Bear pit at Riverside Park and other bygone animal attractions: encore

<p dir="ltr">Bears at <strong><a href= "https://www.visitindy.com/indianapolis-riverside-park">Riverside Park</a></strong> in Indianapolis? Not for the last century. But for nearly two decades beginning in 1899, a <a href= "https://historicindianapolis.com/penny-post-the-riverside-bear-pit/"><strong>bear pit</strong></a> was among the most popular attractions at the park near the <strong><a href= "https://hoosierhistorylive.org/audio/2019-07-13-White-River-History.mp3">White River</a></strong>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Consisting of a fenced, circular pen with two arched doorways that allowed the bears to enter a sheltered den, the bear pit at Riverside was featured on thousands of postcards that have become collectibles.</p> <p dir="ltr">And the Riverside bear pit, although the longest-lasting and most significant local animal attraction during the era (it even sometimes was casually referred to as a "zoo"), wasn't the only collection of wildlife on display in Indianapolis parks.</p>