 Shawnee Park was legally restricted to whites from 1924 to 1954, although park officials and police had a de facto policy of denying blacks access to the park for some years prior to that.The only sizable park blacks were allowed access to was nearby Chickasaw Park, which many people entered by traveling through Shawnee.Although now overshadowed by the Louisville Waterfront Park, Shawnee boasts an expansive Great Lawn which is very useful for formal gatherings.