Friend of the Jimmy Neil Smith Park - International Storytelling Center

Friends of the Jimmy Neil Smith Park

Tucked away in downtown Jonesborough behind the International Storytelling Center, you’ll find Jimmy Neil Smith Park, a tranquil wooded green space that’s open to the community.

The park is named for ISC’s founder, Jimmy Neil Smith, who established the National Storytelling Festival in 1973. His vision helped revitalize historic Jonesborough and led to a revival of storytelling across the United States.

The three-acre park recently underwent an extensive relandscaping and rejuvenation campaign. The park now features a Little Free Library that contains books for visitors to take home and enjoy. The paved walking trails includes a special path, Storybook Trail, that promotes childhood literacy, family bonding, and gentle exercise. Semi-permanent placards that line the trail tell a story from a children’s book. The placards will be changed several times a year to feature new text and illustrations.

The Friends of Jimmy Neil Smith Park campaign will provide support for the upkeep of the park and fund new placards for the Storybook Trail.

The presentation of

Everyone Has a Story to Tell

was made possible by

Resident Book Authors and Illustrator

Dr. Rebecca Isbell, Author

Marilyn Buchanan, Author

William B. Bledsoe, Illustrator

This initiative was inspired by

Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation

The mission of Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) is to strengthen early literacy in Tennesse. GELF launched the Storybook Trail initiative to create enriching outdoor reading experiences for children and families to connect literacy with physical activity.