Forest Park (St. Louis)

Forest Park
The World's Fair Pavilion in Forest Park
Map of Forest Park
TypeUrban park
LocationSt. Louis, Missouri
Coordinates38°38′20″N 90°17′05″W / 38.6389°N 90.2846°W / 38.6389; -90.2846
Area1,326 acres (5,370,000 m2)[1]
CreatedJune 24, 1876
Operated bySt. Louis Parks Department
Visitors13 million annually[2]
StatusOpen all year (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
Public transit accessBus interchange MetroBus
Light rail interchange Red Blue
Tram interchange Loop Trolley
Websitestlouis-mo.gov

Forest Park is a public park in western St. Louis, Missouri. It is a prominent civic center and covers 1,326 acres (5.37 km2).[1] Opened in 1876, more than a decade after its proposal, the park has hosted several significant events, including the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904 and the 1904 Summer Olympics. Bounded by Washington University in St. Louis, Skinker Boulevard, Lindell Boulevard, Kingshighway Boulevard, and Oakland Avenue, it is known as the "Heart of St. Louis" and features a variety of attractions, including the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, and the St. Louis Science Center.[3]

Since the early 2000s, it has carried out a $100 million restoration through a public-private partnership aided by its Master Plan. Changes have extended to improving landscaping and habitat as well. The park's acreage includes meadows and trees and a variety of ponds, manmade lakes, and freshwater streams. For several years, the park has been restoring prairie and wetlands areas of the park. It has reduced flooding and attracted a much greater variety of birds and wildlife, which have settled in the new natural habitats.

  1. ^ a b History of Forest Park
  2. ^ Vawter, Hayley (April 22, 2022). "St. Louis' Forest Park named best city park in United States by USA Today". KSDK. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  3. ^ New York Times (May 9, 2004).