As a part of AARP's 60th Anniversary, AARP launched an ambitious effort in 2019 to create 53 fitness parks – one each in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These AARP Sponsored Outdoor Fitness Parks Organized by FitLot are designed for adaptive use by people with a wide range of abilities and exercise needs.
Chickasaw Park stands out from other parks as it was the largest park specifically for Blacks in Louisville during the era of segregation. It is also believed to be the only park in the country designed by the Olmsted Firm during the time of segregation specifically for the use of African Americans.
The park features a pond for fishing in the summer and is well known for its strong tennis culture and clay courts. Numerous tennis tournaments have been held in Chickasaw Park over the decades. Notably, Althea Gibson, the first African American woman to win Wimbledon, came to Chickasaw Park to play the Mid-Mac Tennis Tournament in the 1940s.
Chickasaw Park has a deep and rich history of use by the community as a gathering place. This left the park relatively unchanged after other parks became integrated in 1955. Several communities utilize the park for weekend picnics and family outings. For Black Louisville, this park always has been and always will be "our park."
