Forest Park Guide by Claire Tschampel

Forest Park

St. Louis, Missouri

Table of Contents 03

Timeline

History of the Park

Attractions

Good Eats

All Year Round

150 Years of History Forest Park officially opens to an estimated 5,000-strong crowd.

A coalition raised the funds and interest to build the Municipal Theatre, or the Muny, as it came to be known.

1876

1917

1904

1927

Forest Park Forever, a private, nonprofit organization, was founded in 1986 to work in partnership with the City of St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry to make Forest Park the finest urban park in the nation.

100,000+ people jammed Art Hill to welcome Charles A. Lindbergh back to St. Louis after his nonstop flight from New York to Paris.

People from around the world continue to be drawn to the park to admire itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beauty and history.

1986

1963 The Saint Louis Zoo Train began operating, providing an enjoyable ride, a rest for the feet, and additional revenue for the zoo. The Planetarium opened to the East of the Zoo.

2010-Present

2003 Newly re-opened Jewel Box and Grand Basin become St. Louis landmarks.

Forest Park belongs to all St. Louisans Owned and operated by the City of St. Louis, Forest Park is one of 105 city parks under the jurisdiction of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Treasured Forestry. Resource Our Most Forest Park to all St. Louisans. Forest Park,belongs officially opened to the public on June 24, 1876, is one of the largest urban parks Owned and operated City of St.itLouis, in the United States. by At the 1,293 acres, is approxForest Park one of 105 city under thein juimately 500isacres larger thanparks Central Park risdiction New York.of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry. In 1904, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Forest to the public on20 June The St.Park, Louisofficially World’sopened Fair, drew more than 24, 1876,visitors is one of the largest parkstoinForest the million from aroundurban the world United States. At 1,293 acres, it is approximately Park. 500 acres larger than Central Park in New York. Today it attracts more than 12 million visitors In 1904,Itthe Louisiana Exposition, a year. is more than Purchase a scenic backdrop toThe our St. Louis World’s Fair, drew more than 20 million city. It is an active participant and catalyst in visitors from around the world to Forest Park. the St. Louis community. Monuments, historic buildings, wildlife, waterways and landscapes Today it attracts than 12 million visitors a combine to formmore a unique cultural institution year. It is more than a scenic backdrop to our city. It is an active participant and catalyst in the St. Louis community. Monuments, historic buildings,

that is vitally important to the entire St. Louis region. The park is recognized as an important gathering place where people of all ages, races and economic backgrounds can gather andtomix wildlife, waterways and landscapes combine form a uniqueway. cultural institution that is vitally in a positive important to the entire St. Louis region. The park is recognized important gathering place It is the homeastoanthe region’s major cultural where people of allZoo, ages,Art races and economic institutions—the Museum, History backgrounds can gather mix a positive way. Museum, Science Centerand and theinMuny Opera. It also serves as a sports center for golf, tennis, It is the home to the boating, region’s major cultural instibaseball, bicycling, fishing, handball, tutions—the Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, ice skating, roller blading, jogging, rugby and Science more. Center and the Muny Opera. It also serves as a sports center for golf, tennis, baseball, bicycling, icefrom skating, roller Forestboating, Park is fishing, equally handball, significant a natublading, jogging, rugby ralistic perspective. In aand citymore. where 80% of the land has been developed for business, industry Forest Park is equally significant from or residential uses, the park serves asaanaturalisnatural tic perspective. In a city where 80% of the has oasis for the city, an important source ofland green been for business, or residenspace,developed a respite for migratingindustry birds, and an tial uses, the park serves as a natural oasis the integrated ecosystem where humans andfor nature city, an important source of green space, a respite interact. for migrating birds, and an integrated ecosystem where humans and nature interact.

Attract

tions

St. Louis Zoo & History Museum The World’s Fair of 1904 in St. Louis brought with it a walk-through flight cage commissioned by the Smithsonian Institution. St. Louisans fought for it to remain in the city once the Fair concluded, and it would later become a cornerstone for the Zoo. The City of St. Louis chose to buy it for $3,500 (original cost to build was $17,500) rather than have it dismantled and sent to Washington, D.C. The popularity of the bird cage during the World’s Fair inspired civic leaders to build a real zoological garden in St. Louis. In November 1910, the Zoological Society of St. Louis was established. The founders formed the organization with the hope that a zoo would make the city more appealing for visitors and residents alike. The Saint Louis Zoo earned attention from around the world when it opened its Bear Pits in 1921. The moated exhibit became only the second of its kind to be opened in the United States and was considered a model for zoos around the world.

