In 1964, Richard Nixon used the bandstand to speak to a large group gathered in the park on behalf of then presidential candidate Barry Goldwater.

[3] It is used for outdoor concerts during the noon hour and on weekends, but for groups which tend to attract smaller crowds.

Local residents, college students and shoppers no longer stroll the sidewalks or lounge on the landscaped lawn.

Ongoing drug sweeps and police activity are now the features that mar this once prominent gathering place.

[6] “Williams Park has long been at the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, with a unique history that dates to the very planning of the city.