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The park was the result of a gift from local cotton manufacturer Thomas Barnes to celebrate the coming of age of his son in 1860, and was formed from part of his estate. The park became the property of Farnworth Local Board in 1864, the Board having been constituted just the previous year, and was opened on 12 October 1864 by William Gladstone, then Chancellor of the Exchequer. It is said that 100,000 people attended the opening.

The design of the park was initially entrusted to William Henderson of Birkenhead, who also designed parks at Blackburn, Oldham and Bolton, but was completed by Robert Galloway who was gardener at Barnes's Birch House. The park was Listed Grade II in 2001.