Stand-in photo, not this place: A park path somewhere else.
Coxhall Gardens
County park and gardens
About
Coxhall Gardens is a 125-acre Hamilton County park on Carmel's west side. Its main features are The Centerpiece, an outdoor space with tiered limestone steps, tiered lawn seating, a gazebo, fountains and a statue of donors Jesse and Beulah Cox, and a pair of 90-foot bell towers. There is a recreation lake, and Campbell Crossing, joined to The Centerpiece, has water on two sides.
Bring children to the Children's Garden, which has small village stores, echo walls, peek-a-boo hills, a sun dial and tiki huts. The park also has paved trails, a bike trail, a playground, prairie, fishing and restrooms.
The Coxhall Mansion stands on the grounds. The county offers mansion tours, and it holds a mansion holiday open house on November 28, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A Children's Garden tour is on November 19, 2026, at 11 a.m.
History
John Williams farmed this land from 1855 and built a brick Victorian house on it in 1865, using bricks made on the property. Jesse and Beulah Cox bought the property in the early 1960s, after Jesse made his money in manufacturing and in blinds and draperies. They built a home in 1974 inspired by the Governor's Mansion in Williamsburg, Virginia. In 1999 they gave the land to the county parks department to keep it from development. In 2005 the park hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the Solheim Cup.
When to go
The park is open dawn to dusk. The county's programs include a series called Concerts in the Centerpiece. The 2027 concert dates were not posted when this was checked. Ritz Charles books The Centerpiece, Mansion and Cripe Pavilion for events from May to October, so parts of the grounds can be in private use on those days.
Good to know
Ritz Charles manages rentals of The Centerpiece, the Mansion and Cripe Pavilion, and you can call it at (317) 846-9158 for rates. The county rents the Clay Township Children's Pavilions and the Children's Garden Outdoor Classroom itself.
Price
The county's page lists no entry fee for the park. Check the county calendar for the cost of tours and events, and ask Ritz Charles about wedding and event rentals.
Prices checked November 2026 on the website of Hamilton County Parks and Recreation. They can change, so check before you go.
Run Coxhall Gardens? Offer a coupon here for free.
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