The Story Of Aggie Park
A sterling green space at Texas A&M University, Aggie Park has quickly become the heart of life on campus since its opening in 2022.
Described as the outdoor MSC, the 20-acre site was envisioned and developed by The Association of Former Students and funded by private donations as a gift to be used by the entire Aggie Network 365 days a year. Linking the Corps of Cadets Quad to Kyle Field and the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center to the Memorial Student Center and John J. Koldus Building, the vision for Aggie Park was sparked more than 20 years before ground was broken in 2020.
“The Association of Former Students sees Aggie Park as a tremendous opportunity for Texas A&M to enhance a primary gateway to our campus, create engaging green space for those who visit and live, study and work on our campus, and to promote camaraderie and fellowship, which are important to Aggies,” Association President and CEO Porter Garner ’79 said in 2021. “In Aggie Park, we saw an opportunity to make something better for Texas A&M and Texas Aggies.”
Over the decades, watching from his office window in the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center as this prime location sat undeveloped and seldom used, Garner developed his vision: “Aggie Park will be a premier green space that brings the Aggie Network together for relaxation, inspiration and celebration.”
Prior to its development, the site was an open field bisected by a drainage ditch that had steep slopes, which made most of the area unsuitable for use; what was accessible was mainly on gamedays for tailgating. After two years of development, the patchy grass lawn was replaced by walking trails, a stunning water feature, areas for students to study and gather, stages, a permanent Distinguished Alumni recognition and more. The park opened in September 2022 — after being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic — to an outdoor concert featuring Robert Earl Keen, Jr. ’78 and thousands of Aggies celebrating their new space in Aggieland. The new park brings both additional tailgating space and a greatly enhanced tailgating experience to the heart of Texas A&M’s campus, with level surfaces and upgraded infrastructure such as public Wi-Fi access and modern restroom facilities.
Since opening, Aggies have made the park their home, integrating it into the very fabric of the Aggie experience. Follow along for how the park came to be, what treasures it contains and what you can do to support it for the next generation of Aggies.
Read the full story on The Association of Former Students website.
