About FOS

Founded in 2008, the Friends of Shelby is a private, 501(3), nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, protection, enhancement and stewardship of Shelby Park and Shelby Bottoms. It works to protect the natural and historical integrity of the area by supporting appropriate recreational activities, maintaining and enhancing its features, promoting programs that inspire appreciation and conservation of Park and Bottoms, and advocating for a level playing field for the various user groups.

Shelby Park and Bottoms are adjoining and complementary greenspaces encompassing 1,171.5 acres lying within the floodplain, bluffs and rolling hills bordering the Cumberland River in East Nashville. First established as a public park in 1912, what has become the Park/Bottoms complex features a variety of natural and manmade resources–water systems, archaeological and environmental preserves, two golf courses, football and baseball fields, tennis and ball courts, community and nature centers, picnic shelters, paved multi-use paths and primitive trails–that provide a broad range of educational and recreational opportunities for a diverse group of users. Park and Bottoms also serve as a vital segment in the regional system of greenways intended to link all of Davidson County by means of a recreational and alternative transportation corridor.