Until the middle of the 19th century the area of the present-day park was an empty land, so called glacis plaz area, surrounding the Town Wall where building activity was prohibited for the military reasons. In 1896 the wasteland was paved and Tallinn’s market was relocated here from the Town Hall Square. Different exhibitions used to be organized near the market place. Between 1903 and 1905 a huge wooden „Interims theatre” was located in the middle of the today’s park area. It was a barn‑like hall where one could see theatrical productions and movies. The real theatre buildings were completed later – Saksa, i.e. German theatre (today’s Draama theatre) in 1910 and „Estonia” theatre in 1913. The terrible memory of the October 16th1905, when the army opened fire at the peaceful political demonstrators gathered at the market place, has forced its way to the hearts of the Estonians forever. The monument behind the „Estonia” theatre is there to remind of this massacre. The oldest part of the park is the so‑called market edge grove (ca 1 ha) constructed in 1899−1900 in the direction of the today’s Viru Centre. In 1947 Harald Heinsaare designed a regular greenery, which was awarded a Soviet Estonia prize in 1950 after the completion. The park underwent reconstruction in 1976 and in 1978 a statue of a famous Estonian writer Anton Hansen Tammsaare (I. Soans, R. Luup) was erected in the middle of the park. In 1981 the sculpture „Mermaid” (E.Viies) was added.

There were 40 species of ligneous plants growing in the park in autumn 2007.