News

Houston, TX – Memorial Park Conservancy today announced a leadership transition, with Chris Ballard stepping into the role of Interim President and CEO, effective November 1, 2024. This transition comes as Shellye Arnold, who has served as President and CEO for over a decade, moves into a President Emeritus role to focus on family priorities.

Houston Chronicle | Amber Elliott, Sig Christenson More than a century has passed since 110 Black soldiers stationed at Camp Logan were convicted of mutiny, murder and assault in the 1917 Houston Riot, with 19 of them executed at Fort Sam Houston. Now those convictions have been overturned. Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Michael Mahoney

U.S. Army Medical Department Television (MEDVID-TV) MEDCOE

Nineteen Black Army soldiers were executed, most others received life sentences The U.S. Army has overturned the convictions of 110 Black soldiers charged over a century ago with mutiny, murder and assault in a Texas riot. Nineteen of the Black Army soldiers convicted were sentenced to death and executed following the riot in 1917, when

KHOU | Lea Wilson The U.S. Army was part of the event Monday in honor of the soldiers whose murder convictions were overturned after a petition was submitted on their behalf. HOUSTON — An event was held Monday to recognize the legacy of 110 Black soldiers convicted in the Houston Riots of 1917. The U.S.

Houston Chronicle | Amber Elliott U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs to deliver survivor benefits, new plaque for Camp Logan soldiers. The U.S. Army set aside the convictions of mutiny, murder and assault for 110 Black soldiers who were accused in the 1917 Houston Riot at Camp Logan in a ceremony Monday at the Buffalo National

San Antonio Express News | Sig Christenson Nineteen soldiers from an all-Black infantry regiment were hanged at Fort Sam Houston for their role in the 1917 Houston Riot, which left 18 dead. In all, 110 African American soldiers were convicted of mutiny and other crimes tied to the eruption of violence. However, the case against

Memorial Park Conservancy are honored to present Park Conversations: Remembering the Houston “Mutiny and Riots” of August 23, 1917. This free educational exhibition features six onsite audio experiences situated throughout Memorial Park’s Clay Family Eastern Glades. Participants* are encouraged to bring their personal smart phones and headphones and scan the QR codes on the signs.

The Hess Houston Corporate 5K, known as Houston’s ‘Largest Office Party,’ is entering its 7th year this October. This lively after-work event takes place in Memorial Park’s Eastern Glades area and serves as a platform for promoting corporate wellness and fostering employee team building in Houston. It holds a prominent position among the largest corporate

Park User FAQs: Houston Open Event, Nov. 6-13, 2022 When is the Houston Open?  The Houston Open and associated events will take place at the Memorial Park Golf Course from Sunday, November 6 through Sunday, November 13, 2022 and may be extended by an additional day in the event of inclement weather. The event is

Memorial Park Conservancy along with presenting sponsors Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis, and Buffalo Soldiers National Museum invite you to join us for an important discussion as a part of a new series called Park Conversations.   This evening’s conversation is also made possible by program partners Houston City Council

Starting Monday July 25, West Memorial Loop will be closed from the light at Memorial Drive to the turnaround near the Tennis Center in order to convert Memorial Loop into a two-lane street. This means, the entirety of Memorial Loop will be a two-lane street. The turnaround will also be converted into a two-way roundabout. 

After a two-year hiatus, the Houston Rodeo Trail Riders are galloping through Memorial Park once again on their historic route to Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo.

On January 16, the Houston Marathon celebrated its 50th anniversary, and marathoners were routed through the nearly complete eastbound tunnels underpinning the Land Bridge & Prairie project. 1972 was the first year of the Houston Marathon, which took place solely in Memorial Park. The Conservancy was honored to once again host marathoners through Memorial Park for the historic route.

ABC 13 Houston | by Steve Campion | 01.11.22 The tunnels built for Memorial Park’s Land Bridge are scheduled to open this spring to traffic. Runners with the Chevron Houston Marathon will get a sneak peek this Sunday. Eyewitness News learned the south tunnel will be used as part of the race. Watch the segment and read full article

Houston Chronicle | by Emma Balter | 11.05.21 Memorial Park is a go-to running spot for Houstonians. Soon, runners will be able to hit the ground on a brand-new trail. As part of the Conservancy’s 10-year plan to revitalize the park, a new running route will open on the Seymour Lieberman Trail. Read full article

About State of the Park Memorial Park Conservancy’s State of the Park is an annual moment to celebrate the past year’s advancements and future projects at Houston’s signature urban wilderness and recreation park. On September 30, 2021, the Conservancy presented its third annual State of the Park as a virtual event with the theme: Return

Houston Chronicle | by Diane Cowen | 9.30.21 As work continues on the new Memorial Park land bridge, the Wolff Foundation has stepped up to donate $10 million toward the creation of 45 acres of Gulf Coast Prairie, an endangered ecosystem, that will grow across the surface of the bridge and the basins on each

Houston Business Journal | by Jeff Jeffrey | 9.10.21 Memorial Park Conservancy said the land bridge and prairie project is scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2022. Read full article HERE.

