The Ruins. The best visit combines all three.
Start inside the Nature Center, where kids can explore hands-on exhibits and see live animals. From there, families can walk to The Ruins, head to the playground or continue onto one of the park’s trails. During warmer months, the fountains add another reason to linger.
The playground has separate areas that work for toddlers and bigger kids, while the trails and Nature Center keep the outing interesting for elementary-age children and middle schoolers. Seeing the main areas can easily fill two to three hours.
The park is open daily from dawn to dusk. The Nature Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sundays. Parking is divided among several lots near the playground, The Ruins and the Nature Center.
Fountains and restrooms near The Ruins operate from May through October. A restroom at the pavilion near the playground remains open during winter.
One thing to know: Holliday Park is spread out. It can feel like three smaller outings connected by hills and walking paths, especially when one child wants the playground and another has already committed to a trail. A stroller helps, provided the child agrees to sit in it.
Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park at Newfields
City: Indianapolis
The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park at Newfields is a good answer when the adults want something slightly more interesting than another playground and the kids still need room to move. The free park combines trails, lake views and large outdoor artworks across the Newfields property.
Children don’t have to stand quietly in a gallery. Families can walk from piece to piece, explore the landscape and stop at familiar works such as Funky Bones. Some art can be climbed or physically explored, but not every piece is meant to become playground equipment.
The park is strongest for elementary-age children, teens and younger kids who are content to walk or ride in a stroller. A visit can last 1.5 to three hours depending on how far the family wanders.
The Art & Nature Park is open daily from dawn to dusk, and no ticket is needed. Use the separate entrance at 1850 W. 38th St. for free parking. The lot is accessible only from westbound 38th Street.
Restrooms are located in the Ruth Lilly Visitors Pavilion, which closes from Nov. 1 through April 1. Leashed dogs are welcome. Admission to the Art & Nature Park doesn’t include the main Newfields museum, gardens or ticketed exhibitions.
Keep in mind: This outing depends heavily on the weather and your child’s willingness to walk. The seasonal restroom closure also makes cold-weather visits a little less convenient than they need to be.
Cool Creek Park and Nature Center
City: Carmel/Westfield
Cool Creek Park and Nature Center gives families several backup plans within the same outing. Start at the Nature Center, head to the playground when kids need to move, then add trails or the nature play area if everyone’s still holding it together.
Inside the Nature Center, kids can explore woodland exhibits and look for birds and other wildlife through the viewing area. Outside, the park includes four miles of wooded trails, paved roads, a traditional playground and a nature play area. This mix works especially well when one child likes exhibits and another considers standing still a personal attack.
Preschoolers through middle schoolers will find something to do, though the experience leans more toward nature exploration than nonstop interactive entertainment. Most visits last 1.5 to three hours.
Park admission is free, and the grounds are open from dawn to dusk. The Nature Center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Restrooms are available, and seasonal programs take place throughout the year.
Free Parks That Feel Like Full Destinations
Midtown Plaza and the Monon Boulevard Playground
City: Carmel
Midtown Plaza and the nearby Monon Boulevard playground work best as one combined outing. The plaza gives families seating, lawn games, trail access and seasonal activities. A short walk away, the playground delivers the climbing tower and giant slides kids were probably expecting when they heard the word “outing.”
Midtown Plaza is the easier place to settle in. Adults can grab a table while kids move between outdoor games and open areas. The nearby Monon Greenway makes it simple to add a walk or bike ride.
The music-themed Monon Boulevard playground sits just north of City Center Drive and includes a 40-foot tower designed to resemble a metronome. It’s larger and more ambitious than a typical neighborhood playground, which makes the plaza-playground combination worth planning a full morning or evening around.
This outing works for toddlers through tweens, though younger children will need close supervision on the larger equipment. Families can easily spend 1.5 to three hours between the two areas.
Midtown Plaza is located at 365 Monon Blvd. and includes public restrooms, tables, parking and trail access. The spray plaza operates from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day through Sept. 30.
Plan around the sun: The playground is exposed, and shade is limited. Summer visits are much more comfortable in the morning or later in the evening.
Coxhall Gardens and the Children’s Garden
City: Carmel
Coxhall Gardens doesn’t feel like a kid-only park, and that’s part of the appeal. Families can begin in the Children’s Garden at Coxhall Gardens, then move on to ponds, paths, open lawns and the larger formal grounds.
The Children’s Garden skips the giant climbing tower in favor of playhouses, tunnels, small hills and village-style features. It works particularly well for preschoolers and younger elementary-age children who can turn a row of tiny buildings into an entire afternoon’s storyline.
Older kids may move through the Children’s Garden quickly, but the broader property gives families room to walk, picnic and explore. The full park covers 125 acres and includes the recreation lake, lawns, trails, the Centerpiece and bell towers.
Coxhall Gardens is free and open from dawn to dusk. Parking and restrooms are available. The property also hosts concerts, rentals, tours and public events, so access to certain areas may vary on busy event days.
Set expectations: This isn’t a traditional all-ages playground. Families who come for imaginative play and a walk around the grounds will get much more out of it than older kids expecting giant slides.
Treehouses at Flat Fork Creek Park
City: Fishers
Flat Fork Creek Park isn’t a traditional playground destination. Its main kid appeal comes from three wooden treehouses built among the woods, plus trails, a boardwalk, a fishing pond and a very large hill.
The treehouses give children something to discover along the way, while the paved loop and natural trails help turn the visit into more than a quick photo stop. One treehouse is ADA-accessible, and paved paths and ramps lead to the top of the 60-foot sledding hill, which is the tallest point in Hamilton County.
Elementary-age children and older kids are the strongest fit, though younger children who enjoy walking and nature exploration can have a good visit too. Families may stay for 45 minutes or spend more than an hour exploring the hill and trails.
The park also includes parking, public restrooms, a shelter and a separate mountain bike course.
Know what you’re getting: The treehouses are interesting, but they’re not three full playground structures hidden in the woods. This outing works because of the treehouses, trails, views and open-ended outdoor time together. Mud, heat and winter weather can all shorten the visit considerably.
Free admission doesn’t always mean every part of a property is free. Food, classes, memberships, special programs and ticketed areas may cost extra, even when the main family attraction doesn’t charge admission. Hours and access rules can also change, so check the official location page before loading everyone into the car.
