In 1887, this block was set aside by the original Downtown developers, George W. Jenks, and C. J. Demorest. Streets were laid out around the park, and it is evident from the plat of May 23, 1888, that it was the focal point of the small community. The very name of the original development was "Park Resort." In 1907, a perimeter fence was erected, and a bandstand stood in the center of what was then called "Magnolia Park." A historical cannon was at the entrance and a tennis court was added in 1913. The park was the place for annual celebrations of the Pioneer Picnic and Independence Day. Perhaps the largest attended and most famous gathering was Natal Day on July 1, 1913, which marked the creation of Bay County. Speeches, barbeques, bands, and fish fries were the usual order of the day. On December 4, 1964, the park was renamed “McKenzie Park” in honor of the city’s first mayor, Robert Lee McKenzie. Revitalization of the beautiful park took place in 1986 under the direction of the Downtown Improvement Board, Panama City Main Street Project, the City of Panama City, and a citizen group organized for that purpose. The park remains the heart of downtown Panama City.
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.