Forest Park050

Forest Park, St. Louis's premier urban oasis, is one of the country's largest city parks - its 1,371 acres is 500 acres larger than Central Park in New York City. The park was dedicated in 1876 and, 28 years later, was the site of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition (the St. Louis World's Fair).

Thanks to preservation efforts in the 1980s and 1990s, the park has become a major destination for recreational activities, cultural events, and nature tours within the park's forests and fragile ecosystems. Moreoever, with a golf course, biking and roller blading paths, athletic fields, as well as tennis at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center, there is no shortage of sports and fitness opportunities here.

Volunteer-led walking tours provide information about the park's history and folklore; self-guided audio tours are also available. Those interested in joining a tour should meet in the lobby of the Dennis and Judith Jones Visitors' Center five or 10 minutes before the start time. Schedules for guided tours are available online, as is information about self-guided walking tours.

Boating, ice-skating, fishing, and picnicking are some of the favorite family activities here, and the three playgrounds can't be beat. The Dennis and Judith Jones Variety Wonderland, adjacent to the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitors' Center is particularly impressive: The amazingly creative half-acre playground was designed both for able-bodied children and for those with disabilities and features 29 pieces of equipment.

The Saint Louis Art Museum, The Muny, the Saint Louis Zoo, and the Missouri History Museum all call the park home, as does the nationally renowned Shakespeare Festival, held each May and June.