Forest Park is the heart of St. Louis. At around 1,300 acres it is one of the largest urban parks in the United States—more than 1.5 times the size of Central Park in New York City. As the park celebrates its 150th anniversary, it’s important to remember the work that has gone into maintaining it. Forest Park Forever has played a pivotal role in keeping the park a magical destination for generations of St. Louisans. The nonprofit supports the city in maintaining the beloved landmark. T&S spoke with executive director Lesley Hoffarth to learn more.
Why was Forest Park Forever created?
While Forest Park is 150 years old this year, Forest Park Forever was founded 40 years ago. It started as a grassroots friends organization. Around 1986, the park had fallen into disrepair, and citizens of St. Louis wanted to help the city turn it around. By 1995, the master planning process had been completed, and Forest Park Forever pivoted to help rebuild parts of the park, including the Jewel Box, Government Hill, Art Hill and the visitor center. Over time our mission has evolved from helping restore the park to taking care of it forever, including taking care of the hardscape and landscape, advancing capital projects and connecting to the community.
How does the nonprofit help the city support the park?
A lot of our time is spent making sure the landscaping is healthy and looking good—not only for the 15.5 million human visitors each year but the wildlife as well. We have a team of professional horticulturists and gardeners, and we take our job of making sure the park is ecologically taken care of very seriously. Forest Park Forever also does visitor services, education and community engagement. We’re excited about our newest venture, The Glade. The project will transform the Steinberg Skating Rink into a year-around attraction. The community can look forward to that finishing up later this year.
How is Forest Park Forever celebrating the park’s 150th anniversary?
We are celebrating all year. Working with the Missouri History Museum, we’ve put together a Forest Park Passport. Families can come and find 150 things to do, see and experience around the park and the cultural institutions that call it home. Forest Park’s official birthday was June 24, and we held a pop event to celebrate. It was a fun day in the park.
Are there any upcoming events?
September is a busy time for Forest Park—it’s the height of event season! A highlight is the annual Great Forest Park Balloon Race and Glow, which will be held Sept. 18 and 19. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra also always kicks off its season with a free concert at the bottom of Art Hill. That will be on Sept. 16.
How can people support Forest Park Forever?
They can visit our website. We have information on different ways to donate, including volunteering their time—whether it’s as an individual or part of a corporate team. Our goal is to be good stewards of the community and its generosity, so every St. Louisan can feel proud and invested in a Forest Park that gives back to every visitor.
For more information, visit forestparkforever.org.
