Discover Downtown Cary Park

Experience seven acres in the heart of Cary surrounded by Academy, Walker, Park and Walnut Streets. Creatively envisioned and purposefully designed, the Park truly offers something for everyone, regardless of age or physical ability. Highlights include: The Bark Bar. Two iconic cardinal play structures. Botanical gardens. And so much more.

A Rich History.
A Bright Future.

Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the early 18th century, the Cary region served as hunting grounds for the Tuscarora tribe, which hunted for the plentiful game of the piedmont forests. Spearheads and arrowheads found around Cary, like the ones pictured here, are evidence of this hunting activity. It is possible that they used land in what’s now Downtown Cary Park for exactly this purpose.

Ben Savage &
Planting Cary’s Future

Born in 1845, Ben Savage was an early owner of part of the land upon which Downtown Cary Park is situated. Mr. Savage loved plants and planting and by 1870, he developed a pea and bean harvester, a rice harvester, and a cotton harvesting machine for his growing farming operation. By the mid-1890s, the Savage family moved to Cary where they bought land on the east side of Academy Street and used it to establish Valley Nook Decorative Landscape Nursery and Rose Farm. Ben was known as a “great fruit and nut man” and built on that reputation by growing berries and planting nut trees. He said: “I shall plant trees every year as long as I live. I am never happier than when I am planting something.” He continued to live in Cary until his death at the age of 83 in 1928. He is buried in Cary’s Hillcrest Cemetery. Today, Downtown Cary Park honors Ben Savage’s legacy through thousands of plants and endless opportunities to create happy memories.

Project Timeline

2001

Town Council approves the Town Center Area Plan including a proposal for a Town Center Park as the visual and cultural focal point for downtown.

2013

Council adopts the Downtown Park Master Plan and design of Frantz Square begins.

2014

Council establishes that the Park will be 7 acres and the town square design plans are 65% complete.

2016

Council approves the Library and Parking deck design and its relationship to the town square. Construction on Academy Street improvements and Frantz Square of the Park begin.

2017

Phase one of the Park – the Frantz Square and Academy Street improvements are complete.

2018

Town holds Community Workshop to gather input from citizens and Council approves the selection of OJB Landscape Architecture for the updated Master Plan of the Park.

2019

Shaping Cary’s Tomorrow Bond Vote passes, the Schematic Design Drawings start, and the Town Council approves the completed Master Plan.

2020

Final Park design is finalized.

2021

Groundbreaking event and construction begins.

2023

Park Opens!

A COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY

Downtown Cary Park was intentionally designed to work in concert with the natural environment of the area. More specifically, deliberate planning and consideration was given to how the Park could implement sustainability wherever possible. The design team prioritized elements like tree health, vegetation preservation, water quality and wildlife habitat. Additional consideration was given surrounding tactical elements like energy efficiency, HVAC, plumbing equipment and more. Learn more about Downtown Cary Park’s overall environmental design efforts.