Accessible and Inclusive Playgrounds in Indianapolis

The best accessible playgrounds near Indianapolis do more than add a ramp and call it inclusion. These Central Indiana parks give kids more ways to play, whether they use a wheelchair, need extra sensory input, communicate differently or simply need a playground that works for their body and brain.

From rubberized surfacing and roll-on merry-go-rounds to sensory gardens, communication boards, adaptive swings and quieter retreat spaces, these playgrounds were designed with more children in mind. They are also useful for parents, grandparents and caregivers who need smoother paths, fewer barriers and a little more room to move.

Related Page: The Ultimate Guide to Indianapolis-Area Playgrounds

Accessible and Inclusive Playgrounds Near Indianapolis

Brooks School Park

11780 Brooks School Road, Fishers

Brooks School Park is home to the first inclusive playground in the Fishers municipal park system. The 16.5-acre park sits just southeast of 116th Street and Brooks School Road, with an ADA-accessible playground divided into areas for ages 2 to 5 and ages 5 to 12.

The playground has a rubberized surface and 21 activities, including slides, bridges, stepping stones and climbing rocks with cables. The sensory play area includes drums, chimes, bells, xylophones and activity boards, giving kids plenty to touch, hear and explore. Swing bays include infant swings, harness swings and two ADA-accessible swings, and five Timber Toppers add shade across the play area.

Fishers Parks has also partnered with KultureCity to support sensory-inclusive experiences, with sensory bags available at city events.

Roy G. Holland Memorial Park

1 Park Drive, Fishers

Toddler playground with accessible ramps at Roy G. Holland Memorial Park in Fishers

Roy G. Holland Memorial Park has a large treehouse-style playground with separate sections for toddlers and bigger kids. Ramps and bridges run throughout the structure, giving children using wheelchairs or mobility devices more access to elevated play areas.

The playground sits on poured-in-place rubberized surfacing and includes accessible swings, two-person swings for younger children and a reflex balance beam. A friendship swing and wheelchair-friendly glider were added through donations from the Fishers Kiwanis Club, IU Saxony Health and Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The park also has a splash pad open Memorial Day through Labor Day, a 1.25-mile paved walking path and sports fields, which makes it an easy longer stop when the weather cooperates.

Finch Creek Park

16233 Boden Road, Noblesville

Inclusive playground at Finch Creek Park in Noblesville with soft turf surfacing and accessible play equipment

Finch Creek Park in Noblesville has a large all-inclusive playground covered in soft, padded turf surfacing, making the main play space easier to navigate with wheelchairs, walkers and strollers. The park covers 200 acres in Wayne Township, so this is more than a quick playground stop if kids have energy to burn.

The swing area includes secure harness swings for children who need extra support, along with a two-person caregiver-and-child swing. Nearby, the Sway Fun glider gives kids and adults a boat-style ride where several people can sit and sway together.

A separate musical garden adds outdoor instruments, including a rainbow xylophone, sound pipes and bongos. The splash pad is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Musical garden with outdoor instruments at Finch Creek Park in Noblesville

Freedom Trail Park

500 Deer Walk Trace, Westfield

Wind chimes in the sensory garden at Freedom Trail Park in Westfield
Wind chimes in the sensory garden at Freedom Trail Park

Freedom Trail Park’s all-inclusive playground and sensory garden were the first of their kind in Indiana. The City of Westfield worked with the Hamilton County Autism Support Group during the design, which shows in the range of spaces and equipment built for different needs.

The playground includes spinning and twirling features, wide ramp systems designed so more than one wheelchair can pass at a time, and accessible swings with harnesses. Surfacing includes rubberized material and accessible playground turf.

The adjoining sensory garden, funded by the Westfield Rotary Club, includes a wheelchair-height sand table, musical pipes, wind chimes, a giant climbing rock and vine-covered teepees that can work as quieter retreat spaces. A paved trail also makes the lower level of the park fully accessible.

Everyone’s Playground at River Heritage Park

11813 River Road, Carmel

River Heritage Park was first dedicated as Everyone’s Playground in 2001 and helped shape Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation’s broader commitment to Universal Design. The 40-acre park was reimagined in 2022, adding new inclusive features while keeping accessibility at the center of the playground.

The playground has two main play sections with wheelchair-accessible equipment, an accessible ground-level merry-go-round and expression swings that let caregivers and children swing while facing each other. The park also includes a .75-mile looping nature trail with unitary rubber surfacing and gentle-slope boardwalks for wheelchair access through the wooded area.

In 2024, Carmel Clay Parks installed a communication board, an augmentative and alternative communication device with symbols and illustrations that helps nonverbal and limited-language visitors share wants, needs and ideas. The park earned the Indiana Park and Recreation Association’s Excellence in Resource Improvement Award in 2024.

West Park

2700 W. 116th Street, Carmel

West Park playground in Carmel with a two-level play structure and clock tower

West Park’s 120 acres include a two-level playground, integrative splash pad, sledding hill and more than two miles of trails. The playground is big, but the surfacing and layout make it easier for families managing wheels, toddlers and kids moving at very different speeds.

