Parks

Celebration Station

In 2017, everyone who lived, worked, or played in the greater Albion area was invited to participate in a community forum because input was being sought from the public to aid the Albion Hometown Collaboration Initiative (HCI) Team in identifying a community development project to encourage “placemaking”, leadership, and/or economic growth in Albion.

This was the first step in a process that Albion was chosen, as one of just five communities in the State of Indiana, to participate in by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA). As an HCI Community, Albion benefitted from having community development professionals from OCRA, Ball State University, and Purdue University coach several volunteers who made up the HCI Team on how to reach goals identified by listening to citizens.

Albion's Celebration Station alley activation

Celebration Station is in the alley on the east side of the courthouse square.

At the end of this learning process came a "Capstone Project". Albion's HCI Team ultimately chose "Placemaking" and decided to complete an "alley activation" to give more purpose to an often vacant downtown space and enable a place for community to gather and engage downtown.

In 2019 the alley surface was upgraded and painted to look like a railroad track to complement the Pizza Depot's theme, and their plans to install some wall art on the side of their building.

More upgrades were made in 2020 with the installation of a custom-fabricated railroad-style crossing bar that can serve to close the alley from incoming traffic when used for private or public special events. Overhead "Edison-style" lighting was added, followed by benches and flowering pots. Owners of the adjacent pizza place also added local photographs to pay homage to Albion's railroad history.

If you or your organization would like to use Celebration Station for your activity or event, use the buttons at top to learn about Albion's Special Events policy and/or submit an application. The Town of Albion reviews requests.

Bicentennial
Park

This small pocket park is located one block south of the stoplight on SR 9, directly across from the Albion Post Office.

Bicentennial Park began with a mural installed in 2016 marking the 200th Anniversary of the State of Indiana.

In 2024, the Albion STAR Team led an effort to make the space more welcoming by adding seating and flowers. The Arc Noble County Foundations sponsored the addition of an accessible picnic table. The following year, one of the county's original Bisons, placed during Indiana's Bicentennial celebration at a different Albion location, was restored and placed here and lighting was added in the park. A new fence was also installed, followed by a kiosk bulletin board, sponsored by the Noble County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Bicentennial Park is always open and available for the community to enjoy!