The Largest Municipal Park

FOREST PARK in St. Louis, Missouri is the largest municipal park in the United States. And, this past summer, the park celebrated it's 140th birthday. It was on June 24, 1876 that the park was dedicated, and it continues to be what locals refer to as the region's "crown jewel."

In the beginning, Forest Park was a wooded refuge far west of the city's downtown area and residential neighborhoods. The park's 1,371 acres included winding roads made for the "leisure of people in carriages and on horseback." Back then St. Louisans boasted that Forest Park was almost 50 percent larger than New York's Central Park. They still do!

The 1904 World's Fair, also called the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, was a world-class event held in Forest Park. The Fair caused the word about the park to spread far and wide. It was a celebration that attracted an estimated crowd of between 15 to 18 million people. It was a grand old time as folks kicked up their heels to enjoy the midway and to visit the exhibit halls. And, one of those attending was my own grandfather!

The park now draws around 13 million visitors each year. There are three golf courses on the property. Hundreds are walking, jogging, or riding bicycles throughout the park every day; many are browsing through the numerous rooms in the art museum; others are enjoying a stroll through the history museum's numerous exhibits.

There are festivals, hot air balloon races, concerts, softball games, and car shows, Thousands see major live performances under the stars at the Muny, the park's outdoor amphitheater during the summer months. The St. Louis Zoo has been rated as one of the top zoos in the nation, and it continues to have free admission.

Forest Park is also a gathering place for groups large and small. It is used for weddings, sunrise services, and parades. On any given day, families and couples can be seen having a picnic, flying kites, playing catch, or throwing Frisbees. And, not to be overlooked, is the importance of the park to individuals. One person might be reading a book under a shade tree; another might be fishing; still another may be lying on a blanket getting a tan.

There are restaurants in the Park for everyone's dining pleasure. They include Bixby's, located within the Missouri History Museum; Panorama, located in the St. Louis Art Museum; the Boathouse, located in the center of Forest Park; and Ruthie's Bar and Grill, located near the pro shop of the park's three golf courses.

There is something for everyone at Forest Park. It's a place to unwind and relax; it's a place in the center of a big city to get away from obligations, responsibilities, and usual routines. It's a place to let your hair down, to have fun-filled hours, and pure leisure experiences.

Believe me, St. Louisans have every right to ferociously brag, and to be enormously proud of their park. It truly is a crown jewel!

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-- Adapted from an article by Tim O'Neil of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 24, 2016.