The lower playground for younger children includes an in-ground accessible merry-go-round and a roll-on spinner designed for kids of all abilities, including wheelchair users. The flush, ground-level design makes it easier for more kids to ride together instead of watching from the side.

The playground sits on cushioned rubber turf rather than wood chips or mulch, and a gradual paved walkway leads up the sledding hill. That helps in winter, but it is also useful year-round for strollers, wheelchairs and anyone who does not want the playground hill to become the day’s main workout.

Accessible ground-level merry-go-round at West Park in Carmel

Main Street Park

4286 S. Main Street, Whitestown

Inclusive playground at Main Street Park in Whitestown with turf and rubberized surfacing

Main Street Park covers 11 acres in Whitestown and was built with a wide range of ages and abilities in mind. The playground includes inclusive equipment such as ground-level spinning rides, a flat merry-go-round and activity boards.

Equipment is spaced out to give children more room to move, and the play area uses turf and rubberized surfacing for softer landings and easier movement. A toddler area is set apart from the main play structures, which helps younger kids play without being swallowed by the big-kid traffic pattern.

The splash pad is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the summer, and a sledding hill faces the playground in winter.

Arbuckle Acres Park

200 N. Green Street, Brownsburg

Tiny Tots Playground at Arbuckle Acres Park in Brownsburg with rubber surfacing and shaded play areas

Arbuckle Acres Park is Brownsburg’s oldest park, with 52 acres of mature trees and a playground that stays nicely shaded during warmer months. The Tiny Tots Playground is designed for ages 2 to 5 and has a wheelchair-friendly rubber surface.

One of the most helpful features is the nonverbal communication board, which uses symbols and pictures kids can point to so they can take part in play even when spoken language is hard or unavailable. The board was funded by local foundations.

Restrooms are positioned near the Tiny Tots area, and the bigger-kids playground sits nearby. That setup matters when families have children in different age groups and nobody wants to choose between the toddler zone and the “but I’m big now” playground.

Independence Park

2100 S. Morgantown Road, Greenwood

Independence Park was Indiana’s first all-accessible playground when it opened in 2000, and the 13.5-acre park was remodeled in 2020 with even more inclusive features. The playground sits on a soft rubberized surface and includes an accessible merry-go-round, adaptive swings and a sensory-friendly music area.

The standout feature is the interactive Yalp SONA Arch, an audio-guided dance and play arch where kids respond to prompts, freeze on cue or act out animals. It was the first of its kind in Indiana, grant-funded by A Kid Again Indianapolis and the NBA All-Star Legacy Grant.

The park also has a wheelchair-accessible three-quarter-mile asphalt trail, a wheelchair-accessible basketball court with lower hoops, three picnic shelters and a gazebo overlooking the playground.

Old City Park

304 S. Meridian Street, Greenwood

Old City Park in Greenwood with a 20-foot cube tower, turf play areas and tunnel slide

Old City Park reopened in 2020 after a full redesign that turned downtown Greenwood’s oldest park into a five-acre play destination. The centerpiece is a 20-foot KOMPAN cube tower with an attached tunnel slide, which is very much a “look how high I am” situation.

The playground equipment is spaced out to give kids room to move, and the play surface uses deep-pile turf and rubberized material instead of mulch. Other features include foosball tables, a grassy climbing hill kids can slide back down, cornhole boards, urban porch swings and a pedestrian bridge over Pleasant Creek.

Worth the Drive: Possibility Playground

Possibility Playground at Hayswood Nature Reserve

755 IN-135, Corydon

Possibility Playground at Hayswood Nature Reserve in Corydon, Indiana's largest all-inclusive playground

If your family has a chunk of a day and a tank of gas, Possibility Playground in Corydon is one of the biggest inclusive playground destinations in Indiana. The playground spans 32,000 square feet and is billed as Indiana’s largest all-inclusive playground.

The ADA-compliant playground has smooth ramps, wheelchair-accessible pathways and soft rubberized surfacing throughout. Play features include 18 slides, adaptive swings, wheelchair-style swings, zipline seating and multi-level climbing areas.

Sensory-rich zones include tactile walls, musical chimes, drums and interactive panels designed for a range of sensory needs. The park also has wheelchair-accessible picnic tables, fencing with a single-entry gate and shaded seating. Corydon is about two hours south of Indianapolis, so this is a true day-trip playground, not a quick “let’s stop for 20 minutes” outing.

For more parks in and around Indianapolis, check out our guide to the best playgrounds in Indianapolis.

Jennifer Thompson
Jennifer Thompsonhttps://trulyyoursjen.com/
Jennifer Thompson is a freelance writer for Indy's Child Magazine. She offers practical parenting advice on a variety of topics, making complex issues easy to understand. Jennifer also interviews experts to bring readers reliable and helpful stories, making her a trusted resource for parents. In addition to Indy's Child, Jennifer's work has been featured in Scary Mommy, Her View From Home, and Today's Parent.

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