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Broadview Park
Broadview Park and Outdoors Fun in Bloomington, Indiana
Nestled in the plot of a former school in the college town of Bloomington, Indiana, Broadview Park is a lovely place to take your kids, a ball and the picnic hamper. Open until 11pm, this friendly neighborhood park is just the right level of busy, with enough people enjoying the space for it to feel atmospheric and vibrant, but never crowded. The sprawling playground area rivals other parks in Monroe County, and the roomy picnic shelter is great for scorching hot days, or sitting under late into the evening whilst the kids tire themselves out on the Jungle Jim. Broadview Park is a hidden gem within the vibrant Bloomington which, given its nickname of “Gateway to Scenic Southern Indiana” and its convenient proximity to the Great Lakes, is well worth a few days’ visit on your vacation in Indiana.
Basketball, Picnicking and Fun for Kids
After Broadview School closed down several years ago, the community got together to utilize the space. Much pulling together and a block grant of $125,000 later, and Broadview Park was born. With many more trees planted, new playground equipment, water fountains and resurfaced basketball courts, the park signifies to the locals just what can be achieved when ordinary citizens work together.
Sitting in the middle of the Broadview neighborhood, it is a short walk for residents and a safe place for their children to play, offering a large basketball court as well as state-of-the-art playground facilities. On a typical weekend, from mid-morning, you can expect to find groups of families decked out with rugs and plenty of food, parents chatting and lazing in the sun whilst the kids run about or throw a ball around. These social gatherings stretch out well past sunset, and often is a very festive occasion; people have been known to group together and play music or have an impromptu sing-along.
Visiting Bloomington
Bloomington is a lovely place to spend a few days. It is in the south of Indiana, just over an hour’s drive from the state capital, Indianapolis, and is not far from Yellowwood State Forest and Hoosier National Forest, which are home to some of Indiana’s most famous great lakes. As well as a high energy college city, it is a place steeped in culture and history: visitors can enjoy excellent shopping and flea markets, locally crafted wine and beer, literary tours and museums dedicated to Bloomington’s limestone heritage – and of course, the great outdoors.
With lakes in all directions, water sports are abundant, as well as wildlife viewing centers and nature preserves, and some beautiful hiking and cycling trails. Indiana University campus has an excellent fine art gallery, public archaeology lab and the Kirkwood Observatory. Downtown in summer is particularly fun, with a farmers market boasting unusual artisan works – in fact, a stroll around Downtown is great at any time of year, with playful pieces of art peppering the streets.You may even be lucky enough to catch a festival (the Chocolate Festival is especially good). There are plenty of things to explore in Bloomington, so you will want to give yourselves a good few days to get everything in. Don’t forget to catch a college football game while you are there!
Great Lakes: Indiana and Beyond
Indiana is a fascinating state, with so much more to offer than just corn! Near to Bloomington itself is the town of Nashville, known as an artists’ haven thanks to landscape painters Ottis Adams and T. C. Steele (you can also find a historic site dedicated to Steele nearby). Brown County State Park, McCormick’s Creek State Park, the 13,000-acre Charles Deam Wilderness, and Lake Monroe are also not far away. A trip up to Indianapolis is also well worth it, with zoos, water parks, caves, a convention center with a busy calendar – not to mention Indy 500! For those visiting Indiana in the winter months, a trip to Perfect North Slopes for a spot of skiing should be penciled in. If you are participating in any kind of adventure sport (and there are enough of them to do in Indiana) then be sure to get travel insurance that covers these activities – you can usually find combination deals from suppliers that also offer decent exchange rates and online management of vacation funds.
Whether you and your loved ones are passionate about sports, history, nature, flea markets, museums or the great outdoors, it is all at your fingertips in Indiana. Be sure to grab a pint of locally brewed beer and take a stroll in Bloomington – and stop by for some family fun in Broadview Park.
Description by Julie Bowen
Location:
Broadview Park
704 West Graham Drive
Bloomington, Indiana 47403 United States
39.140263, -86.541426
Map:
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