Holcomb Gardens

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

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Holcomb Gardens in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a beautiful and historic 20-acre garden located on the Butler University campus, originally established in 1928 on the site of the former Fairview Amusement Park.

The gardens were designed under the guidance of botanist Dr. Willard Nelson Clute and later reshaped in the late 1940s through the efforts of James Irving Holcomb, a prominent local philanthropist, and Arthur F. Lindberg, Butler's superintendent of buildings and grounds.

The gardens include a reflecting pool centered around a bronze statue of Persephone by Armand Toussaint, waterfalls, a gazebo, and thoughtfully landscaped beds featuring native Indiana plants. Holcomb Gardens serves as a peaceful green space for students, faculty, and the public, hosting events and supporting environmental sustainability through recent restorations that emphasize native species and biodiversity.

It remains a cherished natural oasis in the city, rich in both cultural history and botanical significance