Building Trades Park

Building Trades Park (3.2 acres) is located at 619 W Howe St. across from the Bloomington Hospital.

Basketball Goals: Five goals.

Parking Areas: Nine spaces, located off of Howe Street. Designated wheelchair accessible parking space.

Loop Trail: This ¼-mile loop trail surrounds most of the park. Portions of the trail are also used as a sidewalk, and include a boardwalk. Play Field/Playground: Open green space, accessible playground

Restrooms: Located near Howe Street, open seasonally

Shelters: The Park's single reservable shelter is located across from IU Health - Bloomington Hospital on Second Street and can accommodate 25-30 people. It is wheelchair accessible with accessible restrooms nearby. There is a grill and access to water at the shelter, but no electricity. The shelter rents for $50/weekdays and $53/weekends and holidays, and is reservable between April 1 and October 31. There is a picnic table located by the parking lot.

Report a problem at Building Trades Park here.

Bloomington Parks and Recreation Park Property Rules

Additional Information

Good For

Families

Dogs

Wheelchairs

Activities

Birdwatching

Dog Walking

Walking

Running

Wildlife Watching

Picnicking

Rules & Regulations

Dogs On Leash

No Illegal Substances

No Campfires

No Camping

No Horses

No Motorized

Pack Out Dog Waste

Accessibility Description

Accessible playground, shelter, and restrooms.

History of Building Trades Park

Building Trades Park was first known as the "Second Street Park." The park land had been owned, sequentially starting in 1895, by the Henley Stone Company, Oolitic Stone Company and South Side Stone Company; it was once the site of a limestone mill. South Side Stone left the land around 1920. Neighbor and area historian Don Shiflet said the quarry holes were still present on the property, although there were no buildings, in 1927.

In about 1949, businessmen Ralph Rogers and John R. East helped fill in and smooth the site. East used clinkers from his coal business. The park is named Building Trades Park because it was established with help of local union workers. Records show the parcel was purchased from the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce on July 26, 1949 for $1.

The multiple-use concrete slab area was completed in August 1967. New playground equipment was installed in 2003. The shelterhouse was renovated in 1981 and rehabbed in 2009 by the Labor and Trades Union.