Main Terrain Art Park

A Creative Urban Oasis

Tucked away in Chattanooga's emerging Southside neighborhood, Main Terrain Art Park occupies what was once a forgotten 1.72-acre railroad right-of-way. Since opening in 2013, this compact green space has breathed new life into what was previously just an empty lot.

Sculptural Playground for Grown-Ups

At the heart of Main Terrain stands an impressive art installation by Thomas Sayre that you can't miss. Nine massive sculptural elements run the length of the park, with the tallest reaching over 24 feet and weighing a whopping 9,000 pounds. These structures pay homage to Chattanooga's iconic Walnut Street Bridge.

What makes this installation truly unique? Three of these sculptures actually invite you to interact with them. At their bases, you'll find wheels that, when turned, rotate the enormous bridge truss elements above - letting you create your own artistic arrangements in real-time.

Poetry in Motion

Surrounding these impressive structures is an oval track meant for walking or running. The path is thoughtfully divided into 50-meter segments, each marked with beautiful terrazzo inlays featuring haiku poems that reflect the four seasons.

These poems, crafted by both ancient and contemporary haiku masters, offer moments of reflection as you make your way around. The track is complemented by fitness equipment that's popular for everything from casual workouts to more intense gymnastics practice.

Simple Comforts

Need a break? Shaded benches line both sides of the walking path, providing perfect spots to catch your breath or simply watch the world go by. Despite its modest size, the park includes a generous open area that adapts to whatever activity you might have in mind.

Green Engineering at Work

What you might not notice as you enjoy the park is its clever environmental design. Those innocent-looking lawn areas? They're actually sophisticated bioinfiltration basins collecting and filtering stormwater. This hidden system prevents about 1.5 million gallons of water annually from overwhelming the city's sewer system.

Instead, this captured rainwater gets filtered, treated, and recycled to nourish the park's greenery - sustainability in action.

A Meeting of Minds

Main Terrain Art Park resulted from collaboration between diverse experts. Sculptors, landscape architects, stormwater engineers, and playground equipment manufacturers all contributed their perspectives to this multifunctional space, creating a blend of artistic expression, physical activity opportunities, and environmental features in urban Chattanooga.