The Jefferson Memorial Building, built in 1913 with profits from the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, is the current home of the museum. In 1988, the Museum joined the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District and began receiving sales tax revenue. In 2000, the Emerson Center, a significant building addition was completed, boosting attendance and exhibition capacity. The Emerson Center, featuring a ground-to-roof southern glass facade, was designed by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, and included substantially more exhibition space, as well as an auditorium, classrooms, a restaurant and gift shop. The Emerson Center was selected by the American Institute of Architects’s Committee on the Environment as an example of architectural design that protects and enhances the environment. It is an example of a green museum.

St. Louis Art Museum The museum was founded in 1881 as the Saint Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts, an independent entity within Washington University in St. Louis, housed in a downtown building. The building was originally built by Wayman Crow as a memorial to honor his son, Wayman Crow, Jr. Crow employed Boston architects Peabody & Stearns to design the building located at 19th and Lucas Place (now Locust Street). The school, led by directory Halsey C. Ives, educated two generations of St. Louis artists and craftspeople and offered studio and art history classes supported by a museum collection. After the school moved to Washington University’s campus and the museum moved to Forest Park, the building fell into disrepair and was eventually demolished in 1919. The museum moved after the 1904 World’s Fair, also known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, to the Palace of Fine Arts, built for the fair from 1902 to 1903. The building was designed by architect Cass Gilbert, who took inspiration from the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy. The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum

remained part of Washington University, and the collection was lent to the Saint Louis Art Museum for several years. In 1908, the museum’s first director, Halsey Cooley Ives, arranged for a municipal tax to support the museum. The following year, the museum separated from Washington University and was renamed the City Art Museum. An organizing board was assigned to take control in 1912. In 1971, efforts to secure the museum’s financial future led voters in St. Louis City and County to approve the creation of the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District (ZMD). This expanded the tax base for the 1908 tax to include St. Louis County. In 1972, the museum was again renamed, to the Saint Louis Art Museum. Today, the museum is supported financially by the tax, donations from individuals and public associations, sales in the Museum Shop, and foundation support.

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The Muny Theatre The dream of St. Louisans for a permanent outdoor theatre in Forest Park probably dates back to the 1904 World’s Fair. The realization of that dream began in 1916 with plans for an outdoor production of AS YOU LIKE IT by Margaret Anglin’s Shakespearean troupe. And the dream became a reality in 1917 with the construction of the Municipal Theatre for six performances of AIDA, produced for the 13th Annual Convention of Advertising Clubs of the World. In 1916, Parks Commissioner Nelson Cunliff, Miss Anglin and Civic League President John Gundlach selected a grassy area between two large oak trees for a June series of performances of Shakespeare’s AS YOU LIKE IT. Shrubs and small trees were cleared from the sloping hillside and a retaining wall built to level the performing area. AS YOU LIKE IT starred Miss Anglin, Robert Mantell and Sidney Greenstreet. The out-of-town professionals were joined by nearly 1,000 St. Louis folk dancers and folk singers in observance of the 300th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare. Crowds averaged 8,000, reviews were good, and after an opening night rain-out, AS YOU LIKE IT moved into the

history books as the first production at the site of today’s Muny. The Muny produces all of its musicals (typically seven) in the season and operates only in the summer. During the winter, a full-time staff of fewer than twenty people prepare for the next summer season. During the season itself, the summer staff expands to include more than 500 people in various positions. All shows are rehearsed within the course of eleven days, with two technical rehearsals (one costumed, one not) being held in the two to three days before the show’s opening. Shows run from Monday to Sunday, although there have been exceptions to this, particularly in recent years, when each season has had at least one production with an extended run. The Muny website claims it is the “nation’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre.” There are numerous amphitheatres/outdoor theatres that have a larger capacity area; however, The Muny houses the largest number of seats. There is no lawn seating inside The Muny. In addition, The Muny is the largest to host only Broadway-style musical theatre.

Steinberg Skating Rink & The Science Center

Steinberg Skating Rink is the largest outdoor ice skating rink in the Midwest. The Steinberg Skating Rink opened in November 1957 after a donation by the Steinberg Charitable Trust.Etta Steinberg, the wife of Mark C. Steinberg, gave more than $600,000 toward the $935,000 cost of the rink.The rink is open for ice skating during the winter and sand volleyball during the summer. While ice hockey was regularly played on the rink during the 1950s and 60s, its large dimensions and lack of regulation dasher-board systems prevent it from allowing regular play today; however, at the close of skating season a charity pond hockey tournament is held on the rink. A dining and concession area, known as the Snowflake Cafe, offers American cuisine and alcohol. During the early 2000s, the rink underwent a $1.4 million renovation that included a new rink surface, an ice-making system, and a new light and sound system.In addition, the parking lot for the rink was moved from the north end of the facility to the south end.A prairie and wetlands river area replaced the north parking lot, providing a walking path and birdwatching area near the adjacent lake.

