A Park Rooted in Vision
Overton Park was founded in 1901 as Memphis’s first metropolitan park, part of a growing nationwide movement calling for green space in urban centers—a concept sparked by the creation of New York City’s Central Park in the 1850s.
In the wake of yellow fever epidemics that devastated Memphis in the 1870s, city leaders recognized the need for public wellness infrastructure. The result: an ambitious investment in a parks system that prioritized health, beauty, and community.
Designed with Purpose
Landscape architect George Kessler was chosen to design Overton Park. Its location—then on the city’s eastern outskirts—was selected to showcase the natural terrain and connect to a network of public spaces via tree-lined parkways.
By the early 20th century, programming at Overton Park began shifting to serve Memphis’s working-class population. This transformation gave rise to iconic cultural and recreational institutions still present in the park today. During the 1930s WPA era, the park saw another boom with the creation of the Overton Park Shell, where Elvis Presley gave his first professional performance in 1954.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
for capital improvements and operations
Memphis Zoo
- The Overton Park 9 Golf Course and Clubhouse
- The Bike Gate sculpture and plaza
- The Rainbow Lake Playground, a hub of creativity and nature-based play
Overton Park 9 Golf Course
for capital improvements and operations
Overton Park Shell
Begins at the arched gate between Rainbow Lake Playground and Overton Bark, with 35 interpretive markers to guide your experience
A Park That Reflects the Times
Overton Park has long mirrored the social and political tides of Memphis and the nation.
During World War II
the park’s Japanese gardens were removed amid growing anti-Japanese sentiment.
In the civil rights era
students held sit-ins at cultural venues in the park to protest segregation.
During the Vietnam War
anti-war rallies took place near Rainbow Lake, just steps from the Veterans Plaza memorials.
Saving the Old Forest
The Old Forest became the center of a national legal battle in the 1960s.
When plans emerged for Interstate 40 to cut through the park, a grassroots group—Citizens to Preserve Overton Park—led a fierce legal challenge that culminated in the landmark 1971 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe.
This case established the requirement that all “feasible and prudent alternatives” must be considered before building highways through public lands—a precedent still cited in environmental law today.
In 2011, the forest received official protection as the Old Forest State Natural Area, the only urban old-growth forest in Tennessee.
A New Chapter
Despite its rich legacy, decades of deferred maintenance led to Overton Park’s gradual decline. In 2011, a new model emerged: a public-private partnership between the City of Memphis and the newly formed Overton Park Conservancy.
Today, the Conservancy engages the community in shaping the park’s future, preserving its historical roots, honoring its natural wonders, and ensuring that Overton Park remains a treasured space for generations to come.
