After more than two decades of planning, Franklin’s Bicentennial Park is fully open to the public.

The city hosted a ribbon-cutting event at the park on June 18, where Mayor Ken Moore, members of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Parks department gathered alongside residents eager to experience the new and improved park.

Today, the park spans approximately 14 acres and can host up to 5,000 people for community events. New improvements include an open-air pavilion, shared picnic areas, a stage for movies and performances and additional parking spaces.

“Welcome to Bicentennial Park” Mayor Ken Moore said in his opening remarks. “I applaud our team who's turned this into a destination. No longer will people be driving by to go somewhere, but they're going to be driving to Bicentennial Park.”

The city’s newest park also pays tribute to the past. The park is built on what once was the Old Georgia Boot Factory until it closed in 2001 and the city acquired the land. The original flooring of the factory is preserved inside the park’s pavilion, along with the dust collector from the factory’s ductworks. In the center of the park is a plaza telling the history of the Franklin interurban rail system, which was an electric train railway from Nashville to Franklin that ran from 1908 to 1942 with buses continuing the route through 1969.

“Parks bring people together, and this park in particular brings together our history and our future,” City Administrator Eric Stuckey said at the opening.

The park connects several existing walking trails, which Franklin Ward 2 Alderman Matt Brown said he hopes will allow the park to serve as a focal point for walkers, runners, and bikers.

“This park has trails that stretch as far north as Fieldstone Farms, as far west as Westhaven, as far east as Carothers, and soon, I hope someday, we'll be as far south as Mack Hatcher,” Brown said. “You really, truly could come to this park from just about all points in Franklin. It really shows the foresight and the vision and the commitment that we’ve had to trails and parks in our communities.”

Just before the ribbon cutting, Franklin Director of Parks and Recreation Lisa Clayton read a poem about the park’s opening.

“So today is the day this park is finally open, concerts, movies, theater, events and more. The quality of life is enhancing our downtown galore,” Clayton read. “This project originated by city leaders with just an idea, a spark. It's time to cut a ribbon on Bicentennial Park.”

Parks and Recreation Superintendent Suzanne Carter said that the department plans to host many of their events in the new park, including the Kids Art Festival of Tennessee. The department will host its final Movies in the Park night at Bicentennial Park on Oct. 10.