Memphis Parks & Outdoor Activities

Memphis, often called "The River City" and "The Bluff City," is home to numerous parks of all sizes and purposes. Memphis' park opportunities showcase the mighty Mississippi River and its beautiful wooded bluffs, as well as cultural and historical features in metropolitan park sites.

T.O. Fuller State Park

One of Memphis' largest parks is T.O. Fuller State Park, just 11 miles south of downtown. For a city of over 650,000, Memphis preserves a substantial amount of natural habitat and vegetation. At T.O. Fuller State Park, visitors can picnic and play games in open space, sleep under the stars in the shaded campground, tee up at the park's golf course or observe native birds, amphibians and reptiles on the 1.5-mile nature trai

Lichterman Nature Center

If you've caught a glimpse of some of Memphis' native fauna and desire an even more intimate experience in nature, be sure to visit the Lichterman Nature Center. Located in metropolitan Memphis, this nature center features gardens, a greenhouse, environmental education, a boardwalk, lots of live animals and three miles of accessible trails. Learning about the unique habitats around the Mississippi River Bluffs and then exploring these areas firsthand is a memory-making outing.

Memphis Botanic Garden

Another unforgettable park in Memphis is the Memphis Botanic Garden. On the 96-acre grounds, visitors can stroll through the Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, Sensory Garden, through woodlands and alongside lakes. If you're lucky enough to visit during the summer months, you will be treated to live music during the evening in this beautifully landscaped park.

Tom Lee Park

Tom Lee Park, stretching 1.5 miles along the Mississippi Riverbank, is another park where visitors can enjoy live entertainment and seasonal festivals, such as the Jazz Festival, Sunset Symphony and the Barbeque Contest. This park, bearing the name of a city hero who saved 32 people from a sinking steamboat in 1925, has since become a favorite outdoor spot for locals and visitors alike.

Other city parks include Audubon Park and Overton Park. Audubon Park features a golf course, playground, tennis courts, soccer fields, picnic sites and jogging trails. On weekends, a group of locals in elaborate costumes re-enacts medieval battles. Overton Park's signature sight is its amphitheater painted in rainbow colors, where Elvis once performed. Also housing the Brooks Museum of Art, the Memphis College of Art and the Municipal Golf Course, there is definitely plenty to keep you busy at Overton Park! Whether you come to Memphis seeking a trail to experience nature, a place to sit under a giant shade tree and read a book, or a site to savor the soulful sounds of a Jazz Festival, Memphis has a park to fit your fancy!