Falls Park on the Reedy guide: open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., free entry, the Liberty Bridge over 28-foot Reedy River Falls, parking, park rules and where to eat.

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. Facts come from the City of Greenville’s own Falls Park pages, linked below. Questions for the park: Greenville Parks and Recreation, 864-467-4355.

Falls Park on the Reedy, 601 S. Main St., is the 32-acre park at the heart of downtown Greenville, in the Historic West End. It is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day and free, according to the city’s facility listing. The city calls it the jewel of downtown: gardens, overlooks, trails, mill ruins and Reedy River Falls, crossed by the curved Liberty Bridge.

Quick guide
Address 601 S. Main St.
Hours 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Admission Free
Restrooms and elevator 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Parking Free two-hour street parking; RiverPlace Garage, 300 River St.
Phone Parks and Recreation, 864-467-4355

The falls and the Liberty Bridge

Reedy River Falls drops 28 feet. Greenville’s first European settler, Richard Pearis, set up a trading post at the falls in 1768 and later built grist and saw mills there, which made the spot the hub of the town’s early industry until the 1920s, the city’s Liberty Bridge history says.

For decades a four-lane highway, the Camperdown Bridge, covered the view of the falls. The city council voted to remove it, and the park opened in 2004, the city’s 20 years of Falls Park page says. Furman University, which once stood next to the falls, gave the city the 6 acres around them, and the Carolina Foothills Garden Club led the fund-raising for the park’s endowment, according to the park creators page.

The Liberty Bridge is 345 feet long, 12 feet wide and 8 inches thick, and a single suspension cable holds the concrete deck as it curves toward the waterfall. Bridge architect Miguel Rosales designed it; it took 12 months to build and cost $4.5 million, paid for by the city’s hospitality tax and a donation from Liberty Corporation. The city says there is no other bridge like it in the United States. Nonprofits can apply to light it for a charitable campaign through the city’s lighting program.

Gardens and public art

Six landscaped garden areas, a pond with a footbridge and excavated mill ruins sit on both banks of the river, and historic markers make up a self-guided walking tour, according to the city. The city also posts an interactive Falls Park map with the marker locations.

  • Pedrick’s Garden, the 2-acre entrance garden along Vardry Creek behind the West End Market, has raised beds, a seating lawn, a footbridge and the bronze Sunflower Fountain. It opened in fall 2014. See the city’s Pedrick’s Garden page.
  • Rose Crystal Tower by Dale Chihuly stands in the Harriet Wyche garden.
  • Falls Lake Falls by Bryan Hunt is at the Main Street entrance.
  • Untitled 2002-2003 by Joel Shapiro, often called the dancing sculpture, is across the river from the main entrance.

The city lists each piece on its public art in the park page.

Events in the park

The lower amphitheater, the open lawn at the bottom of the park, hosts Shakespeare in the Park and the city’s Moonlight Movies series. This year’s series includes a Halloween night on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 6 p.m., with food vendors, a flash mob, trick-or-treating and trivia before the films, the city’s Moonlight Movies page says. Easter brings a sunrise service in the upper amphitheater; see our Easter guide.

The River Lodge is the park’s only picnic shelter. It can be reserved; when it is not booked it is first come, first served. Couples can rent the Old Mill Garden with the River Lodge for weddings of up to 100 guests. Any public event, amplified music or performance in the park needs a city permit.

Park rules

The city’s access and safety page sets these rules:

  • No wading, swimming or climbing on the rocks. The rocks are slippery with algae, and the state health department found high levels of harmful bacteria in the Reedy River.
  • Dogs on a leash, on paved paths only, never on the lawns or in garden beds. Bag stations are throughout the park.
  • No alcohol, no organized sports on the lawn, no open fires and no feeding the pigeons, geese or ducks.
  • Curfew: a city ordinance bars anyone under 18 from the Central Business District, Falls Park included, after 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and the night before a holiday, unless a parent, guardian or custodial adult is with them.
  • Commercial photography needs a permit; souvenir photos do not.

Paved trails, ramps and an elevator reach every level of the park, and the restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Some garden steps are natural stone and uneven.

Parking and getting there

Street parking around the park is free for two hours, the city’s visitor information page says. The city’s RiverPlace Garage, 300 River St., is the closest garage to the Liberty Bridge, and the Broad Street Garage, 135 E. Broad St., is within walking distance. The first two hours are free in both, according to the city’s garages and lots list. The Swamp Rabbit Trail runs through the park, so it is an easy walk or ride from Unity Park and Cleveland Park. More in our getting around guide and walking and biking trails guide.

Where to eat

  • Passerelle Bistro, 601 S. Main St., is the restaurant inside the park, beside the Liberty Bridge. It serves lunch, dinner and weekend brunch; see its website and our brunch guide.
  • Between the Trees, inside the Grand Bohemian Lodge at 44 E. Camperdown Way, overlooks the park and serves breakfast, brunch and dinner daily, according to its website. Phone: 864-520-5300.
  • Visitors may also bring a picnic for the lawns.

What is coming

The city is buying 6 acres along Falls Street for the Falls Park Conference District, a hotel-led conference center with offices, apartments, underground parking and a new gateway into the park, the city says. The City Council approved the $26 million in land purchases March 9.

More guides: parks and trails, free things to do in Greenville and date night in Greenville.

Frequently asked questions

What are the hours of Falls Park in Greenville?

Falls Park on the Reedy is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and admission is free. The public restrooms and the elevator are open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Where do you park for Falls Park?

Street parking near the park is free for two hours. The city’s RiverPlace Garage at 300 River St. is the closest garage to the Liberty Bridge, and the first two hours there are free.

Can you swim or wade in the Reedy River at Falls Park?

No. The city prohibits wading, swimming and climbing on the rocks in Falls Park because the rocks are slippery and state health officials found high levels of harmful bacteria in the river.

Are dogs allowed in Falls Park?

Yes, on a leash and on paved areas only. Dogs are not allowed on the lawns or in the landscaped beds, and owners must clean up after them.

How long is the Liberty Bridge in Falls Park?

The Liberty Bridge is 345 feet long and 12 feet wide, held by a single suspension cable over the 28-foot Reedy River Falls. It cost $4.5 million.