Half of these 16 Brownsburg picks cost nothing: four town parks, the B&O Trail, the public library, an indoor playroom with free open play and a Hendricks County park just south in Avon. The other half is where the slide park, the horses, the pigs and the drag strip come in, and when the kids have done all 16, there are 101 things to do in Indianapolis with kids waiting a short drive east.
Jump to upcoming events in Brownsburg
1) Williams Park and Blast Off Playground
Blast Off Playground is the wooden playground at Williams Park, the town’s largest. More than 400 volunteers built its towers in five days in 2000, and they do look like a rocket ship. Tunnels, ramps and slides connect the towers, all inside one fence with a single way in and out. Our own write-up called it a hide-and-seek playground for all its nooks and crannies. The playground also has an adaptive swing, an Omnispin and communication boards.
Elsewhere in the park are a second playground, restrooms and a 0.78-mile paved loop. The Maple Ridge Trail follows White Lick Creek on crushed stone, and the Outdoor Classroom off Alpha Street has nature play equipment and pollinator gardens. The free splash pad at the back of the park, with a 21-foot tipping bucket, runs Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
Every October, Trail & Treat, the town’s free trick-or-treat walk, follows the paved loop. Brownsburg’s official trick-or-treat hours land in our list of Indianapolis-area trick-or-treat times each fall.
- Address: 940 S. Locust Lane, Brownsburg
- Hours: Daily, 5 a.m. to dusk
- Cost: Free
2) Arbuckle Acres Park
Downtown across Green Street from Town Hall, Arbuckle Acres Park is Brownsburg’s oldest park, with mature shade trees. Besides the main playground, it has a separate Tiny Tots Playground for ages 2 to 5 on rubber surfacing. A paved loop of just under a mile passes a Storywalk of books chosen by the Brownsburg Public Library and connects to the White Lick Creek Greenway.
The park also has basketball, tennis and pickleball courts, baseball fields, restrooms and Bundy Lodge, where Brownsburg Parks holds most of its kids’ programs (No. 13). From Dec. 5 to 31, 2026, the park turns into a drive-through light display every night from 5 to 11 p.m.
- Address: 200 N. Green St., Brownsburg
- Hours: Daily, 5 a.m. to dusk
- Cost: Free
3) Stephens Park
The universal playground at Stephens Park was built so kids of every ability can play together. It has poured rubber surfacing, a double arch swing designed for wheelchair users, a Kaleidoscope Sensory Wall and the Cozy Cocoon, a quiet spot where an overstimulated kid can settle down. The park is small, with six pickleball courts, exercise equipment, a trail around the edge and a restroom that stays open year-round.
- Address: 605 Stephen Drive, Brownsburg
- Hours: Daily, 5 a.m. to dusk
- Cost: Free
4) Virgil Park
Virgil Park, the town’s newest, is named for Diana and Hall Virgil, who spent more than 20 years turning the abandoned B&O rail line into a trail, and the park is one of its trailheads. It keeps its wetland and prairie, with a half-mile of trails and boardwalks through them, plus a small playground, fitness equipment, a drinking fountain and a shelter with a year-round restroom.
The boardwalks make a short nature walk for small legs, and bikes can head straight out onto the B&O.
- Address: 9145 E. County Road 300 N., Brownsburg
- Hours: Daily, 5 a.m. to dusk
- Cost: Free
5) B&O Trail
The B&O Trail runs 8.2 paved miles across Hendricks County on the old rail line, and the Town of Brownsburg manages the stretch between Green Street and Raceway Road. Cardinal Park, one of three trailheads in town, has 50 parking spaces and a year-round restroom, and Virgil Park (No. 4) has a year-round restroom too.
Under the town’s trail safety rules, kids under 11 should have an adult with them.
- Trailheads: Green Street; Cardinal Park, 3432 Hornaday Road; Virgil Park, 9145 E. County Road 300 N.
- Hours: 5 a.m. to dusk
- Cost: Free
6) Brownsburg Public Library
Storytimes at the Brownsburg Public Library are split by age, starting with Pre-Walker for babies and going up to 4s and 5s. The kids’ calendar also has a monthly LEGO Club, STEM story programs and PAWS to Read, where kids 5 to 11 read aloud to a registered therapy pet. Programs don’t require a library card, though some need registration, and the building is open seven days a week.
- Address: 450 S. Jefferson St., Brownsburg
- Hours: Mondays through Thursdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fridays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays 1 to 5 p.m.
- Cost: Free
7) The Hideout
The Hideout is an indoor play space for kids 10 and under, with a climbing structure, sensory activities and rotating toys. Open play is free three mornings a week, paid for by donations and sponsors; the rest of the schedule goes to private parties and rentals.
