Green Scene
Indianapolis has built its reputation on sports — especially noisy ones like auto racing — but it also offers plenty of pastoral retreats. The Indianapolis Museum of Art’s new 100-acre art and nature park attracts visitors by the thousands, but there are also less-populated garden getaways.
Start your journey at the Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Garden, where three acres of formal gardens are tucked into a sprawling 136-acre park. After a stroll, visit the conservatory for a one-hour guided tour, just $2 per person. (You’ll want to call ahead for reservations.) Highlights include the orchid collection, a waterfall and a koi pond. The tour guides are all master gardeners, so feel free to ask them even your trickiest gardening questions.
“Our [conservatory] is landscaped to be educational and aesthetically pleasing at the same time,” says manager Fritz Nerding.
Your next stop is Butler University and its seven-acre Holcomb Garden. Completed in 1950, the garden has a waterfall, a lake and a small forest. The 500-foot grass mall — home to a statue of Persephone, the goddess of vegetation — is the perfect spot for a luncheon picnic.
In the afternoon, head downtown to White River Gardens, part of a park complex that also includes the Indianapolis Zoo and the Indiana State Museum. The three-acre gardens feature hundreds of plant varieties and more than 40 small “critter” statues.
Bonus: After communing with nature all day, you’ll get a magnificent view of the city skyline and set the stage for a perfect night on the town.
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