Houston Chronicle | by Diane Cowen | 9.9.21 The Memorial Park land bridge that will add 25 acres of native prairie over six lanes of traffic has reached a construction milestone: Two pairs of concrete tunnel tubes are in place with 500,000 cubic yards of dirt piled on top. Passersby essentially see four giant mounds

KHOU 11 | by Lauren Talarico | 9.8.21 “There is nothing like it that we have identified, our engineers and our designers, have identified that exists in the world.” HOUSTON — The Land Bridge and Prairie project, soon to be one of Houston’s newest landmarks, is moving along a quick pace. The Land Bridge, coming to

KPRC | by Chris Gutierrez | 7.28.21 A wilderness at the center of downtown Houston where people, animals and busy road traffic will coexist peacefully with the creation of the Memorial Park Land Bridge and prairie. Traffic on Memorial Drive splits the 1,500 acre urban park space. But traffic will be diverted through two sets

Houston Chronicle | by Dug Begley | 7.12.21 Cody Foster knows how tough it can be to cross Westcott on Blossom, just steps from Memorial Park. Driving south on Westcott once, Foster recalls having to slam the brakes to avoid hitting a boy on a bicycle who darted in front of his car. On Wednesday

Civil Engineering Magazine | by Robert L. Reid The Eastern Glades project in Houston has added a new artificial lake and other amenities to the city’s Memorial Park. As a highlight of the park’s 10-year master plan, the multifunction Hines Lake provides the local community with stormwater treatment, flood control protection, aquatic wildlife habitats, recreational

abc13.com | by Chaz Miller HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — If you’ve been to Memorial Park recently, you’ve likely noticed there is plenty of construction taking place around the park. It’s part of the Memorial Park Master Plan, which is a private-public partnership aimed at improving one of Houston’s most-visited assets. “We are executing a long-range

abc13.com | by Chaz Miller HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Did you know Memorial Park is nearly twice the size of New York’s Central park? “It is 1500 acres,” explained Shellye Arnold, the executive director of Memorial Park Conservancy. “We have approximately 4 million visitors a year.” In this extended interview, Shellye sat down with ABC13

nature.org | by The Nature Conservancy In 2018, TNC and Memorial Park Conservancy teamed up to restore native prairie on half an acre along a powerline right-of-way, in part using seed source from our coastal prairie preserves along the Gulf Coast (Nash Prairie Preserve, Clive Runnells Mad Island Marsh Preserve, Texas City Prairie Preserve).  With the Land Bridge

magazine.texasarchitects.org | by Aaron Seward A clearing in the forest. The boardwalk has brought you here, as if to show it to you. But why? What is there to see? Clearly, something dreadful happened here. So many of the trees are dead, skeletal boughs and broken stumps slanting in the bright air, sagging with vines.

abc13.com Houston’s Memorial Park has a new installment representing part of the park’s master plan’s transformational Land Bridge and Prairie project. The photo of the arch was shared on Instagram by @memorialparkconservancy, with the caption, “Memorial Park is growing (upward!)” According to the project’s website, the almost 100-acre project will connect the north and south

houstonchronicle.com | By Ryan Nickerson The installation of the first tunnel arches has begun at Memorial Park, marking a construction milestone for the Land Bridge and Prairie Project. The arch segments currently being erected are for the two tunnels going over the eastern mound of Memorial Drive and once those are completed, the west mound

houston.culturemap.com | By Steven Devadanam Few things get local greenspace lovers more hyped than the upcoming improvements and beautification of our beloved Memorial Park. While many of the updates and facelifts are years off, a major milestone has been reached in the creation of the much-anticipated Land Bridge and Prairie project. Installation of the first tunnel

The Houston Open and associated events will take place at the Memorial Park Golf Course November 2-8, 2020 and may be extended by an additional day in the event of inclement weather.

The Land Bridge and Prairie project, coming to Memorial Park in 2022, is the next major project of the Memorial Park Master Plan to be delivered, and is among the set of accelerated projects made possible by the Ten-Year Plan. Together, the Land Bridge and Prairie will distinguish Memorial Park and Houston, serving as an icon to all of a greener and more resilient future. Completion is projected for late 2022.

About State of the Park Memorial Park Conservancy’s State of the Park is an annual moment to celebrate the past year’s advancements and future projects at Houston’s signature urban wilderness and recreation park. On October 1, 2020, the Conservancy presented its second annual State of the Park as a virtual event with the theme: The

papercitymag.com | By Shelby Hodge Reshaping the Park to Provide Vital Pedestrian and Ecological Benefits For the runners overheard cursing the workmen bulldozing trees in Memorial Park, for the woman seen crying as she watched the towering oaks and pines leveled, and for all others decrying the changing landscape, Memorial Park Conservancy assures that the

