The Historic Ambassador House and Heritage Gardens

The Historic Ambassador House and Heritage Gardens are the focal point of Heritage Park in Fishers, Indiana, and a pleasant interlude in any trip you take to the area. The 19th century Colonial-style home is named for its most famous resident, Addison C. Harris, a former U.S. ambassador to Austria-Hungary from 1899-1901. The home has been restored and is now used to host public and private events. But there is much more to see here than a historic home. There are lush gardens to walk through with historic period and native plantings, and the park that surrounds it all.

Parking and Public Transportation at Ambassador House
Parking on the grounds of the Ambassador House is free, and there are three different parking lots to accommodate visitors. Since the Indianapolis bus system doesn't operate north of 96th Street, public transportation to the park would have to be obtained through Hamilton County Express. This bus service only operates on weekdays and has to be reserved a day in advance. Other options would be taxi cab service, or Lyft and Uber. Your best bet is to drive yourself or rent a car.

Best and Worst Time to Go to Ambassador House
The worst time to go to Heritage Park is when the Ambassador House and Heritage Gardens have been reserved for a public or private event, such as a wedding. Even though other areas of the park, such as the trails, would in most cases still be open to the public, finding parking spots would be a challenge and you wouldn't have full access to the gardens. Be sure to check the calendar on the park's website to see whether anything is scheduled for the date you plan to be there.

Admission to the Ambassador House
Public events held at the Ambassador House typically charge for admission. You can usually buy tickets online on the Ambassador House website for any such event. If you are not attending a public or private event, you can walk through the gardens, walk the trails that loop through and around the park, picnic in the covered hexagonal picnic shelter, all free of charge. You can walk through the house during its regularly scheduled hours for a small admission fee under $15.

Must See and Do at the Ambassador House
It goes without saying you must tour the house if you are interested in seeing how a U.S. ambassador lived during the time of President William McKinley's presidency. Make sure you stroll through the Heritage Gardens while in the park. Some of the plants are of the same period of those that would have been in the gardens when the Ambassador and his wife lived in the house. Others are plants that are native to Indiana, and others have been chosen so there is something constantly in bloom during the spring, summer and fall. In winter, bring your sleds and take advantage of the park's huge sledding hill that is quite popular with the locals. Take a walk on the trails that loop through and around the 33-acre park, especially the one that is on the bank of the White River.

Other Places to Visit Near the Ambassador House

• Attend a performance at the Center for the Performing Arts in nearby Carmel
• Attend a concert at Klipsch Music Center in Noblesville
• Visit art galleries and shop in the Carmel Arts and Design District

Insider's Tip
Make sure to check the events calendar on the Ambassador House website to schedule your own visit around private events. For example, if a wedding is booked for 3 p.m., you can still visit the gardens and the rest of the park early that morning with no problems.

Author's bio: Susan Hoskins Miller is a writer who lives in metropolitan Indianapolis and works in a university library. In her free time, she enjoys being with her family and exploring places in the Midwest.