Tom Lee Park | |
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Type | Municipal |
Location | Memphis, Tennessee |
Coordinates | 35°08′11″N 90°03′46″W / 35.1365°N 90.06267°W |
Area | 30 acres (12 ha) |
Operated by | City of Memphis |
Status | Open all year from dawn to 10 pm |
Public transit access | Riverfront Loop |
Tom Lee Park is a city park located to the immediate west of downtown Memphis, Tennessee, overlooking the Mississippi River. Encompassing about 30 acres (12 ha) parallel to the Mississippi River for about one mile (1.6 km), it offers panoramic views of the Mississippi River and the shores of Arkansas on the opposite side. The park is named after Tom Lee, an African-American riverworker, who saved the lives of 32 passengers of the sinking steamboat M.E. Norman in 1925.[1]
Tom Lee Park is a popular location for walkers, joggers, roller bladers and cyclists, and hosts one event per year, the Beale Street Music Festival that kicks off Memphis in May.
In 2023, Tom Lee Park reopened following a substantial redesign by Studio Gang (as master planner and architect) and SCAPE (as landscape architect).