Landscape Information
Located in northern Atlanta on the site of the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition, Piedmont Park encompasses 189 acres of parkland. The purchase of this land in 1904 extended the city limits to incorporate both the park’s acreage and several developing neighborhoods. Between 1909 and 1912, the Olmsted Brothers offered a park design that greatly reflected the Picturesque style and design principles of Frederick Law Olmsted: it featured broad grassy lawns and playing fields, a shaded woodland with over 15 miles of sinuous walks, drives, and bridal paths, the 11.5-acre Lake Clara Meer, and various formal gardens and recreation areas. Some, though not all, of the Olmsted Brothers design for Piedmont Park was realized. The park flourished, however, given its close proximity to popular residential enclaves. Over time, other significant attractions were added including a bathhouse for swimmers, the Park Drive Bridge, and the Isamu Noguchi-designed playground, Playscapes. Following two decades of decline, in 1982, the City of Atlanta adopted a master plan to rehabilitate the park and a public-private partnership, the Piedmont Park Conservancy, was formed the following year. Piedmont Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
