One of Houston’s signature parks is getting some major upgrades. Emancipation Park will receive $18.5 million in improvements that will strengthen its status as Third Ward’s favorite community gathering spot.
Emancipation Park Conservancy announced the plans at a press conference held on Monday, October 13. Scheduled to be completed in time for the park’s annual Juneteenth celebration in 2026, plans call for the following improvements:
- New stage: The park’s existing performance stage will be expanded to 5,000 square feet and upgraded with climate-controlled storage, a new audio-visual tech room, and a green room for performers.
- Cultural center renovation: The park’s cultural center will be remodeled to add a gift shop, “digital story telling capabilities,” and audio-visual capabilities for those who rent the facility for private events.
“This investment in Emancipation Park is about more than expanding a space; it’s about preserving history and creating a vibrant hub for cultural expression,” Emancipation Park Conservancy board chair Ramon Manning said in a statement. “It builds on the park’s improvements in 2014 by allowing us to increase programming capacity and ensure the park remains a central gathering place for performances, celebrations, and community connection.”
The Kinder Foundation, an organization backed by Houston billionaires Nancy and Rich Kinder, is serving as lead funder for the project with contributions from the Brown Foundation and the Cullen Foundation. EPC is working to raise the remaining money necessary to complete the project.
“Kinder Foundation is proud to continue supporting Emancipation Park, a place with deep cultural and historic significance,” said Nancy Kinder. “The park’s upgrades, including the stage expansion, will ensure Emancipation Park remains a place of community and celebration for generations to come.”
During the construction, the stage, cultural center, and the lawn between the cultural center and recreation center will be closed. All of the park’s other facilities — including its playground, splash pad, and sports courts — will remain open.
Famously founded in 1872 by a group of Black community leaders on a 10-acre plot of land they purchased for $800, Emancipation Park has served as the center of Houston’s Juneteenth celebrations ever since. The new upgrades build on the success of a $34 million renovation project that transformed the park when it was completed in 2017.
“Emancipation Park is a valuable treasure for our community, and its history is an integral part of Houston's history,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire added. “The significant upgrades will ensure that it continues to play a vital role in Houston's future. I thank Nancy and Rich Kinder for their generous investment, and I appreciate the conservancy for its dedication to the stewardship of Emancipation Park. I look forward to seeing everyone enjoying the park once construction is completed.”
Courtesy of Emancipation Park Conservancy
The park's cultural center is also being renovated.