The Saint Louis Science Center traces its roots to the Academy of Science of St. Louis, founded in 1856 as the first scientific organization west of the Mississippi River. In 1959, the Academy created the Museum of Science and Natural History in Claytonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oak Knoll Park. When the Metropolitan Zoological Park & Museum District (ZMD) was formed in 1971, the Museum of Science and Natural History became a member, independent from the Academy, which continues to operate as a separate entity to this day. The Museum then outgrew the facilities at Oak Knoll Park in the mid-1980s and, in 1984, the Museum acquired the James S. McDonnell Planetarium from the City of St. Louis. After extensive renovations, the Planetarium reopened in 1985 as the Saint Louis Science Center. The Saint Louis Science Center was named a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate, the first in the St. Louis area in 2016. This title provides access of Smithsonian artifacts, traveling exhibits, and educational collaborations locally and nationally. The Saint Louis Science Center features more than 700 interactive exhibits in ten galleries

Good E

Eats

The Boat House Boating in Forest Park since 1876.

Park, Post-Dispatch Lake has been expanded once again to include new boating lagoons as The Boathouse at Forest Park is both a well as an island devoted to wildlife conservarestaurant and boat rental facility. tion. Now boaters can travel more easily into Since the foundation of the park in the restored Grand Basin at the foot of Art Hill. 1876, boating has been a popular pastime. So The master plan for the park called for much so that in the mid 1890s the lake at the a new, year-round boathouse facility. Designed Boathouse was extended to provide more room by St. Louis architect Laurent Torno, the new for boating. Boathouse is reminiscent of Midwestern boat A financial panic in 1893 gave the city house cottages in the early twentieth century. another reason to expand the lake; providing In the warm weather enjoy leisurely work for St. Louisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; unemployed. Beginning in boat rides, lakeside patio dining, cold drinks, January 1894, the Post-Dispatch conducted a live music, and beautiful sunsets. In the cold campaign to raise money for the expansion. Six weather enjoy indoor dining for lunch, dinner, thousand men registered to work on this proj- and Sunday brunch...or just come and enjoy a ect. The lake is now called the Post-Dispatch glass of wine or a hot chocolate while relaxing Lake. around the large stone wood-burning fireplace. With the current restoration of Forest

Delmar Loop Delmar Boulevard begins in downtown St. Louis at Convention Plaza and continues almost 10 miles to the western University City limits. Just west of Skinker Boulevard, Delmar crosses the St. Louis City boundary and enters the six blocklong University City portion of what is commonly known as “the Delmar Loop.” The Delmar Loop acquired its name around the turn of the twentieth century from the streetcar line which ran west on Delmar and looped around the corner of the Delmar Garden Amusement Park to return to downtown St. Louis. Even before the St. Louis World’s Fair dominated the area in 1904, the Delmar streetcar came west bringing visitors to Delmar Garden to enjoy an afternoon or evening of theatre, dining and amusement park entertainment. Following University City’s 1906 incorporation, the Delmar Loop began to change, and some of the less desirable establishments closed. By the 1920s, Delmar Boulevard was a bustling commercial district with new multi-family housing attract-

ing new residents. Streetcars provided the primary transportation for shoppers and residents alike. As automobiles became more prevalent, parking lots and filling stations appeared. In the 1950s, shopping districts like the Delmar Loop, Wellston Loop and Maplewood Loop that had once served streetcar riders began to suffer. In the late 1950s University City’s City Council began to study ways to revitalize the Loop. By the 1960s, a redevelopment plan had been adopted and work began – removal of old buildings to make way for new development and rehabilitation of viable structures. A few longtime business owners stayed, and new businesses began to open. In 1984, the Delmar Loop-Parkview Gardens District was listed on the National Register, making building owners eligible for historic tax credits. Today, the Delmar Loop, designated as one of the Ten Great Streets in America by the American Planning Association, is the vital shopping, dining, cultural, and entertainment destination in St. Louis.

