Lefortovo Park is the first regular garden in modern Moscow. It appeared in the vicinity of the German settlement after Peter I returned from Europe and became a precursor to many parks in St. Petersburg. The park is first mentioned in 1703 as part of the country estate of F.A. Golovin. This palace and park ensemble was a popular venue for court ceremonies and earned the nickname "Versailles on the Yauza." The park has changed its name multiple times and today only partially retains its original layout and design.

Lefortovo Park occupied the vacant bank of the Yauza between the Soldier and German settlements. At the end of the 17th century, Peter I commissioned his friend, the Swiss Franz Lefort, to organize a soldier settlement on the left bank of the Yauza opposite the German settlement. In honor of Lefort, the area was named "Lefortovo."

Fedor Golovin acquired a plot of land for his estate in 1701 from the widow of a foreigner. Within a few months, a European-style palace residence was built here, becoming the prototype for future ensembles in Petersburg. By Golovin's order, a wooden palace, reception halls, the Assumption Church, and a regular garden were constructed. Peter I, stopping here during his visits to Moscow, dreamed one day of "... traveling by water from Petersburg and standing in Golovin's garden by the Yauza River in Moscow." In memory of this, a rotunda gazebo with a monument was installed in the park. The emperor purchased the estate for the treasury in 1722 to accommodate his court and hold celebrations for the coronation of Catherine I.

The original layout of Golovin's garden was strictly rectangular, as confirmed by preserved engravings. Green plantings and paths were located on the upper terrace of the bank, while a cascade of ponds was created on the floodplain terrace. The exception was the Large Pond for boating, which was located to the right of the palace. This pond has survived, unlike the Golovin Palace, which burned down in 1753. Both the pond and the palace were designed by architect D. Ivanov.

By Peter I's order, in 1723, the Dutchman Nicholas Bidloo began landscaping the park. He was tasked with creating a pleasure garden with water features in the Dutch style. Bidloo carried out significant earthworks: he altered the flow of streams, filled ponds and fountains, cleared and leveled the area for symmetrical paths. After Peter's death, with Catherine's support, he managed to partially realize his vision, creating a large cascade of ponds with the dam of the Cross Pond. The sculptures and other structures created at Bidloo's direction have not survived.

After Peter I's death, meetings of the Supreme Privy Council were held at the Lefortovo residence, the court of Peter II was located here, and celebrations for the coronation of Anna Ioannovna took place. Her name is associated with the next stage in the park's history. Lefortovo became the main imperial residence near Moscow and was renamed "Annenhof." According to legend, adult trees were brought and planted here overnight, thus the "Annenhof Grove" appeared. Under Anna Ioannovna, the park was completed in the Baroque style.

To build a wooden palace, Anna Ioannovna invited F.-B. Rastrelli in 1730, who constructed the Summer Annenhof. In 1736, the Winter Annenhof was moved here from the Kremlin. Both palaces surpassed Golovin's in size and were surrounded by an extensive park area. The former park became the Lower Garden and was supplemented by the Upper Garden, the layout of which was developed by F. Rastrelli. Of all the decorations of the park from the Rastrelli era, only the grotto has survived, and fragments of sculptures were found during the clearing of ponds and archaeological excavations.

Elizabeth Petrovna, after her coronation in 1742, returned the residence to the name "Golovin Garden" and opened it for walks for Muscovites. New wooden buildings were constructed: the "Opera House" theater, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, and a palace designed by I.K. Korobov and F.B. Rastrelli. After the fire of 1757, the palaces of Lefortovo fell into disrepair.

Catherine II, considering the impermanence of wooden structures, planned to build a brick palace in the park. Work began in 1773 but was delayed due to poor quality materials. The project was worked on by A. Rinaldi, M. Kazakov, K. Blank, and others. An original feature of the palace was the loggia with a stone colonnade designed by D. Quarenghi. Construction was completed in 1796.

After the death of Catherine II in 1796, Lefortovo Park lost its former grandeur. Paul I transferred the park area and the palace building to barracks. From 1824, the palace buildings housed cadet corps, for which the interiors were simplified. By the early 20th century, the park had overgrown, and the former palace ensemble came under military administration. A hurricane in 1904 caused significant damage, uprooting old trees.

In Soviet times, the territory belonged to the Officers' House of the Moscow Military District and was used as a culture and recreation park. Plans to build a highway in Lefortovo caused mass outrage among residents and attracted public attention. To preserve the park, the Lefortovo Tunnel was completed by 2003. Since 2005, the park area has been included in the Moscow State Museum-Reserve. Archaeological work is being conducted here, and a project to restore the historical layout has been created. The museum organizes tours of the park, lectures, and activities for children on the history of the "Lefortovo" area.