Fill out the waiver online before your first visit. Kids and adults both need socks, since shoes come off in the play area, and a parent or caregiver stays for the whole visit. Food and drinks stay in the cafe area, which sells prepackaged snacks and has a make-your-own coffee bar. School breaks are busier, and earlier mornings a little quieter.
- Address: 554 Pit Road, Door 2, Brownsburg
- Free open play: Mondays through Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Ages: Designed for 10 and under; all ages welcome
Related Article: 25 Free Indoor Places to Play in Indianapolis (and Nearby)
8) Slick City Action Park
Slick City is an indoor action park built around giant dry slides. The big slides are for ages 4 and up; kids 3 and under get junior tickets, and the Junior Jungle is for kids under 45 inches. Sensory Hours ($19.99) turn the music down and keep crowds smaller. After Hours ($24.99) is a glow-in-the-dark night for older kids and teens, and it requires a neon After Hours T-shirt.
Hours differ from one day to the next, and Slick City posts them by date on its calendar, along with the Sensory Hours and After Hours nights.
- Address: 4430 N. County Road 1000 East, Suite 100, Brownsburg
- Cost: $26.99 for 90 minutes or $31.99 for 120 minutes, ages 4 and up; junior tickets from $14.99; CitySocks, $4.99 a pair, required for all
9) Pinheads Brownsburg
Pinheads has regular bowling and duckpin lanes, where the smaller balls are easier for younger kids to handle, plus an arcade, an outdoor patio and Alley’s Alehouse for food. Arcade games are half price all day Thursdays, and kids eat free Tuesdays from 4:30 p.m. Lanes can be reserved online or by phone.
- Address: 18 Whittington Drive, Brownsburg; 317-858-0388
- Hours: Mondays through Thursdays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m. to midnight; Sundays 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
10) Brightly Art Studio
Brightly Art Studio on Main Street teaches process art, which puts the making ahead of the finished piece and lets kids make their own decisions along the way. Every instructor is an educator trained in process art teaching. Dress kids for a mess.
The drop-in Craft Cafe needs no registration; Brightly doesn’t post its price. Registered options include preschool playgroups for ages 2 to 6 with a grown-up, one-time drop-off workshops for kindergarten through sixth grade, a weekly Art Club for kindergarten through fifth grade and camps over school breaks.
- Address: 22 E. Main St., Brownsburg
- Craft Cafe: Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Sundays 1 to 4 p.m.
11) Natural Valley Ranch
Natural Valley Ranch runs guided trail rides through its woods and along White Lick Creek, 30 or 60 minutes long, with no more than six riders per ride. Riders must be at least 4, and nobody rides double, so the youngest riders get their own horse too. Closed shoes are required; sandals and Crocs won’t do.
For younger kids there are $5 pony rides (call ahead for a time) and the Animal Interaction Area, home to miniature goats, chickens, ducks, geese, miniature horses and ponies. The ranch also teaches riding lessons and runs horse camps over spring, summer and fall breaks. It closes on some holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The ranch expects the County Road 350 N. bridge over White Lick Creek, closed for repairs, to reopen in early November. Until then, drivers coming west on 350 N. follow the posted detour.
- Address: 6310 E. County Road 350 N., Brownsburg
- Trail rides: $30 for 30 minutes, $45 for 60 minutes; reservation only, booked online
- Ride times: Saturdays and Sundays at noon, 2 and 4 p.m.; Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at noon (30 minutes)
- Animal Interaction Area: $2 suggested donation; Saturdays noon to 5 p.m., Sundays 2 to 4 p.m.; call about weekdays
12) Oinking Acres Farm Rescue & Sanctuary
Oinking Acres rescues pigs, along with donkeys and other farm animals, and visitors walk the farm on a self-guided tour. Volunteers stationed along the way answer questions about the residents. Calm, gentle petting is welcome, but it isn’t a petting zoo, and running or screaming in the barn is off-limits.
The tour is best for kids over 6. Strollers and wagons aren’t allowed, so younger kids get carried through the barn. After the pigs, the Kitty Cuddle Cottage of adoptable cats asks a $5 donation per person and is best for kids over 8. Through the fall, it’s open Friday evenings and Saturday and Sunday middays. The sanctuary can close for bad weather, rescue emergencies, vet visits or transports, and it posts closures on social media.
