Sunken Garden

Originally constructed for the 1897 Centennial Exposition, it was called Lily Lake until 1922. It was converted into a Japanese water garden and remained so until 1949. In the 1950s, it became the Sunken Gardens. Although plantings have changed over time and with seasonal variations, it contains many of the same types and general layout as the 1950s. A small bridge over plantings and drainage leads down into the east side of the garden. On the west side, concrete steps lead up and out of the garden. The gardens are located wet of Lake Watauga and north of the Parthenon. In 2023, in honor of her Eras Tour, Mayor John Cooper unveiled a bench dedicated to Taylor Swift in the Sunken Gardens.