Emancipation Park: The oldest park in Texas

Houston is home to the state’s oldest public park, Emancipation Park.

In 1872, a group of formerly enslaved community members sought to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S. with a space to celebrate the anniversary of Juneteenth – when Texas slaves were finally informed of their freedom on June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Together they  purchased 10-acres of land in Houston’s 3rd Ward for the park.

From 1922-1940, Emancipation Park was the only park in Houston open to African Americans.

Declared a historic landmark in 2006, the space became a UNESCO Slave Route Project site in 2019.

– Amanda Fox, The Houston 100