Tower Grove Park - St. Louis, Missouri
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 38° 36.304 W 090° 14.537
15S E 740138 N 4276559
Historic Victorian walking park located in south St. Louis.
Waymark Code: WM1HM6
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 05/13/2007
Views: 39
Tower Grove Park was a gift to the City of St. Louis from Henry Shaw, founder of the neighboring Missouri Botanical Gardens in 1868 and officially opened to the public in 1872. Henry Shaw was largely responsible for the design of the park. The gift of the park to the city was complicated because at that time the land park contained was outside the city limits and required an act of the state legislature to create. The 289 acre park has many of the features which are found in other parks such as ball fields etc however Tower Grove has much more. The park features many early 1870's pavilions, sculptures and other ornate features. Tower Grove Park was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1989 due to its national significance as the "largest and best preserved 19th-century Gardenesque style city park in the United States." The park is well maintained and continues to be owned by the City of St. Louis and governed by a special Board of Commissioners appointed by the Missouri Supreme Court.
Street address:
Bounded by Magnolia Ave. on N, Grand Blvd. on E, Arsenal St. on S, and Kings Highway Blvd. on W
St. Louis, Missouri
County / Borough / Parish: St. Louis (Independent City)
Year listed: 1972
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Periods of significance: 1850-1874, 1875-1899
Historic function: Landscape, Recreation And Culture
Current function: Landscape, Recreation And Culture
Privately owned?: no
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.