In 1982, the Geist Park original site was acquired. This was 15 acres that was donated to the county by a private corporation. An additional 2 acres was added to the park making it a total of 17 acres along with a $50,000 donation from Patrick Verble.
Geist Park was further developed in 1993. The park was created to be a wetland / nature park for wildlife viewing and water recreation. During 2000, a restroom, shelter building, and playground were added to Geist Park. The playground was renovated in 2018 with Playworld equipment. In September 2019, a shelter at the peninsula was installed and donated by IU Health during the IU Health Day of Service.