Eagle Creek Park

In 1934, Josiah K. Lilly Jr. purchased 12 acres (4.9 ha) of land around what is now the Ornithology Center and called it Eagle Crest Estate. By the 1950s, Lilly owned nearly 3,000 acres (12 km²) in the area. He created Eagle Valley Farms on the west side of the creek; on the east side, he constructed Lilly Lake and reforested former farm land into the Eagle Crest Forest Reserve. In 1958, Lilly donated his land to Purdue University.^[3][4][5][6]

In 1957, flooding along Eagle Creek in Speedway, Indiana, resulted in six deaths.^[1][7] In the following years, the city government proposed to dam the creek to prevent further flooding.^[8] In the early 1960s, the city of Indianapolis began negotiating with Purdue to purchase the land required for this new dam and reservoir. The purchase was completed in February 1966, with a purchase price of $3.2 million (equivalent to $31.8 million in 2025).^[3][9] That year, the northeastmost 300 acres (1.2 km²) of the park were opened to the public.^[10] Ground was broken for the dam on February 1, 1966. The dam was completed in 1968, just north of Interstate 74, and the resulting reservoir was filled by 1970.^[11][12] Mayor Richard Lugar officially opened Eagle Creek Park on June 10, 1972.^[3][13] The park's Nature Center opened in what had previously been Lilly's library building.^[3][13]

In 1979, the Eagle Creek Park Foundation was established by the Eagle Creek Park Advisory Committee as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation promotes volunteerism and provides funding for the park and its programs.^[14][3]

In 1967, the Indianapolis Flood Control Board sold the rights to mine gravel from the park to a private company.^[15] Mining operations began in 1968 and did not fully cease in the park until 1980, after a protracted legal dispute between the gravel company and the city. The cofferdam and flooded gravel pit became the Waterfowl Sanctuary.^{[15][16][17][18]} Indianapolis hosted the 1987 Pan American Games, during which the park served as the venue for the archery, canoeing, modern pentathlon, and rowing competitions. In preparation, the reservoir was dredged along the rowing course to ensure the depth was at least three meters (9.8 ft) throughout. The sediment was transferred to the waterfowl sanctuary to improve the habitat.^[19][20][21] The park has since hosted a number of rowing events, including the NCAA Rowing Championships (2002, 2003, 2013, 2014, and 2019) and the World Rowing Championships (1994).^[22][21]

The Museum of Indian Heritage was opened in the park in 1967 by James H. Lawton.^[23] The museum was closed in 1989 when its collection was merged with the newly formed Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.^[24][25][26] In 1997, the museum building was repurposed as the Peace Learning Center.^[3] The Earth Discovery Center was opened in 2007. The Nature Center was renovated and reopened as the Ornithology Center in 2009.^[27][3]

Eagle Creek Reservoir is fed by the main stem of Eagle Creek itself along with Fishback Creek and School Branch.^[28][29] It is approximately 4.3 miles (7 km) long, with an average depth of 18 feet (5.5 m) and a maximum depth of 45 feet (14 m). It has a reported capacity of 5.5–7.8 billion US gallons (21–30 billion litres).^{[29][30][31][32]} At 75 feet (23 m) tall and 5,100 feet (1,600 m) long, Eagle Creek Dam is one of the largest dams in Indiana. It is an earthen and concrete dam with six tainter gates, each 40 by 31 feet (12.2 by 9.4 m). The Indiana Department of Natural Resources considers it a "High Hazard" dam whose failure would cause serious damage and loss of life. The dam was listed as "conditionally poor" in 2006, but was rated as "fair" by 2024.^[33][34]

Approximately 10 million US gallons (38×10^⁶ L) per day are taken from the reservoir to supply the Indianapolis water system. In 2025, a plan was introduced by Lebanon Utilities to send an additional 1 million US gallons (3.8×10^⁶ L) a day from the reservoir to the LEAP Innovation District in Boone County, as part of a proposed 25 million US gallons (95×10^⁶ L) a day to be taken from various water sources in Marion County. The plan originally called for 15–20 million US gallons (57×10^⁶–76×10^⁶ L) of resulting treated wastewater from Boone County to be reintroduced directly into the north end of Eagle Creek Reservoir. The plan received significant push back from environmentalists and locals, with opponents pointing to research that shows that treated wastewater can alter ecosystems.^[35][36] In May 2026, Lebanon Utilities stated it would not be constructing a discharge site inside the limits of the park.^[37] However, other upstream sites remain under consideration.^[38]

The park covers 3,900 acres (16 km²) of land and 1,400 acres (5.7 km²) of water, making it one of the largest municipal parks in the United States.^[39] The park is bounded by Interstate 65 to the north and east and the Marion County line to the west.^[40] Eagle Creek Reservoir is bisected by the 56th Street Causeway. Most of the park's attractions lie north of the causeway.^[41] There are two gatehouses, both on the park's east side: the 71st Street Entrance and the 56th Street Entrance. There are three automatic gates on the west side of the park.^[42][43] The park is adjacent to Eagle Creek Airpark, which is controlled by the Indianapolis Airport Authority.^[44][45]

The majority of the park's 30 miles (48 km) of trails are on the eastern half of the reservoir, which is the most visited side. There are trails on the west side as well. The West Side Hiking Trail project was included in the 1997 Eagle Creek Park strategic plan. A $2.6 million Lilly Endowment grant in 2018 allowed construction of the trails to begin in 2019. The trails were fully completed in 2024.^[46][40][47]

The National Audubon Society describes the park as containing deciduous forest, coniferous woodlots, early successional areas, scrub-shrub, restored prairie, riparian woods, and emergent wetlands, with second growth deciduous woodlands the most prevalent habitat.^[48]

The park is operated by Indy Parks and Recreation in partnership with the Eagle Creek Park Foundation. The foundation and the park's management share a main office in the park.^[94][14][3] The current executive director of the foundation is Meghan Mustin and Brittany Davis is the Indy Parks Regional Park Manager.^[95][96][97]

It is the only park in the Indy Parks system with an entrance fee, with a reduced cost for Marion County residents. It is open from dawn to dusk.^[98]

• List of urban parks by size
• List of parks in Indianapolis
• List of attractions and events in Indianapolis
• List of nature centers in Indiana