Downtown Lexington's newly-opened Gatton Park. Photo furnished
In Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi,” she sings: “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” With the recent opening of Gatton Park on Town Branch, Lexington has reversed that trend, by transforming a former parking lot into a 10-acre community greenspace.
The park is the result of more than a decade of planning and fundraising that began under former Mayor Jim Gray’s administration. At that time, the city launched a bold vision to reimagine underutilized public spaces and enhance downtown’s trail system. Inspired by some of the nation’s best urban parks, the project evolved through a partnership between the city, the Lexington Convention Center (which owned the land), and a newly formed nonprofit —Gatton Park and Conservancy — tasked with fundraising, overseeing design, and ultimately managing the park.
Funded primarily through private philanthropy, the park has raised over $55 million, with an impressive 98% of that coming from private sources.
Allison Lankford, who has been involved since the project’s inception and recently transitioned from executive director to CEO of Gatton Park and Conservancy, describes the process as one that has balanced ambition with community stewardship.
CEO of Gatton Park and Conservency Allison Lankford says the park has been shaped by the voices of Lexington residents. Photo furnished
“It’s incredible that philanthropic dollars are bringing this to Lexington,” Lankford said. “It’s truly built by the people, for the people.”
Staying rooted in Lexington’s history while drawing inspiration from other world-class public spaces, the park’s design centers on Town Branch Creek — the original water source around which the city was founded in 1775. Industrialization buried the creek beneath streets and buildings, but recent development efforts, including the Distillery District, Gatton Park, and Town Branch Commons Trail, have unearthed sections of it. That 2.5-mile multi-use path now connects the Isaac Murphy Memorial Garden with Town Branch Trail.
During renovations to the park, crews uncovered a stone wall dating back to the 1790s, originally used to manage stormwater runoff; it has since been reconstructed using some of the original stone. Today, Town Branch Creek winds through the park beneath that wall, with the creek bed serving as a bioswale that reduces runoff and supports native habitat.
“We’ve restored the stream bed by taking out all the invasive species and replacing them with appropriate flora and really trying to bring the habitat back to what it once was,” Lankford said.
This ecological commitment extends throughout the park. Native plantings requiring minimal maintenance now populate the landscape — 450 trees, more than 4,000 plants, and three bioswales help restore the environmental vitality of downtown. A butterfly garden invites both pollinators and park-goers, while the expanded tree canopy helps combat Lexington’s urban heat island effect. Winding paths form a quarter-mile loop, perfect for walking or biking.
One of the most engaging features lies near the waterway: a half-acre playground inspired by gristmills, featuring twin towers, a 27-foot slide, and inclusive, ADA-compliant elements designed for caregiver-child play. A splash pad and a naturalistic “streambed” play area—with rocks and native vegetation — evoke the feeling of creekside exploration. The design even includes wide pathways and ground-level water tables to ensure children using mobility devices can fully experience the space.
At the park’s heart is a sweeping lawn and amphitheater that can accommodate up to 4,500 guests beneath a top-tier performance stage. The marquee CommonSpirit Health Stage is set to host a mix of local talent, nonprofit arts groups, and major touring acts spanning bluegrass, jazz, classic rock, and more.
Brian Sipe, general manager for Oak View Group (OVG) — which also oversees programming at Rupp Arena and the Lexington Opera House — has already booked several national headliners, including the Beach Boys (Sept. 17) and Kansas, Jefferson Starship, and Molly Hatchet (Oct. 9), with more acts on the way.
“Our market has been missing a space like this,” said Sipe of Gatton Park’s entertainment capabilities, adding that OVG plans to host roughly 20 national acts annually on the stage.
Shows will run between mid-April and mid-October and will also include local programming such as live music, nonprofit collaborations, group yoga, running clubs, and educational activities. As Lexington’s largest outdoor concert venue, the stage will complement the city’s existing venues in a way that many believe is much-needed.
“We’re not taking pieces of the pie — we’re growing it,” Sipe said.
Gatton Park's amphitheater and tiered lawn can accommodate up to 4,500 concert-goers. Photo furnished
Beyond performances, the park offers a variety of other features: interactive art installations, a fenced-in off-leash dog park, a dining facility housed in a vintage railcar, and a community room for gatherings of up to 150 guests. Each space was intentionally designed to meet diverse community needs.
From the very beginning, Gatton Park has been shaped by the voices of Lexington residents. Features and design details were informed by extensive community outreach efforts. Over the course of the planning process, park leadership engaged thousands of residents — through surveys translated into seven of Lexington’s most commonly spoken languages, focus groups with college students, and roundtable discussions in partnership with local organizations. Even during the pandemic, the project adapted to include virtual engagement. Today, the Inclusion Plan that grew out of that outreach continues to guide how the park is operated.
“As we open, we’re willing to make adjustments and keep listening to what Lexington wants from its downtown park,” Lankford said.
Now open to the public, Gatton Park invites visitors to rediscover Town Branch Creek, enjoy both free and ticketed events year-round (including a festive winter village coming later this year), and experience a space that is at once globally inspired and deeply rooted in Kentucky.
In time, Lankford hopes that Gatton Park becomes such an integral part of city life that residents “won’t remember the city without it.”
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The park's half-acre playground features a 27-foot slide, enclosed towers inspired by Kentucky's historic gristmills, and ADA-compliant elements designed for caregiver-child play. Photo furnished
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The park's half-acre playground features a 27-foot slide, enclosed towers inspired by Kentucky's historic gristmills, and ADA-compliant elements designed for caregiver-child play. Photo furnished