11 outdoor places in metro Indy to have fun with your kids this summer
Gas prices are sky-high. Air travel can be a nightmare — if you can even find a flight with tickets for the whole family. So what better time for a staycation?
Even if you’re planning to introduce your kids to fresh croissants and the Louvre this summer, once you’re back home in Indiana there’s plenty of things to do. Here’s a rundown of some weekend activities that will be fun for the whole family, with an emphasis on the outdoors, as summer and early fall can bring some of Indiana’s nicest weather:
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Take a dip
Hey it’s the summer. You’ve got to hit the pool. Even if you don’t belong to a local community pool, there are some options around the city for places you can go to immerse yourself completely in water.
Monon Center Waterpark: If you’re looking for a pool complex that has it all, consider this Carmel spot. There’s a lazy river, slides, an aqua climb (think climbing gym meets the diving board) and wave pool. And of course an actual swimming pool. This place does get crowded but you can check on the website to get a sense of whether there will be a wait to get in.
Info: Monon Center Waterpark, 1195 Central Park Drive, Carmel; (317) 848-7275; Day passes, $15 for adults, $12 for youths under 16 and seniors over 65.
Splash Island at Plainfield Recreation Center: Like the waterpark, this public recreation facility offers a variety of aquatic features, including a leisure river here (perhaps they’re more industrious on the west side), water basketball, heated kiddie pool area, and lily pad crossing over more than four acres. If the weather heats up in the middle of the week, keep in mind this park features Wet Wednesdays when it stays open from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m.
Info: Splash Island, 651 Vestal Road, Plainfield; (317) 839-7665 (POOL). Adults $13, youths $11, senior citizens $10 and preschoolers $9. Wet Wednesdays $8.
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Tube the White River: Somewhere in between swimming and boating, tubing affords an opportunity to just float down the river with a view of the historic covered wooden Potter's Bridge. You can opt for a 1- to 1.5 hour-trip or go for a 3- to 4-hour tour. No worries of getting stranded on a desert isle but you can pull off on the side of the river on a sand bar or two along the way. You leave your car at the south end and take a bus to the north end and float on down. The company that offers tubing rentals also rents canoe and kayaks for those who feel more ambitious.
Info: White River Canoe Company, 17180 River Road, Noblesville. (317) 867-4233; Tubes cost $25 a tube for the shorter trip and $30 for the longer trip. Check website for canoe and kayak pricing.
Get on the water not in the water
Indianapolis may be the largest city in the nation not on a navigable waterway but that doesn’t mean you have to stay landlocked. There are plenty of boating opportunities in the area even for water novices.
Swan Pedal Boats: The pedal boats on the downtown canal have upgraded to swan boats, ala the Boston Garden’s famed bird boats. Hop on one of these large white birds, which can seat up to five, and pedal yourself up and down the canal with the cityscape in the background. If you prefer to propel yourself through the water with your arms, not your feet, you can rent kayaks instead.
Info: Wheel Fun Rentals, 429 E. Ohio Street, Firehouse #13; (317) 363-9353; $42 an hour for swan boats; $21 for single kayak; $27 for double kayak.
Eagle Creek paddle boats: If you find the canal too confining for your water excursions, hit the open sea — well, how about the open reservoir — at Eagle Creek Park. Here you can rent kayaks as well as stand up paddleboards and paddle boats that seat four. If you’re feeling even more flush, you can even rent a pontoon boat that does the work for you. If you’re more a turf than surf type of family and want to try a new conveyance, you can also rent electric bikes at the same location to zip around the park.
Info: Eagle Creek Outfitters, 7602 Walnut Point Road; (317) 207-1724; Kayaks start at $21 for single; $28 for double kayak; canoes are $28 an hour; SUPs are $25; paddle boats are $32; and pontoon boats are $175. Electric bikes start at $20 an hour.
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Greatimes Family Fun Park. Bumper cars are a perennial favorite but on a warm day, there’s a lot to be said for…bumper boats. One of the main attractions at Greatimes Fun Park, bumper boats come with the added attraction of squirt guns to keep other boaters at bay. While you’re at this southside park, you can also take a run around one of two outdoor Go Kart courses, play mini-golf or check out the indoor arcade.
Info: Greatimes, 5341 Elmwood Ave., (317) 780-0300; price depends on time of visit and activity.
Take to the air
For those who prefer their adventures to be aerial ones, visit one of these outdoor ziplines in central Indiana:
Go Ape, Eagle Creek Park. This site features two courses, one that lasts two to three hours and a shortened version that takes about an hour and a half. Kids must be 10-plus to do either course and at least 4 feet 7 inches. Participants cannot weigh more than 285 pounds. The longer course features a platform more than 40 feet in the air while the shorter course has a 333-foot long zipline. During the summer advance reservations are recommended.
Info: Go Ape, Eagle Creek Park; 5855 DeLong Road; (800) 971-8271. Shorter course is $39.95 and longer course $54.95 for kids 10 to 15 and $59.95 for those 16 and older
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Edge Aventures, Koteewi Park. This site in Noblesville’s Strawtown park has five different trails with 60 different challenges to try high above the ground. Climbers can choose the difficulty of their courses, starting out with the easiest and working their way up to the most difficult. At the highest point the course is 60 feet above ground. Kids seven and up are welcome and participants must weigh between 40 and 275 pounds and reach up to 66 inches.
Info: Koteewi Park, 11800 Koteewi Drive, Noblesville. (800) 590-8347. Three-hour pass for children 7 to 15 is $44.95 and $49.95 for anyone older.
Back on solid ground
Conner Prairie. The 19th century may have had no air conditioning and people clad in heavy clothing but this living history museum offers at least one unexpected way to get cool – its River Crossing exhibit, where kids can shoot water cannons and guide toy boats along a play river. If you prefer to stay high and dry, you and the kids can take a hot air balloon trip in one of only four tethered helium balloons in the country.
Info: Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Rd. (317) 776-6000. Ticket prices are $20 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under. The balloon ride is extra.
Shortee's: You’ve probably played soccer at some point. You may have played golf. But have you ever played foot golf, a combination of soccer and golf? Maybe it’s time to visit this pitch-and-putt golf course on the north side. In addition to an 18-hole pitch-and-putt course and netted driving range, there’s a 9-hole foot golf course and soccer balls for rent to let you do your best Lionel Messi imitation as you go from hole to hole.
Info: Shortee's, 775 E. 96th Street; (317) 582-1850. 9 holes of foot golf are $8 with ball rental $2. Check website for golf prices.
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The Children’s Museum: There’s plenty to do here on a rainy day but you can also get your museum experience and fresh air too at the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience. The 7.5-acre park appended to the brick-and-mortar museum offers children the opportunity to try various sports from tennis to hockey and pedal-race cars on a mini track, as well as four different putt-putt courses to play.
Info: 3000 North Meridian St; (317) 334-4000. Ticket prices start at $26.75 for adults and $21.50 for youth and are cheapest purchased online two weeks in advance.
Contact IndyStar reporter Shari Rudavsky at shari.rudavsky@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter: @srudavsky.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 11 outdoor places in metro Indy to have fun with your kids this summer
