Overton Park

The public park is open daily from dawn to dusk. Memphis Zoo, Brooks Museum, the golf clubhouse, Levitt Shell, and other institutions have separate admission hours and event schedules.

Route to the exact feature: Rainbow Lake Playground for family play, East Parkway Pavilion for the east side, Overton Bark for the dog park, or the institution's own address for the zoo, museum, golf, or performances.

Limited lots are available at Rainbow Lake Playground, Abe Goodman Golf Clubhouse, and East Parkway Pavilion, with additional legal spaces on park roads. Zoo demand and major events can fill spaces; never drive or park on grass or inside Old Forest.

Yes. MATA route 50 serves the park, and visitors can arrive by foot, bicycle, or scooter. Explore Bike Share stations are located by Rust Hall near the Greensward and at East Parkway Pavilion.

Restrooms are at Rainbow Lake Pavilion and East Parkway Pavilion; they unlock at dawn and lock at dusk. The Abe Goodman Golf Clubhouse also has restrooms during its business hours.

More than eight miles of routes include paved park connections and natural-surface Old Forest trails with roots, mud, and uneven ground. The Hampline trailhead connects toward the Shelby Farms Greenline network.

Rainbow Lake Playground is the main family play destination, with its own limited lot and nearby pavilion restrooms. The park also includes picnic areas, trails, the Greensward, formal garden, and cultural institutions.

Only inside the fenced Overton Bark dog park. Dogs are welcome elsewhere but must remain leashed, including on trails, lawns, roads, and around the playground.

General park entry, trails, playground, lawns, formal garden, picnic areas, and dog park are free. Memphis Zoo, Brooks Museum, golf, ticketed performances, and some events or programs charge separately.

The outdoor park is open dawn to dusk, and pavilion restrooms automatically lock at dusk. Memphis Zoo, Brooks Museum, golf, performances, and other institutions use separate schedules. Storm damage, wet Old Forest trails, races, concerts, festivals, maintenance, and large events can also affect parking, roads, lawns, pavilions, or trail segments.

The Old Forest, playground surroundings, and picnic areas have substantial tree shade. East Parkway Pavilion is the park's largest covered structure and sits beside shaded green space, a playground, restrooms, and a water fountain; Rainbow Lake Pavilion is another reservable covered option. Pavilions are outdoor structures, not severe-weather shelters, and the Zoo, museums, theatre, and other buildings have separate admission and hours. Leave wooded areas during lightning or high wind.

For a simple picnic, use the shaded green space near East Parkway Pavilion, Rainbow Lake, or an open lawn; grills are allowed, but dispose of coals in the park's coal bins or take them away. A 10-by-10-foot canopy is allowed without an extra city permit. Reserve East Parkway Pavilion for groups up to 200 or Rainbow Lake Pavilion for groups up to 50 when you need exclusive covered space, tables, or event amenities.

Overton Park does not list a permanent splash pad or swimming pool, and Rainbow Lake is an ornamental pond where swimming is not allowed. The Conservancy occasionally schedules temporary Summer Splash events with pop-up water slides on the Greensward; those are date-specific programs, not everyday amenities. Check the event calendar before relying on water play, and do not enter Rainbow Lake or bring unapproved water slides or water balloons.

Overton Park's major anchors include Rainbow Lake and its nature-based playground, the Greensward, Veterans Plaza and Doughboy Statue, formal gardens, Overton Park Shell, Bike Gate sculpture and plaza, Overton Bark, Overton Park 9 golf course, and the Old Forest State Natural Area. Memphis Zoo and Memphis Brooks Museum of Art occupy separately operated sites inside the broader park. Use the Conservancy map for the exact lot; cultural attractions, playgrounds, forest gates, and golf do not share one entrance.

Accessibility varies by entrance, route, terrain, and destination. Review the exact mapped subsite and its official source before relying on a specific accessible route.