Overton Park

Activity Overview

Overton Park is a large public park in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee. It is home to some of the city's most popular attractions, including the Memphis Zoo, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, and the Levitt Shell. Other features include a golf course, a dog park, formal gardens, an arboretum, a lake, and playgrounds. If your family is looking for somewhere to spend the day enjoying nature, listening to music, or viewing art, consider taking a trip to Overton Park.

Things to Do

• Take your child to the Rainbow Lake Playground, which has swings, slides, a hollow tree tunnel, two large climbing structures, a carousel, an area where children can build things, and a sand pit that they can play in.
• Go for a family hike through the Old Forest State Natural Area, a beautiful 200-acre forest with 4 miles of unpaved trails for you to explore.
• Visit the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, the oldest and largest art museum in Tennessee. Its collection contains paintings by famous artists such as Gainsborough and Renoir as well as sculptures, textiles, and other decorative arts.

Overton Park Insider Tips

• Bring along some food and drinks and have a picnic in one of the park's many picnic areas, such as the historic Picnic Pavilion that was constructed in 1904.
• Visit the Memphis Zoo, one of the top-ranked zoos in the entire country, which is home to over 3,000 fascinating animals.
• Attend one of the many free summer concerts at the Levitt Shell, where Elvis Presley gave his first paid performance in 1954.