Tom Lee Park

A world-class park along one of Memphis’s greatest assets, the mighty Mississippi River.

"Our ambition was to build a park that would allow people across incomes to joyfully share public space."

Carol Coletta, former President and CEO of Memphis River Parks Partnership

A return to the riverfront

For most of Memphis’s history, the Mississippi River—despite shaping the city’s geography—was treated largely as an industrial zone and overlooked as a civic asset. In 1925, the river became the site of one of the city’s most heroic acts. Tom Lee, a Black river worker who couldn’t swim, rescued 32 passengers from a sinking capsized steamer boat on the Mississippi. His selfless bravery and compassion embody the spirit of Memphis: courageous, generous, and community-driven.

A modest patch of riverfront land was later dedicated in his honor, then expanded to a larger area in the 1990s. Though the site was officially designated for a future park, it remained underutilized for years: an open space with little to connect it to Lee’s powerful story or the city’s residents.

In 2017, Mayor Strickland set out to change that. He launched a riverfront task force and brought in Studio Gang from Chicago to reimagine the space as part of a larger riverfront transformation. With support from the Riverfront Development Corporation—later restructured and rebranded as the Memphis River Parks Partnership—the city committed to realizing a long-overdue vision.

Completed in 2023, the newly redesigned Tom Lee Park now stands as a national model for civic space. Every aspect of its design and programming reflects Tom Lee’s legacy of compassion, courage, and connection—values that continue to define Memphis.

Timeline

1800s

The riverfront was used solely as an industrial landing for trade. Every other aspect of life in Downtown Memphis was directed away from the river.
1925

A man named Tom Lee rescued 32 passengers from a sinking capsized steamer boat on the Mississippi River.
1954

A small plot of grass on Riverside Drive was named Tom Lee Park in honor of Mr. Lee and his heroism.
1991

Army Corps of Engineers paid for an expansion of Tom Lee Park as protection for the river channel. The city set aside the land for an eventual park to be built.
2017

Mayor Strickland committed to realizing the long-delayed park vision from the 1990s. He formed a new riverfront task force and hired Studio Gang to develop a transformative riverfront concept. The Riverfront Development Corporation board approved the plan, and the mayor backed it. The organization was then restructured and rebranded as the Memphis River Parks Partnership to carry out the vision.
2023

Tom Lee Park opened to the public on 901 Day, Memphis’s civic pride holiday.
2025

A reimagined, more pedestrian friendly Riverside Drive opened for use along the Park.