Brentwood’s Windy Hill Park officially opened on Dec. 13, becoming the 15th park in the city.
The 52-acre park is located at 9133 Old Smyrna Road and features a 400-meter loop track, playground, workout stations, picnic shelters, restrooms and two parking lots. It is also connected to the city’s larger greenway trail system.
People walk on the 400-meter loop track at Brentwood's Windy Hill Park during its grand opening on Dec. 13, 2025.
Near the center of the park is a small building that bears the mural of a single-engine Cessna airplane, a reference to the Sensing family, who sold a portion of their farm to the city in 2020 for $5.2 million. The farm frequently saw patriarch Wilbur Sensing land his airplane in the field and store it in the building, then in a hangar.
“It was just really a great process to work out, and so I just want to again express our family’s gratitude to the city for helping make this possible,” Wilbur’s son, Ben Sensing, said during the grand opening ceremony, which drew around 200 people, including more than 30 members of the Sensing family.
Lucy Siegmann, Wilbur Sensing, Lucy Sensing and Ben Sensing (left to right) pose for a photo in front of a small building once used as a hanger for the Sensing family's plane, which has been painted on the building and is now a fixture in Brentwood's Windy Hill Park.
“At the same time, when we closed on the park property, we also put a conservation easement on the remaining 40 Acres of Windy Hill. The whole 92 acres historic farm will never be developed.”
Feet from the playground is a Willow Oak tree with a memorial plaque at its base in honor of late Brentwood resident Dr. Katherine Koonce, the former head of Nashville’s The Covenant School, who was killed along with two other adults and three children in the March 2023 Covenant School shooting.
Family members of late Covenant School head Dr. Katherine Koonce, (left to right,) Anna Irion, Richard Koonce, Alex Irion and David Koonce, stand before a Willow Oak tree planted in her honor at Brentwood's Windy Hill Park. Brentwood Tree Board Chair Lynn Tucker (second from left) is also pictured. December 13, 2025.
“Her life was a testament of unwavering love for children,” Brentwood Commissioner Ken Travis said. “Her life was a journey marked by compassion and commitment and devotion to the well-being and development of children. Her life touched thousands of children and helped them grow mature and prosper. This tree will overlook children as they grow and prosper. We are profoundly grateful for Dr. Koonce, who gave so much to these children, to the community of Brentwood.”
“This is a community that we've always enjoyed investing ourselves in, and we’re grateful so much now for the chance to commemorate her impact on countless lives,” Koonce’s husband, Richard, said.
The park project has been in the works for more than half a decade, and was first overseen by former Brentwood City Manager Kirk Bednar, who retired in February, and was succeeded by current City Manager Jason Gage, both of whom attended the grand-opening event.
Children play on the playground at Brentwood's Windy Hill Park during its grand opening on Dec. 13, 2025.
“These are the kind of projects that are legacy projects, and not just for me individually, but for the city as a whole, and so you're very proud to have been a part of something like this, and it's really special to have worked with the family in acquiring this property and planning it out and just knowing the gift that they've given to this community, not just with the land, with the park, but how they preserve their remaining land,” Bednar told the Williamson Scene.
“Just to see the crowd that is out here this morning is tremendous, and to see the number of kids and to know that this is going to be a very well-used and well-loved park, it warms your heart, and you know that you hopefully had a small part in something that will transform this part of the community.”