Forest Park is one of St. Louis’ treasures.
The city has enjoyed the beauty of the park since its opening on June 24, 1876, when a crowd of roughly 50,000 people gathered for the park’s dedication.
At 1,371 acres, Forest Park surpassed New York City’s Central Park by one and a half times. Today, it remains one of the largest urban parks in the country and sees more than 12 million visitors a year.
Hundreds of thousands of people visit the park to play golf, tennis, softball, cricket, rugby, archery, lacrosse and soccer. It’s also a popular spot to run, ride bikes, ice and roller skate, fish and boat. Tens of thousands more visit the park for festivals and charity events during more than 30 weekends a year. The Great Forest Park Balloon Race and LouFest are just two of the popular draws every year.
Bordered by Skinker Boulevard, Lindell Boulevard, Kingshighway Boulevard and Oakland Avenue, Forest Park is home to several of St. Louis’ best attractions – the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum and the St. Louis Science Center. It is also home to The Muny, the Jewel Box greenhouse, the Norman K. Probstein Golf Course and the Boathouse, where park patrons can enjoy a meal at the restaurant and rent paddle boats to explore the Grand Basin.
Forest Park has played host to several significant events over the years including the 1904 World’s Fair and the 1904 summer Olympics.
In 1955, the park received its largest single donation in its first 100 years for construction of the Mark C. Steinberg Memorial Skating Rink. The rink, which opened in 1957, is still a popular spot for skating during summer and winter.
With Forest Park attracting millions of visitors a year, it became apparent to city officials and neighborhood groups that increased funds would be required to repair and improve the historic structures, recreation facilities and ecological systems within the park. Forest Park Forever, a private, not-for-profit organization was founded in 1986 to work in partnership with the city of St. Louis to keep the park beautiful and accessible.
Since the early 2000s, Forest Park Forever and the city of St. Louis have carried out more than $100 million in restoration of the park’s facilities, with the goal of creating a total park experience that stimulates the mind, body and spirit.
“There are a lot of reasons our team loves working for the good of Forest Park,” said Stephen Schenkenberg, strategic communications director for Forest Park Forever. “One of them is the park’s rich history. Whether we’re looking back on remarkable photographs of the World’s Fair or listening to one of our member’s park memories from a half-century ago, we’re inspired to do everything we can to ensure the park’s continued bright future.”
