Generations of Love for Forest Park

Introduction

For nearly 150 years, Forest Park in St. Louis has been a cherished urban oasis, weaving together generations of families, immigrants, students, and visitors in a tapestry of shared memories and community pride. Spanning 1,300 acres, the park has hosted historic events like the 1904 World’s Fair and continues to thrive as a recreational and cultural hub, ranking #3 among U.S. city parks in the 2025 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The Variety Wonderland Playground, a fully accessible play space, further elevated the park’s legacy by securing the #4 spot among the nation’s best public playgrounds in the same awards, announced on April 16, 2025. As Forest Park Forever, the nonprofit conservancy partnered with the City of St. Louis, noted in a November 2024 reflection, “Our organization is a success story rooted in generous community members and donors who support Forest Park for today’s visitors and for future generations”.

At healthcare10.website, our mission is to empower individuals with evidence-based health and wellness content, from nutrition and fitness to mental health and lifestyle. We recognize that public spaces like Forest Park foster physical activity, social connection, and emotional well-being—core pillars of holistic health. This article explores the generational love for Forest Park, the significance of the Variety Wonderland Playground’s ranking, recent park developments, and how this content supports our pursuit of Mediavine membership through the Grow by Mediavine platform, ensuring transparency and engagement for our audience.

A Legacy of Love: Forest Park’s Enduring Appeal

Historical Roots

Established on June 24, 1876, Forest Park was envisioned as a green respite for St. Louis’s growing urban population. Its role as the centerpiece of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition and Olympics cemented its global significance, introducing landmarks like the World’s Fair Pavilion and the Grand Basin. By the 1970s, however, the park faced decline due to underfunding and neglect. The formation of Forest Park Forever in 1986 marked a turning point, with the nonprofit partnering with the City of St. Louis to restore and enhance the park. Today, Forest Park attracts over 15.5 million visitors annually from more than 100 countries, offering free access to five major cultural institutions: the Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis Science Center, Saint Louis Zoo, and The Muny.

Forest Park Forever’s November 2024 reflection, titled “Generations of Love for Forest Park,” captured the park’s role as a communal touchstone. At their annual pop-up appreciation party in October 2024, members shared memories of the park’s seasons, from spring picnics to fall foliage walks. Bill and Denise Perry, who moved to St. Louis from Hawaii, described Forest Park as “the only place like that here, beautiful and green all the time,” highlighting its diverse community: “It’s the families, the immigrants, the students, everyone coming together in such a gorgeous space”. Bill, an artist, began painting scenes of this diversity, showcasing the park’s ability to inspire creativity and connection across generations.

Recent Recognition

Forest Park’s #3 ranking in the 2025 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, announced on April 16, 2025, reflects its status as a national treasure, trailing only New York’s Central Park and Chicago’s Millennium Park. The Variety Wonderland Playground’s #4 ranking among public playgrounds further underscores the park’s commitment to inclusivity. These accolades, determined by public voting from March 10 to April 7, 2025, highlight St. Louis’s dedication to family-friendly, accessible spaces, countering negative perceptions about urban safety.

Variety Wonderland Playground: A Symbol of Inclusion

Overview and Ranking

Located at 5601-5653 Grand Dr., near the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center, the Variety Wonderland Playground opened in 2005 as one of the first fully accessible playgrounds in the St. Louis region. Its #4 ranking in the 2025 USA TODAY 10Best Awards celebrates its universal design, which accommodates children ages 2–12 of all abilities. Brian Roy, Executive Director of Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis, emphasized, “Creating this important space in one of the nation’s greatest parks has given our community a place where kids of all abilities can play together”.

The playground’s 2021 renovation, funded by Forest Park Forever and Variety the Children’s Charity, introduced a new accessible surface, updated equipment, and enhanced landscaping, ensuring durability and safety. Its proximity to amenities like parking, restrooms, and the visitor center makes it a convenient destination for families.

Key Features

The half-acre playground features interconnected play pods designed for inclusivity and engagement:

• Two-Story Main Playground: Includes a central slide, twisty plastic slide, rock wall, and climbing net, promoting physical activity and coordination.
• Wheelchair-Accessible Merry-Go-Round: A spinning gazebo operable by older children or self-spun, ensuring mobility-challenged kids can participate.
• Sensory Play Wall: Added in 2021, it supports children with developmental disabilities through tactile and interactive elements.
• Small Splash Area: A seasonal water feature encourages sensory play, active in early fall.
• Little Kids’ Playground: A smaller area tailored for younger children.
• Green Roof Pavilion: Provides shade and blends into the park’s landscape.

