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Forest Park

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From its inception, scarcely more than a decade after the end of the Civil War, Forest Park has been a glorious place - beautiful and serene, full of excitement and discovery. Forest Park is an urban oasis filled with people, destinations, and recreation that reflect our interests, culture, and history. More than a symbol of the beauty and tradition of our city, Forest Park has been called the soul of St. Louis, the community's gathering place, and our regional backyard.

Decades of deferred maintenance led to the deterioration of Forest Park. The City of St. Louis undertook a master planning process for the Park's restoration in 1993. Co-chaired by Parks Director Gary Bess and Forest Park Forever board member Kathryn Nelson, the plan took two years of public meetings. In 1995, the City of St. Louis adopted the plan to integrate the Park's natural and man-made systems into a cohesive and mutually beneficial ecosystem. The goal of the plan was "to create a total park experience through a variety of natural, cultural, educational, and recreational facilities, opportunities, and amenities. "the City invited Forest Park Forever to play a partnership role in the implementation of the plan. $94 million was raised in public and private dollars for the Park's first phase of restoration, which included:

Water: Transformation of the Park's lakes and lagoons into a "river-like" system which promotes better water quality, less flooding, and a self-sustaining Park environment.

Nature: Restoration and preservation of the Park's forests, meadows, prairies, savannas, and other wildlife habitats, to ensure an ecologically sound natural system that can be enjoyed by all Park users.

History: A renewed emphasis on the historic prominence and grandeur of the Park's central gathering place, the Emerson Grand Basin.

Infrastructure: Repair and modernization of the Park's sewers, roads, curbs, and other infrastructure.

Culture: Reaffirmation of the Park as home to many of the region's leading cultural institutions.

Education: Expansion of educational and youth programs, events, visitor services, and outreach activities.

Access: Improved access and circulation into and within the Park.

Recreation: Improvement of the Park's ball fields, golf courses, tennis courts, and other active recreational facilities.

Maintenance: Establishment of an ongoing public/private partnership to oversee improvements in the Park and ensure that the glory, once restored, remains untarnished - forever.



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Details and Specs

Hours of Operation:
 OpenClosed
Mon6:00 AM10:00 PM
Tue6:00 AM10:00 PM
Wed6:00 AM10:00 PM
Thr6:00 AM10:00 PM
Fri6:00 AM10:00 PM
Sat6:00 AM10:00 PM
Sun6:00 AM10:00 PM
Notes: None Listed

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