Frederick Douglass Park, named after abolitionist Frederick Douglass, first opened in 1921. To celebrate 100 years of the park, it was announced in 2021 that Frederick Douglass Park would be receiving a new family center. After years of collaborating with community members passionate about the park and surrounding neighborhood, the brand new center finally opened to the public on May 23, 2024.
The new Frederick Douglass Park Family Center is not only the largest center across the Indy Parks system, but it also offers a wide range of no and low cost amenities for families. The center has an indoor walking track overlooking a gym with two full-size basketball courts, fitness, dance, and studio spaces, business and meeting rooms, an event space with an indoor stage, a podcast studio, and an e-gaming lounge. Programs are offered daily and range from summer camps to aerobics, strengthening and toning, arts and crafts, and more.
A new playground opened alongside the family center, transforming the landscape for kids and families to enjoy. There are adult-friendly fitness stations on the edges of the playground, along with a massive climbing structure, a long row of both standard and accessible swings, and a natural play space made with trees repurposed during the building of the center.
Whether you’re looking for a new fitness hub, in search of a safe summer haven for your kiddos, or you’re not yet sure what you’re looking for, the new Frederick Douglass Park Family Center has it all. Come and take a look!
