Overton Park Stories

Last December, John Gilmore spent nine hours on a surgical table after an aortic valve dissection almost claimed his life. When he woke up after surgery, his doctors told him that his habit of walking several miles multiple times each week had helped to save

For two generations now, Memphians have been participating in the city’s oldest footrace–the Overton Park Five Mile Classic. Started in 1974 by University of Memphis high jumper Don Greer and several of his fraternity brothers, the race was originally a way for high school and

For Valerie and Dean Hornbeak, a dream that started four years ago came true this summer on the Overton Park Greensward. After planning, stocking up on equipment, and creating an immediately recognizable brand, they opened their Brisket in a Basket food truck and set up

For Overton Park Conservancy board member Melanie White, the park has been a place to become part of a family. After moving to Memphis from San Francisco in 1985, Melanie sought to reclaim all the time she’d spent commuting. She settled in Central Gardens and

When Tomy’Ra Lowe’s son was born in 2009 with a severe congenital heart defect, her family began running a gauntlet of major surgeries, extended hospital stays, and fear for his future. Even after he was able to return home, she couldn’t shake the feeling that

Overton Park has been central to the artistic life of the city since Brooks Museum opened its doors more than 100 years ago. To honor that legacy, the Conservancy engages local artists to design everything from sculptural gateways to t-shirts. For our 2019 shirts, we

“In the early 2000s, you could not go 100 feet on the Old Forest trails before having to crawl through a blockage. It was that overgrown with brush.” Sam Blair remembers an Old Forest that was far less welcoming than it is today. An attorney