Forest Park - St. Louis, Missouri
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 38° 38.374 W 090° 17.659
15S E 735493 N 4280253
Site of 1904 Worlds Fair or the Louisiana Purchase Exposition is now one of the nations largest city parks.
Waymark Code: WM6XBA
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 08/01/2009
Views: 19
Forest park officially opened to the public on June 24, 1876. In its beginning it was a tract of forest land outside of the city. It has since developed into one of the city's most treasured resources.
The Palace of Fine Arts was the only palace buildings constructed for the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair which was intended to remain after the fair. The other buildings were constructed of wood and ornamented with what was called "staff", a mixture of lime plaster and cement which contained glycerin and dextrose to which shredded hemp was added. The Palace of Fine Arts was designed by architect Cass Gilbert in a Beaux-Arts style and is constructed of stone. The construction cost of the building was $1,014,000, the most spent on any of the the buildings. During the fair the Palace of Fine Arts was dwarfed and hidden behind the much larger Festival Hall. The Palace of Fine Art is now the home to the St. Louis Art Museum and keeping to the inscription on the building "Dedicated to Art and Free to All", the art museum changes no admission.
Forest Park is also the site of the St. Louis Zoo, another free attraction in St. Louis. The Zoo is well planned and continually updating its exhibits to meet the evolving directions of zoological parks.
Forest Park also is the site of the Missouri History Museum (free) and the Jewel Box an Art Deco styled greenhouse with great plant displays. Also on the grounds of the park is the Muny, an outdoor theater which hosts many plays during the summer months.
The park also has many recreational activities including trails, tennis courts, golf course, boat house, sled hill, and ball fields.
The park underwent a substantial renovation and restoration in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the Fair.
Name of Source Book: 1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die
Page Location in Source Book: 460 - 461
Type of Waymark: Site
Location of Coordinates: In Front of Art Museum
Cost of Admission (Parks, Museums, etc.): 0.00 (listed in local currency)
List Available Hours, Dates, Season:
Attractions hours vary by attraction. Park open 6 am - 10 pm
Official Tourism Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
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