Shelby Farms Park

More than 4,500 acres transformed into one of the largest urban parks in the country and a hub for recreation, ecology and community life.

Creating “America’s Great Twenty-First Century Urban Park”

How community vision became a reality at Shelby Farms Park.

Shelby Farms Park is one of the largest urban parks in America. Forests, trails, lakes, and park amenities stretch over more than 4,500 acres of protected natural land.

For years, this unique piece of land was threatened by development with housing, commercial or industrial projects, and even a new highway proposed. In 2007, community resistance became reinvention and Shelby Farms Park Conservancy was created to develop and execute an ambitious vision for the future.

"Our job is to unlock the incredible potential of Shelby Farms Park and to demonstrate that a great park can inspire a great city."
- Barbara Hyde

Guided by a community-driven master plan, the Conservancy set out not only to improve the park, but to set a new standard for public space in Memphis. The plan called for trails, lakes, playgrounds, facilities, and amenities that reflect the highest quality in design, vision and execution. The Conservancy raised more than $75 million to execute the vision and celebrated the completion of the largest construction phase in 2016.

Alongside the transformation of the park itself came the Shelby Farms Greenline, nearly 13 miles of bike and walk trails that link the park to neighborhoods across Memphis.

Shelby Farms Park stands as an example of visionary ambition paired with community-driven reinvention.

Timeline

1929

Shelby County acquires land ‘out in the country’ for use as a penal farm.
1970

Efforts to develop the land lead to community resistance and the first recreational use of the park.
2007

Shelby Farms Park Conservancy forms and is granted conservation easement to protect, manage and improve the park for recreational purposes.
2008

Shelby County Commission approves visionary Master Plan, designed by James Corner Field Operations and informed by one of the most ambitious public input processes undertaken in Memphis.
2010

The first 6.5 mile long section of the Shelby Farms Greenline opens, connecting the heart of the park to the heart of Memphis.
2016

Heart of the Park, the largest construction phase for Shelby Farms Park, opens to the public. The Greenline opens a 4.1mi extension to Cordova.
2025

The final Greenline extension opens completing an almost 13 mile length from Midtown Memphis to Cordova.

Key Facts

4,500+ acres

Of parkland, lakes, forests and amenities
12,000+

Daily visitors
4.5 million+

Annual visitors
40+ miles

Of hike, bike, and walk trails
$75 million+

Raised for ‘Heart of the Park’ capital campaign
$13 million+

Annual economic impact

"Few of us could have imagined what we have now: a park that answers the question about not just what kind of park we want, but what kind of community we seek."

Laura Morris, former Executive Director, Shelby Farms Park Conservancy