Old Germantown is the city's historic core along the railroad, Poplar Pike and Germantown Road: the train depot, Oaklawn Garden, the Farm Park and the Commissary.
Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Sources: the City of Germantown city buildings and offices, Farm Park and city calendar pages, the Germantown Historic Preservation Association and each business’s own site. History center: 901-757-8480.
Old Germantown is the city’s historic core, where the town grew up after the Memphis and Charleston Railroad arrived in 1852. It is centered on the railroad and the Germantown Train Depot on West Street, with Poplar Pike running east past Oaklawn Garden and the Farm Park and South Germantown Road running south past the Commissary and the old churches. The city treats it as its own zoning district: the Design Review Commission reviews building projects in Old Germantown, as our building permits guide explains.
Who to call
- Germantown Regional History and Genealogy Center: 7779 Poplar Pike, 901-757-8480
- Parks and Recreation office (original City Hall): 2276 West St., 901-757-7376
- Pickering Center rentals and events: 7771 Poplar Pike, 901-757-7376
- City events line: 901-757-7202
The depot and Depot Park
The Germantown Train Depot, 2260 West St., stands in two-acre Depot Park beside the tracks. The first depot was built in 1858; Southern Railway rebuilt today’s on the same foundation after a 1947 fire, according to the Germantown Historic Preservation Association. The city’s Historic Commission opens it for free open houses, with railroad memorabilia, vintage photographs and volunteers to tell its story, and hosts Santa at the Depot, 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19. Next door, the original City Hall building now houses the Parks and Recreation offices.
Along Poplar Pike
- Pickering Center, 7771 Poplar Pike: the city’s hall for public gatherings and senior programs; home of the Kiwanis Club’s annual pancake breakfast in March and the Special Recreation trunk-or-treat.
- Germantown Regional History and Genealogy Center, 7779 Poplar Pike (901-757-8480).
- C.O. Franklin Park and the Germantown Charity Horse Show arena, 7745 Poplar Pike: home of the Germantown Festival each September, with nearly 400 vendors, free admission and free shuttles.
- Oaklawn Garden, 7831 Poplar Pike: a historic garden on the National Register since March 28, 2018, and the city’s first level three arboretum, with more than 90 species of trees and spring azaleas.
- Bobby Lanier Farm Park, 2660 Cross Country Drive (turn east on Stout Road from Germantown Road): a 10-acre working farm open sunrise to sunset, with the Harvest Moon Fall Festival in October and Lights on the Farm in December. Morgan Woods Park, a 14-acre wooded trail, runs behind Oaklawn and the Farm Park.
Along South Germantown Road
- Germantown Baptist Church, 2216 Germantown Road, on the National Register since 1975. Its congregation dates to at least 1838; its first sanctuary served as a hospital for Union forces.
- Germantown United Methodist Church, 2331 S. Germantown Road.
- Germantown Commissary, 2290 S. Germantown Road (901-754-5540): barbecue, with private party rooms and holiday meal orders (site).
- Southern Social, 2285 S. Germantown Road (901-754-5555): Southern restaurant with a bourbon list and reservations (site).
- Wildwood Farms (The Taylor Farm), 2737 S. Germantown Road, a National Register property.
Nearby, Fort Germantown, 3085 Honey Tree Drive, preserves a Union redoubt built in 1863; see history and landmarks.
Through the year
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| March | Kiwanis Club pancake breakfast; depot open house | Pickering Center; depot |
| Spring | Eggstravaganza egg hunt; azaleas | Farm Park; Oaklawn Garden |
| Summer | Farm Park Fridays market; depot open houses | Farm Park; depot |
| September | Germantown Festival and Running of the Weenies | C.O. Franklin Park |
| October | Harvest Moon Fall Festival; Train Depot open house | Farm Park; depot |
| December | Lights on the Farm (Dec. 5); Santa at the Depot (Dec. 19) | Farm Park; depot |
Getting there
Old Germantown is just south of Poplar Avenue, reached by South Germantown Road and Poplar Pike. For the Farm Park, the city points visitors to the Cloyes Soccer Fields lot, with overflow behind the fire station and next to Germantown Elementary School. More in getting around Germantown.
Related: history and landmarks, free things to do and fall festivals and pumpkin patches.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Old Germantown?
Old Germantown is the historic center around the railroad, Poplar Pike and South Germantown Road. The city calls Depot Park and the original City Hall on West Street part of Old Germantown, and it has its own zoning district.
Can you visit the Germantown train depot?
Yes. The depot at 2260 West St. holds free open houses with railroad memorabilia, including 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 17, 2026, and Santa at the Depot, 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19.
What is there to do in Old Germantown?
Walk Oaklawn Garden and Bobby Lanier Farm Park, visit the depot and the history center on Poplar Pike, eat barbecue at the Germantown Commissary, and come back for the Germantown Festival in September.
Where do I park in Old Germantown?
For the Farm Park the city points to the Cloyes Soccer Fields lot, with overflow behind the fire station; for festivals at C.O. Franklin Park the organizers run free shuttles. The city has not published a downtown parking map.
Have your say