McCulloch Park

Located in the southwest corner of the Whitely Neighborhood, adjacent to the Minnetrista, McKinley, and East Central Neighborhoods, McCulloch Park serves the entire community of Muncie. Access to McCulloch Park is available from adjacent bus routes along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., or from a short walk from routes along Elm St. McCulloch Park is also accessible from White River Greenway (running along the southern boundary of the park) and Cardinal Greenway, with the McCulloch Trailhead located just west of the park. Parking lots are available in multiple locations throughout the park, which include bike racks at a couple locations. McCulloch Park Dr. meanders through the park running north-south. The park is split in half by Highland Ave., running east-west.

In 1901, George McCulloch donated the land which makes up McCulloch Park to the city. He specified that the land must be used as a public park for the free use by all people that lived in the city. The largest park within Muncie, McCulloch Park offers gently rolling terrain with Muncie’s primary sledding hill and a multitude of large mature trees. This park also offers a plethora of recreational opportunities including two abutting playgrounds, a disk golf course, basketball courts, an official sized baseball diamond, a Soap Box derby track, picnic shelters, and picnic tables. A lodge located in the southeast portion of the park has a paved access road and parking area, which also provides access to the basketball courts. A memorial to George McCulloch has been relocated at the park’s southern boundary along McCulloch Blvd., in a triangular traffic median in between McCulloch Park Dr.

McCulloch Park also contains a “safety town”. A short circular concrete wall, the remnants of an animal enclosure, reminds visitors that McCulloch Park was once home to animals. A small building that appears to have been a community hand washing facility also provides a glimpse into the past of McCulloch Park for visitors.

A fire station and a lift station reside within the northern part of the park. The Muncie K-9 Department removed their facility that was formerly located in the park on the northwest corner of Highland Ave. and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

In the last five years, the park has seen improvements. In the northern half of the park, a hazardous playground was removed. In the southern half of the park, a little league sized baseball diamond has been mostly dismantled with the fencing removed. Additionally, new playground equipment was installed abutting the existing playground.