The park was laid out on land donated to the Burgh in 1904 by Lord Overtoun,[3] whose White's Chemical Works also ruined much of the area by reckless dumping of their toxic byproduct.

It was originally located at the western end of Rutherglen Main Street at 'the Gushet' but was moved to the park in 1911 as it had become an obstacle to the increasingly popular motor car.

The roadworks were completed in 1994, by which time the bandstand had been re-sited on a grass area in the centre of the park; it has since fallen into some disrepair due to a lack of use and maintenance;[13][12] in 2021 it was estimated that a six-figure sum would be required to fully restore it.

[14] The main children's play area towards the southern end of the park was extensively refurbished and extended in the 2010s,[15][16] although the basketball hoop and red 'play train' further uphill became dilapidated and were removed.

Some other original recreational features (mostly within the flatter eastern sector which was formally Rutherglen Public Park set aside for sport while Overtoun Park was the more landscaped western part) are also no longer present: its red blaes football pitches disappeared entirely in the late 1980s with a care home built upon them – reducing this part of the park to 8.5 acres (3.4 ha)[6] – and while the BMX tracks have been maintained,[17][18] the adjacent tennis courts were neglected and eventually turfed over by the turn of the 21st century; in 2020, proposals were made by the Burnside-based Rutherglen Tennis Club to have these restored and roofed to attract players during the winter,[19][20] however this in itself was controversial as it would involve a portion of the land being transferred to a private company.