- Location: Brownsburg
- October hours: Fridays 5 to 7 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; last entry 30 minutes before closing
- Cost: $10 per person online or $12 at the door, children included; timed, nonrefundable tickets
13) Brownsburg Parks Kids’ Programs
Brownsburg Parks runs small, low-cost kids’ programs, most of them at Bundy Lodge. Little Sprouts Nature Discovery is a monthly class for ages 2 to 5 with a story, crafts, games and sensory play, and an adult comes along. Parent’s Night Out gives parents four hours on a Saturday night while kids 5 to 10 (potty trained) get pizza, a glow dance party, crafts and a movie.
The department’s guided hikes are free, including a fall night hike at Williams Park and a luminary walk at Arbuckle Acres on New Year’s Day. Upcoming sessions show up in the calendar below.
- Where: Bundy Lodge, Arbuckle Acres Park, 200 N. Green St., Brownsburg; the hikes meet at the park named in each listing
- Cost: Little Sprouts $10 per child; Parent’s Night Out $30 per child; hikes free
14) W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park (Avon)
W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park, a Hendricks County park in Avon, is about 10 minutes south of Brownsburg. A staircase and a switchback trail climb its 30-foot hill, an observation hill most of the year and a sledding hill when it snows.
The park also has nature-themed playgrounds for ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12 with swings and a sound garden, a nature play area, about 3 miles of trails and two stocked ponds with ADA-accessible fishing docks. Fishing is free with a state license where one is required. Restrooms are open year-round, and the park lends a GRIT Freedom Chair mobility wheelchair for free.
- Address: 4521 Gibbs Road, Danville (a mailing address; the park sits inside Avon between County Roads 200 S. and 350 S.)
- Hours: Dawn to dusk daily
- Cost: Free, including the 18-hole disc golf course
15) Hogan Farms (fall)
Hogan Farms, the Brownsburg stop on our list of the best pumpkin patches near Indianapolis, is a U-pick patch and corn maze at the north edge of town. Pumpkins are $2 to $20 depending on size, with gourds, minis and pie pumpkins too. The corn maze is $7, the Kid Zone (a straw pyramid, pumpkin chess and pumpkin tic-tac-toe) is $4 and the 15- to 20-minute hayrides are $6. Kids 36 inches and under are free for all three.
Wear boots, long sleeves and pants for the maze, and dogs can come along on a leash. The farm has posted October hours but no closing date.
- Address: 8900 E. County Road 1000 N., Brownsburg; the entrance is off County Road 900 E.
- October hours: Tuesdays through Thursdays 2 to 6 p.m.; Fridays through Sundays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Mondays
- Hayrides: Fridays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
16) Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (April through October)
The drag strip on U.S. 136 is why Brownsburg calls itself the “Drag Racing Capital of the World.” The racing season runs April through October, and the big one is the NHRA U.S. Nationals every Labor Day weekend, when every ticket is a pit pass and kids can watch crews work on 12,000-horsepower cars up close.
Wild Wednesdays make a cheaper first visit. On select Wednesdays at 5 p.m., licensed drivers race their own street cars; in 2026, spectators 13 and up paid $20 and kids 12 and under got in free. Back in town, seven Racing Memorial Trail markers honor Indiana racing figures.
- Address: 10267 E. U.S. Highway 136, Indianapolis
In summer, the Brownsburg Farmers Market fills Town Hall Green on Thursday evenings from June through August, and the Williams Park splash pad (No. 1) is running. Murphy Aquatic Park in Avon, the closest water park, is closed until 2027.
What’s next on the town calendar is below: Brownsburg events first, then nearby Hendricks County events labeled by town.
Coming Up in Brownsburg
Family events in and near Brownsburg, updated daily
Christmas Under the Stars brings a parade and a tree lighting downtown in early December, the same month the Arbuckle Acres lights come on. Each September, Blues in the ‘Burg fills Arbuckle Acres, with a sensory-friendly tent stocked with headphones and weighted blankets.
Related Article: The Ultimate Guide to Holiday Fun in Indianapolis
How to Plan Your Brownsburg Day
- On an October Saturday, get to Hogan Farms when it opens at 10 a.m., then stop at Blast Off Playground on the way back through town.
- Monday through Wednesday, free open play at The Hideout in the morning, then a storytime, LEGO Club or STEM story program at the library.
- With tweens and teens, a 90-minute slide session at Slick City, then duckpin bowling at Pinheads, where arcade games are half price on Thursdays.
- For animals, a trail ride or pony ride at Natural Valley Ranch one weekend day and Oinking Acres the other.
- For a nature walk, the boardwalks at Virgil Park, then a ride on the B&O Trail from the same trailhead.
- When it snows, the sledding hill at W.S. Gibbs Memorial Park in Avon.
Zionsville, northeast of Brownsburg in Boone County, has its own guide: things to do in Zionsville with kids. So does Fishers, on the far side of the metro: things to do in Fishers with kids.
