The Promenade Gardens is located on a portion of what was once a field known as Parade Ground, where slaves convicted of being involved in the 1823 East Coast Rebellion were hanged. Originally, the entire area was used for military parades and training.
The grisly history of the area had long moved some members of the public to suggest it be made into a public garden, perhaps as a way of honouring those victims of an inhuman system.
In 1851, after funding was obtained, steps began to transform the site into a garden which was completed in 1853; seats were constructed for the public in 1859.
Occupying one city block, with its main entrance located on Middle Street in Cummingsburg, the Promenade Gardens was designed by a Trinidadian botanist.
The Bandstand situated within the Gardens was erected in commemoration of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.
Completed in 1897, it is considered the oldest bandstand of three in the city.
A well-known monument in the Garden is the Mahatma Ghandi monument in honour of the international icon of peace and advocator of non-violence.
Along with several fountains and an arched walkway, a recent construction in the Gardens, is the Arya Samaj Monument erected in 2011.
It has been suggested that the Promenade Gardens at one time boasted the largest range of wild orchids in the Caribbean before it fell into disrepair during the 80s and 90s.
The site was rehabilitated in 2006 and the Bandstand refurbished by Republic Bank in 2009.
In its earlier years the Promenade Gardens was used for several civic functions including entertainment from music bands; today, after refurbishment, it remains the site of many public and private events, including the popular annual Inner Wheel Club’s Easter Hat Show, weddings, and fashion photo shoots to name a few.
