Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System

The Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System is a network of connected green spaces linked by tree-lined parkways and boulevards that run through the city. The layout combines large recreational areas with engineered corridors that serve both as recreation zones and transportation routes.

Landscape architect George Kessler designed this system in 1908 to improve transportation and create green spaces while the city was growing and industrializing rapidly. This early planning effort shaped how the city organized itself during a period of major change.

The parks display Beaux-Arts and Neoclassical design features with decorative stone bridges and engineered waterways that show how the city wanted to create refined public spaces. Visitors moving through the system can experience these classical touches integrated into the landscape and daily recreation areas.

The system spreads across different parts of the city, so it helps to start in one area and explore from there. The pathways are accessible on foot and by bicycle, allowing visitors to move through the network at their own pace based on their interests.

The network was designed to connect different parts of the city while also working with natural features like streams and river corridors already present in the landscape. This blend of planning and use of existing waterways allows visitors to find hidden water features as they move through the parks.