Save The Greensward

Save The Greensward The historic Greensward at Overton Park is being destroyed by zoo parking. Let's stop it now. Our park deserves better!

We are a grassroots coalition organized by Citizens to Preserve Overton Park, with a single goal: to end parking on the Greensward. Overton Park was designed by George Kessler in 1901 as a place for people to play, explore, and enjoy the beauty of open fields and ancient forest. For more than a century the 12-acre Greensward has been a peaceful green space in the heart of our park. In recent years

the City of Memphis has allowed the Memphis Zoo to use our historic Greensward as a parking lot on busy days. Our zoo is becoming more popular every year, and so is the rest of our park. There are a few obvious solutions -- redesigning existing lots to maximize space, running shuttles from satellite parking, encouraging street parking with a circulating shuttle, and building a new parking garage inside the zoo's boundary -- that would end gridlock and restore peace for everyone. In 2019, newly hired Zoo CEO Jim Dean made promises to local groups and individuals that the Zoo "has no desire or plans to expand into Overton Park or annex any acreage in Overton Park." Now the Zoo is going back on those promises. Rather than pursue a parking garage or any other solutions that would not harm Overton Park, the Zoo wants to take 2.4 acres of the Greensward from the people of Memphis and turn it into a paved parking lot. This plan would pave 20% of the total Greensward, or more than two football fields of public parkland. We want the Overton Park Greensward to be a calm green space for everyone, not a chaotic private parking lot for the Zoo. We are sick of watching shortsighted Zoo leaders try to destroy our park. We want the cars and trucks to GET OFF OUR LAWN now and forever.

Current photos of our beloved park. They just can't help themselves.
04/06/2024

Current photos of our beloved park. They just can't help themselves.

This is the 4th time Citizens to Preserve Overton Park has had a hand in saving Overton Park. What a win in the year of ...
03/08/2022

This is the 4th time Citizens to Preserve Overton Park has had a hand in saving Overton Park. What a win in the year of the 50th Anniversary of their historic Supreme Court decision. This is a huge win for all the people that have been fighting this fight throughout the decades.

The Memphis Zoo has agreed to give back part of the Old Forest in Overton Park that it had once planned to use as an exhibit on the Chickasaw Bluffs.

We are fully stocked! Order your yard sign now to help us paint the town green (again) and keep pressure on Zoo and City...
11/26/2021

We are fully stocked! Order your yard sign now to help us paint the town green (again) and keep pressure on Zoo and City leaders to do the right thing.

Our volunteers provide free delivery to your home or business anywhere in the Memphis area.

http://www.savethegreensward.org

Get the yard sign to show your support! Costs have doubled, unfortunately, so we’ve added a smaller option to keep it af...
11/10/2021

Get the yard sign to show your support! Costs have doubled, unfortunately, so we’ve added a smaller option to keep it affordable. 💚

Please allow a week for delivery. Thank you!

Thank you for showing your love for Overton Park's historic Greensward! We do FREE delivery to your yard, if you live in the Memphis area. Yard signs are not available for shipping.

11/09/2021

Our youngest supporters always have the best moves. 🥰

Spotted on BBC news straight from Glasgow Scotland. Abby is 9 years old and insisted on wearing her Save the Greensward ...
11/08/2021

Spotted on BBC news straight from Glasgow Scotland. Abby is 9 years old and insisted on wearing her Save the Greensward T-Shirt! Thank you Abby!

"For now, a plan that could use 2.4 acres of the park’s 12-acre greensward for expansion of the Memphis Zoo parking lot ...
11/07/2021

"For now, a plan that could use 2.4 acres of the park’s 12-acre greensward for expansion of the Memphis Zoo parking lot is on hold. But the activists are ready to fight for the land.

Those who gathered Saturday want to “show city and zoo leaders that our park is not a parking lot.”"

A plan to expand the Memphis Zoo parking lot onto the greensward is on hold, but Citizens to Preserve Overton Park activists gathered Saturday in Overton Park to show their willingness to fight.

Enjoying this fine day on the Greensward. Folks are out here drawing, studying, playing games, napping, and walking thei...
11/06/2021

Enjoying this fine day on the Greensward. Folks are out here drawing, studying, playing games, napping, and walking their animals. This is what we are protecting. More people visit the park than the zoo yearly. Everyone we talked to agreed with our stance, Not One Inch of our public Park needs to be destroyed. There was outrage they are attempting to pave over this greenspace.

Build the parking garage. Get Off Our Lawn.
11/04/2021

Build the parking garage. Get Off Our Lawn.

City Council member Jeff Warren is leading the talks that hope to raise additional money for a parking solution that leaves the Overton Park greensward as it is. 

Address

1951 Poplar Avenue, Suite 102
Memphis, TN
38104

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