Established in the late 19th century, it is the oldest city park in Indianapolis and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Emmerich Manual High School lies directly to the west on the other side of the railroad track embankment.

Much of the park is rolling fields, due at least in part to its location at the confluence of Pleasant Run and Bean Creeks.

Bean Creek enters from the south near Shelby Street and flows northwest until joining Pleasant Run.

Pleasant Run Parkway North Drive passes through the park as it follows the stream from the east side of Indianapolis toward the White River.

A dam located where the two creeks meet at one time created a pond that was used for ice skating during the winter.

[2][3] In 1871 the Jeffersonville Railroad sold 98 acres (40 ha) of right-of-way known as Bradley Woods to a horse track organization.

However, the Southern Riding Park proved to be an unsuccessful venture, in part because it was not easily accessible to the residents of the city.

The Board of Park Commissioners was created in 1895 and another $10,000 was appropriated for repairs and to plan and remodel the facilities; in prior years improvements had been made haphazardly.

[5] Major improvements were made almost annually for the next twenty years: a bicycle path in 1901; the Pagoda in 1903; increase in greenhouse capacity from 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) to 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) in 1904; exhibition cages for bears, monkeys, and small animals in 1905; tennis courts and brick and limestone entrance and corner posts, also in 1905; and two swimming beaches on Bean Creek, one for boys and one for girls, in 1910.

Between 1893 and 1895, a strip of land running from the then-eastern boundary of the park to Shelby Street along what is now East Garfield Drive were added.

[6] In 1908, the city hired the noted landscape architect George Kessler to develop a Park and Boulevard Plan, which was adopted in 1909.

[9] Major improvements to the park ceased due to financial constraints faced by the city during the Great Depression and World War II.

Maintenance of the park continued to be a problem in the post-war years, although some new construction occurred, including the erection of a new conservatory building in 1954.

They are replanted three times a year with seasonal displays, taking advantage of the tulips of spring, the annuals of summer, and the chrysanthemums of autumn.

In October 2013, a $1.23 million makeover saw the installation of 61 LED illumination lights and 2,500 water jet nozzles, all under computer control.

Just inside the gates is the Divine Light sculpture created by Indiana native and Bowell family friend, Kenzie Funk.

Located in the center of the park on the hillside to the west of Bean Creek, it was designed to look like a picnic shelter with enclosing walls, high ceilings, and fireplaces at each end.

In 1930, an outdoor swimming pool was constructed at the bottom of the hill between the Community House and the creek, and the basement was converted into locker rooms.

In 2006 the Community House was remodeled and enlarged using a $2.7 million grant from Lilly Endowment to become the Garfield Park Arts Center.

It lies southeast of the Arts Center and consists of a covered stage with outdoor bench and lawn seating.

This facility is located at 2345 Pagoda Drive, just south of the point where Bean Creek joins Pleasant Run.

Other facilities include tennis courts in the southeast corner near the intersection of Shelby Street and Southern Avenue, ball fields in the west along Pagoda Drive, and horseshoe pits across Bean Creek from the Burrello Family Center.

An extensive renovation was undertaken in 2011, with the library reopening on November 3, 2011, at which time its name was changed to the Garfield Park Branch.

At the request of the Southern Club of Indianapolis, the monument was moved to the site in Garfield Park near the Southern Avenue entrance to make it more visible to the public; there were plans to eventually move the monument to Crown Hill, but for financial or other reasons it remained in the park.