houstoniamag.com | By Gwendolyn Knapp FRESH OFF THE DEBUT OF THE INCREDIBLE NEW EASTERN GLADES—seriously, you need to make the trek right now; it’s like a brand new park—The Memorial Park Conservancy is now embarking on its most epic undertaking yet, the construction of its highly anticipated $70 million Land Bridge and Prairie project, which is one of

communityimpact.com | By Matt Dulin Construction will soon be underway on Memorial Park’s 100-acre, $70 million land bridge across Memorial Drive, which will tie together the north and south sections of the park, bolster the area’s native prairies and expand its trail network, the Memorial Park Conservancy announced Aug. 10. The project also includes a

houston.culturemap.com | By Steven Devadanam Last week, Memorial Park made headlines when it triumphantly opened its lush and verdant Eastern Glades. The 100-acre destination transformed largely inaccessible green space into a destination offering up picnic areas, native wetlands, a savanna, a pine-hardwood forest, green spaces, and miles of accessible trails. Now, the Memorial Park Conservancy has announced that

houstonchronicle.com | By Molly Glentzer Houston’s growing reputation as one of America’s leading “green” cities will gain more traction this week, when construction begins on the much-anticipated land bridge across Memorial Drive. The sexiest element of the Memorial Park master plan adopted by City Council in 2015, the land bridge is one of several projects

communityimpact.com | By Emma Whalen The final phase of Memorial Park’s new Eastern Glades section opened during the last week of July. The 100-acre-plus section of the park was previously unused and now extends to a series of trails and boardwalks and picnic areas as well as added bathrooms and parking. “It’s going to be

culturemap.com | By Steven Devadanam Houston’s beloved Memorial Park is in the midst of a renaissance. In 2018, the Kinder Foundation injected the city’s premier green space with a $70 million catalyst gift aimed to accelerate the delivery of 10 years’ worth of Master Plan projects. Now, one such game-changing master plan project has come

preview.houstonchronicle.com | By Molly Glentzer Houstonians venturing into Memorial Park’s new Eastern Glades addition for the first time on Thursday morning found an impressive place for contemplation. Above the mist rising from the lawn at Memorial Park’s new Eastern Glades Thursday morning, hawks called from the trees. Songbirds chirped and insects buzzed around Hines Lake,

houstonchronicle.com | By Molly Glentzer The heart of Memorial Park’s new Clay Family Eastern Glades resembles a diamond ring in aerial views, with a tip of sparkling water atop its oval promenade. Indeed, a gem has been carved from 100 acres of rough. Construction fences around a southeastern pocket of the nearly 1,500-acre green space

papercitymag.com | By Shelby Hodge The Eye Candy of a Mega Lake, 100 Previously Unaccessible Acres and More Await The official opening on Wednesday of the $35 million Clay Family Eastern Glades in Memorial Park met with little fanfare due to COVID-19. But the lack of overt celebration did nothing to diminish the glory of

theleadernews.com | By Betsy Denson There are a number of improvements underway in the City of Houston’s parks, nature preserves and green spaces. And while March’s stay-at-home order has affected many, the fact that construction was deemed an essential business has allowed these improvement projects to continue. The question now is when the public will

Nature and recreation are important components during a public health crisis, and Memorial Park remains open for visitors. However, as a public health precaution related to the constantly evolving situation regarding the coronavirus, Memorial Park Conservancy will postpone permitted events and reduce onsite maintenance services effective today, March 16, to protect the health of our staff

texashighways.com | By Heather Brand The Memorial Park Conservancy is leading the 10-year, $200 million project, which is designed to bolster the park’s natural offerings and increase connectivity. Houston has never been a place to rest on its laurels. And now the city is channeling its self-improvement impulse to Memorial Park, a 1,500-acre green space

innovationmap.com | By Natalie Harms Memorial Park Conservancy is gearing up to unveil one if its first projects within its 10-year master plan redevelopment. Memorial Park Conservancy has until 2028 to deliver on its master plan redevelopment project, but if MPC president and CEO Shellye Arnold has anything to say about it, the plan will

Before dawn, the thick rubber treads of our Nikes and New Balances made a measured, steady tick-tock with each step along the crushed granite path of Memorial Park’s Seymour Lieberman Trail. No one dilly-dallies at this time of day, when the ritual of exercise is more about anticipation than relaxation, with hours of meetings and deadlines ahead.

Like most runners who frequent the 2.93-mile crushed granite running loop, better known as the Seymour Lieberman Trail, at Memorial Park every week, I was surprised to find the path blocked off by large a green fence and Do Not Enter signage last night at the beginning of an easy six-miler.

A leaf-peeper driving through Houston might think fall is around the corner, looking at the changing canopies of bald cypresses, maples, elms, certain oaks and sycamores across the landscape.A leaf-peeper driving through Houston might think fall is around the corner, looking at the changing canopies of bald cypresses, maples, elms, certain oaks and sycamores across the landscape.

Kinder Foundation is offering a grant of $70 million to fast-track Memorial Park’s Master Plan, one of the nation’s largest and most visionary urban park restorations, led by Memorial Park Conservancy (MPC), Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD), and the Uptown Development Authority (UDA).