SLC.gov

May 7, 2026

Salt Lake City Department of Public Lands unveiled the final Vision Plan for Liberty Park (600 Harvey Milk Blvd.), establishing a long-term roadmap to preserve, enhance, and invest in one of the City’s oldest and most beloved public spaces over the next 20 years.  

Spanning nearly 100 acres, Liberty Park is Salt Lake City’s second-largest park and has served as a central gathering place for residents and visitors since 1882. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the park is home to community destinations including Tracy Aviary, the Chase Home Museum of Utah Folk Arts, Chase Mill, YouthCity, and Liberty Hills Tennis Center.  

Based on the treatment recommendations from a Cultural Landscape Report and extensive community input, the Vision Plan addresses deferred maintenance, repairs, and enhancements to park infrastructure and amenities while creating opportunities for visitors of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to relax, recreate, gather, and celebrate.  

“Liberty Park is one of Salt Lake City’s most important public spaces,” said Kim Shelley, director of the Department of Public Lands. “This plan ensures we are preserving history while thoughtfully investing in its future, so it can continue to serve future generations.”  

A Community-Guided Vision 

Guided by community input, the final design was built around six key principles: 

• Ensure safe connections and access to and through Liberty Park 
• Ensure safe and welcoming park experiences for everyday use and special events 
• Preserve and repair Liberty Park’s historic composition, buildings, and features 
• Re-establish significant features and uses  
• Protect and enhance the urban forest 
• Be a model for resiliency, low-water landscapes, and biodiversity in urban parks 

Liberty Park’s mix of open meadows, tree-lined paths, recreational amenities, and gathering spaces will be preserved and enhanced to support both active and passive use. New features such as expanded gardens, enhanced gathering spaces, pathways, and additional play areas will build on the park’s historic design while meeting modern needs.  

Key Improvements 

• Preserve the park’s historic character 
• Repair and enhance iconic tree allées, tree groves, meadows, and water features 
• Expand indoor and outdoor gardens, including a new greenhouse facility 
• Enhance Liberty Lake with boardwalk and trails 
• Preserve circulation patterns, improve access, and enhance accessibility 
• Create flexible gathering spaces 
• Preserve contributing historic buildings, structures, objects, and features 

Phased Implementation 

The Vision Plan outlines a phased implementation approach that allows the City to prioritize critical needs while adapting to future funding opportunities and community priorities.  

Phase 1 (0-5 years) will focus on high-priority maintenance and improvements, including:   

• A continuous loop trail around the lake with a boardwalk section, overlooks, native plantings, and informational signage.  
• Realignment of multi-use trail and mulch trail with buffer along 700 East  
• Greenhouse replacement with expanded gardens, trails, seating, and interpretive signage 
• Ongoing repairs and maintenance throughout the park 
• Continue to preserve and repair historic patterns of tree allées and tree groves 
• Plant 750 deciduous trees and 450 evergreen trees 

Phase 2 (5-10 years) will focus on infrastructure preservation and enhancements to high-use areas, such as roadway and entrance improvements and connectivity within the park. 

Phase 3 (10+ years) will introduce additional amenities and improvements, such as new picnic shelters, gathering spaces near the Koi Pond, play areas, pathways, wayfinding, improved multi-use trail, and further landscape improvements.  

The Liberty Park Vision Plan outlines several priority projects and phased improvements that are not yet funded. The City is actively pursuing funding opportunities to support full implementation, including City capital allocations, public and private partnerships, and competitive county, state, and federal grants. Current ongoing and funded projects within Liberty Park include: 

• Rotary Play Park improvements (Grand Opening September 2026) 
• Rotary restroom renovation 
• Greenhouse design  
• Liberty Lake dredging  
• Tennis court resurfacing 
• Signage upgrades 

These investments represent key components of the long‑term strategy to modernize park infrastructure and enhance the visitor experience.