White River Gardens is a set of stunning botanic gardens inside the Indianapolis Zoo. Spread across 3.3 acres (1.3 hectares) of green space in the southwestern part of the city, the park is known for the tropical paradise within its Hilbert Conservatory. Visit White River Gardens for a greater appreciation of nature as you make your way through the various sections.
On a pleasant day, wander through the open-air DeHaan Tiergarten and appreciate the interesting layouts and colorful designs of the flowers. The arrangements change regularly, so a return trip will likely bring surprises.
Check out the fun and unusual placements of the hedges and plants in the Polly Horton Hix Design Garden, before you explore its 12 outdoor rooms and get ideas for your own sculpted floral designs back home.
Brave yourself to step inside the hives to check out some of the park’s 20,000 honeybees. Learn from the exhibits about the importance of bees to our environment and how we can help them. The park also has a Butterfly Kaleidoscope with more than 40 species of these lively and colorful winged creatures.
Arrive at the glass castle, the Hilbert Conservatory, which is the climatic highlight of the complex. Enter for the tropical oasis within and climb to the mezzanine for views from above. Listen to the gentle flow of water and see the fish in the pond.
To enter the gardens, purchase tickets to the Indianapolis Zoo. The site is open daily from morning until late afternoon. Spend some time in the zoo itself to see animals from desert, forest, ocean and plains habitats, along with birds and orangutans overhead.
White River Gardens is on the western bank of the White River, as it passes through the southwestern corner of Indianapolis. From the downtown district, walk west for 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) to get here in about 25 minutes. While you’re in the area, plan to visit other nearby sights, such as the Eiteljorg Museum, the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium.
