You may have seen old postcards of the Riverside amusement park and wondered where it was located. The Riverside neighborhood boasts a rich history with roots in the turn-of-the-century City Beautiful movement. Indiana Landmarks offers guided tours — walking on Sept. 20 and bicycling on Sept. 22 — that explores the area’s history and architecture.

When the city’s transportation system expanded in the early 1900s, developers and land owners took advantage of the opportunity and created the new “street car suburb” of Riverside. The area featured landscaped traffic circles, generous front yard set-backs, wide boulevards with esplanades, and boulder retaining walls. George Kessler designed Riverside Park, bordered by Riverside Drive and White River Parkway—all part of the park and boulevard system he created that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The two-hour walking tour on Thursday, Sept. 20, will cover about 1.5 miles in the Riverside neighborhood and the park. In addition to an overview of the diverse architecture of the neighborhood’s private homes, you’ll see the Taggart Memorial in the park and take a look inside a private home on Riverside Drive and the newly-opened Riverside High School—an adaptive use of the gleaming white Heslar Naval Armory.

On the three-hour bike tour on Saturday, Sept. 22, riders will travel 7 miles, with stops at the Taggart Memorial, and an exclusive look inside the Beaux Arts-style Riverside Pumping Station and Riverside High School.

Tickets are required in advance for the timed-entry tours, with time slots every 15 minutes from 5 to 6:15 p.m. for the walking tour. The bike tour departs every 15 minutes from 9 to 10 a.m. Tickets for the tours must be purchased in advance.

Ticket buyers will receive suggestions for neighborhood dining and snacking locations, including Long’s famous donut shop and the venerable Iron Skillet restaurant.

Indiana Landmarks presents the tours in collaborations with Historic Urban Neighborhoods of Indianapolis and the Riverside Civic League.

WHAT: Riverside walking tour

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 20, 2-hour timed tours depart every 15 minutes from 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

COST: $10 per person ($8 for Indiana Landmarks members)

TICKETS: www.indianalandmarks.com or call 317-639-4534

WHAT: Riverside bike tour

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 22, 3-hour timed tours depart every 15 minutes from 9 to 10 a.m.

COST: $20 per person ($15 for Indiana Landmarks members)

TICKETS: www.indianalandmarks.org or call 317-639-4534

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Media contacts:
Tina Connor, Indiana Landmarks Executive Vice President, 317-822-7903,  tconnor@indianalandmarks.org
Jen Thomas, jen@jtprinc.com, 317-441-2487

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Indiana Landmarks revitalizes communities, reconnects us to our heritage, and saves meaningful places. With nine offices located throughout the state, Indiana Landmarks helps people rescue endangered landmarks and restore historic neighborhoods and downtowns. People who join Indiana Landmarks receive its bimonthly magazine, Indiana Preservation. For more information on the not-for-profit organization, call 317-639-4534, 800-450-4534, or visit www.indianalandmarks.org.