All Year

r Round

Balloon Race The first race was launched by Nikki Caplan and John O’Toole in December 1973 at a gathering of six balloons and twenty spectators. In 1977, organization of the race passed from Caplan and O’Toole to a group of four novice balloonists who continue to coordinate the event today. These men are John Marlow, John Schaumburg, Ted Staley, and Dan Schettler, who formed a ballooning group known as the Mississippi River Balloon Transit Company. This company now is the host of the largest and most well attended balloon race. On May 23, 2000, the race was honored by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress as a local legacy after a nomination by then-Minority leader of the United States House of Representatives Dick Gephardt. So now, the Great Forest Park Balloon Race is forever documented through photographs, advertisements, media, and pilot rewards. On the day before the race, the hot air balloons participate in the Balloon Glow, a night

glow opportunity for spectators to walk among inflated balloons illuminated by their burners. In addition to the Balloon Glow and a fireworks show, during the week of the event, a free public orchestral concert by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra is held on nearby Art Hill, adjacent to the Saint Louis Art Museum. During the race, the balloonists attempt to “chase” a 166-foot balloon of a pink bunny after taking off from the Central Fields in Forest Park. The goal is to follow the bunny until it lands, and then each pilot drops a sandbag or birdseed bag as close as possible to the bunny balloon. The winner is decided based on which pilots’s sandbag, or birdseed bag, is the closest to the bunny. Due to its urban location in the city of St. Louis, the race is considered “particularly prestigious and challenging”, and participation is by invitation only. The balloon race is accompanied by a festival that includes food and drink, inflatable castles, and a climbing wall.

Shakespeare in the Park St. Louis Shakespeare was founded by Artistic Director Donna Northcott in 1984 to perform Shakespeare’s plays and other dramatic classics. Originally begun as a summer festival presenting plays in rotating repertory, the Company now presents three Shakespeare plays and one non-Shakespearean classic each season. Since 1995, the Company’s home has been the beautifully restored Grandel Theater in the Grand Center Arts and Entertainment District of St. Louis, located between Powell Symphony Hall and the Fox Theater on Grand Avenue. SLS is dedicated to producing Shakespeare’s entire canon. To date, the Company has presented more than three quarters of the Bard’s plays, including such seldom-seen works as TROILUS & CRESSIDA, KING JOHN, WINTER’S TALE and TITUS ANDRONICUS; SLS closed its 24th season with the Midwest premiere of EDWARD III. Additionally, SLS presents the works of other classical playwrights such as Aristophanes, Euripides, Feydeau, Oscar Wilde, Sheridan, Moliere, Shaw and 20th century classics

by playwrights such as Arthur Miller and Tom Stoppard. St. Louis Shakespeare is committed to introducing middle and high school students to classical theater, offering reduced-price weekday matinees, drawing thousands of students from schools in Missouri and Illinois. In 1995 the Company added a touring show to its schedule, presenting original productions and adaptations of Shakespeare’s works for kindergarten – 8th grades. More recently, the Company is offering Bard-In-a-Box, an interactive program that brings Shakespeare’s world to life through theatre games, scenes, and monologues. The educational program can be tailored to suit any grade or curriculum. 2006 saw the first Shakespeare Boot Camp for students grades 9-12. A talented group of high school and home-school students spend three weeks in the summer rehearsing and participating in intensive workshops with local theatre professionals, culminating in a fully-mounted production.

The Jewel Box The Jewel Box (also known as the St. Louis Floral Conservatory and the City of St. Louis Floral Display House) is a greenhouse located in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri. It now serves as a public horticultural facility and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). It was designed by architect William C. E. Becker and built in 1936 by the Robert Paulus Construction Company. The Jewel Box was dedicated Nov. 14, 1936 and cost about $117,000, with about 45 percent coming from Public Works Administration (WPA) funds. It consists of five stepped, composition-covered wood roofs with clerestories, rather than a regular glass roof, in order to prevent damage from frequent hailstorms. The Jewel Box, located on a 17-acre site in Forest Park, was built by the City of St. Louis in 1936 and is operated by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry. It is listed on the National Historic Register. The designation was given by the National Park Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior. The application was submitted by the

Landmarks Association of St. Louis on behalf of the City of St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry. The Jewel Box was given the designation on the National Register because it is, “locally significant in the area of architecture. The Art Deco building is an outstanding example of greenhouse design.” With its unconventional, cantilevered, vertical glass walls rising majestically 50 feet high, the Jewel Box opened in 1936 to national acclaim. The Post-Dispatch called the Art Deco-style structure, “the latest word in display greenhouses.” Today it is an aged St. Louis treasure that has been restored to its former glory. The main display area is 50 feet high, 55 feet wide and 144 feet long, containing about 7,500 square feet of floor space. There are special floral shows at Christmas, early spring, Easter, Mother’s Day, summer and fall. It has tropical trees, foliage plants, flowers, a new water feature and fountain year round.

Claire Tschampel Columbia Publishing 2016