Park Projects

Olmsted Parks Conservancy announced a transformative $5 million anonymous donation in 2025 that will be used to restore Chickasaw Park, a longstanding gathering place rooted in the West End of Louisville.

The project will breathe new life into the century-old park through major improvements to the playground, sprayground and river view, along with adding extensive landscaping, tree restoration, commemorative benches and infrastructure upgrades that will ensure the park’s vitality for decades to come.

Chickasaw Park has received broad community investment in recent years, including Louisville Parks and Recreation’s pond restoration project. Olmsted Parks Conservancy has raised funds to restore the lodge and the tennis courts, and we have also worked with the West Louisville Women’s Collaborative, the Glenview Garden Club and the Garden Club of America to secure funding for a “Butterfly and Bee Pollinator Meadow” in honor of Chickasaw Park’s most famous user, Muhammad Ali.

Olmsted Parks Conservancy worked with Louisville Parks and Recreation to bring a fully ADA accessible playground to Central Park.

The playground features a rubber surface material that makes it easy to navigate on wheels or on foot. Sidewalk improvements ensure easy access from a paved parking lot. The playground includes plenty of accessible features so that all children enjoy the space together.

In 2020, Olmsted Parks Conservancy, along with Louisville Parks and Recreation, worked with Taylor Siefker Williams and Gresham Smith to develop a master plan for Elliott Park. This plan was realized in 2024 with the reopening of the fully renovated park.

Elliott Park Master Plan builds on Olmstedian design principles to rethink a community park in a contemporary context. The project team utilized an inclusive, community-led process to inform the recommendations of this plan so future park development responds to the community’s needs and ambitions.

Olmsted parks are designed to bring people closer to their environments and each other. The design of these spaces creates unique experiences that transcend daily life and evoke positive responses.

The original Olmsted plan provides guidance to the intended purpose of the park: create a civic-oriented community space where people of all ages can commune and enjoy a variety of activities. For the purposes of this plan, the design team has taken the approach of examining the role of a park as providing equity, accessibility, and sustainability.