White River State Park is an urban park in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Situated along the eastern and western banks of its namesake White River, the park covers . The park is home to numerous attractions, including the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis Zoo, NCAA Hall of Champions, Victory Field, and White River Gardens. The park and accompanying Indianapolis Canal Walk comprise one of seven designated cultural districts. History Initial plans for the park were conceived by civic leaders in the late-1970s to capitalize on the city's amateur sports economic development strategy. Bipartisan support from state legislators and seed money from corporate partners led to the organization of a quasi-governmental commission to oversee planning and operations for the park. Construction began in the 1980s with the acquisition and clearing of blighted industrial properties and realignment of Washington Street for redevelopment. Restoration of this area began in the late 1980s when public attention fell on the Indiana Central Canal. The canal was originally engineered in the 1830s as a way to ship goods through the state of Indiana, but the project, as governed by the Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act, went bankrupt and the Indianapolis section of the canal was the only section that was ever dug. Although the canal was never used for its intended purpose, recent restoration and development have allowed the area to function as a cultural center within the city. In 1980, architect César Pelli's Indiana Tower was proposed as the park's focal point; however, the observation tower was never constructed due to funding concerns and public criticism of the tower's design. Since, several proposed attractions have been considered, including an Indiana African American History Museum, seasonal ice skating rink, tethered balloon ride, amusement park, and public beach. In December 2020, officials announced that the park's footprint would expand by as part of a $100 million public-private partnership between the State of Indiana, City of Indianapolis, and Elanco to redevelop the neighboring General Motors site to the south. The new parkland will hug the west riverbank and incorporate a portion of the former plant's preserved crane bay. The crane bay was designed by industrial architect Albert Kahn. Ownership and operations White River State Park is owned by the State of Indiana under the auspices of the White River State Park Development Commission, a quasi-governmental board composed of 12 commissioners. The commission