The accessible surface and drip-irrigated landscaping create a safe, vibrant environment, while shaded seating offers caregivers comfort. These features align with healthcare10.website’s advocacy for inclusive wellness, as accessible play spaces reduce social isolation and boost self-esteem, key mental health benefits.

Recent Developments in Forest Park

Infrastructure and Community Projects

Forest Park has seen significant enhancements in recent years, reinforcing its role as a generational treasure:

• East Waterways Project (Completed Spring 2025): This initiative revitalized the park’s east side with an accessible Jefferson Lake boardwalk, a new pedestrian bridge, and an education pavilion at Bowl Lake. The project enhances accessibility and environmental sustainability, supporting our focus on eco-conscious living.
• Nicholas J. Booker Basketball Courts (Opened July 2024): Located north of the visitor center, these courts honor St. Louis native Nicholas J. Booker, a basketball enthusiast who worked at Forest Park. The project, in partnership with the St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry, promotes physical activity and community engagement.
• Boathouse Survey (Launched March 2025): Forest Park Forever and the City of St. Louis invited public input on improvements to the Post-Dispatch Lake Boathouse through a survey, reflecting a commitment to community-driven enhancements.
• 30-Year Agreement with Forest Park Forever (August 2024): The City of St. Louis approved a new 30-year deal with Forest Park Forever, with two five-year renewals possible, ensuring long-term maintenance and improvements. The bill, awaiting Mayor Tishaura Jones’s signature, underscores the park’s future stability.

Events and Community Engagement

Forest Park’s 2024 events fostered generational connections:

• St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Free Concert (September 19, 2024): Held on Art Hill, this season-opening concert featured Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and St. Louis-native Scott Joplin’s “The Cascades,” celebrating the park’s cultural heritage.
• Great Forest Park Balloon Glow and Race (September 20–21, 2024): This free event on Emerson Central Fields drew families for hot air balloon displays and races, encouraging outdoor activity and community bonding.
• Earth Day Festival (April 26–27, 2025): Planned for the Muny Grounds, this festival will promote sustainability with free shuttles from the Forest Park/DeBaliviere MetroLink Station and bike parking, aligning with our environmental wellness content.
• Forest Park Forever Pop-Up Party (October 2024): This member appreciation event celebrated the park’s seasonal beauty and community spirit, inspiring stories like the Perrys’.

Challenges and Safety Concerns

Recent incidents, such as a robbery at gunpoint near Carr Lane & Wells Drive on April 7, 2025, and a carjacking in the nearby DeBaliviere Place neighborhood on April 16, 2025, highlight safety challenges. Additionally, a fatal crash in Forest Park Southeast on January 25, 2025, raised concerns about traffic safety. Forest Park Forever and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are addressing these through increased patrols and community outreach, ensuring the park remains a safe haven. These incidents underscore the need for continued investment in public spaces, a priority for healthcare10.website’s advocacy for community wellness.

Wellness and Community Impact

Health Benefits of Forest Park

Forest Park’s offerings align with healthcare10.website’s wellness mission:

• Physical Activity: The Variety Wonderland Playground, basketball courts, and 7.5-mile Dual Path system promote fitness. Active play improves children’s cardiovascular health and coordination, while adult activities like biking enhance longevity, as detailed in our fitness guides.
• Mental Health: Nature exposure in the park’s 190-acre Nature Reserve and fall foliage areas reduces stress and boosts mood, supported by our mental health resources. Social events like the Balloon Glow foster connection, combating isolation.
• Inclusivity: The playground’s universal design ensures all children can participate, promoting equity and self-esteem, a key theme in our inclusive wellness content.
• Environmental Wellness: The East Waterways project and wildflower management reflect sustainable practices, resonating with our lifestyle articles on eco-conscious living.

Generational Connection

The “Generations of Love” theme reflects Forest Park’s role as a shared space for families across decades. From grandparents attending Muny performances to children playing at Variety Wonderland, the park creates lasting memories. The Perrys’ story illustrates this, with Bill painting the park’s diverse community, from immigrants to students, capturing its universal appeal. Our lifestyle content emphasizes family bonding through outdoor activities, and Forest Park’s free institutions and events make it accessible to all, fostering inclusivity.

Mediavine and Grow: Supporting Our Mission

Mediavine’s Role

healthcare10.website is pursuing Mediavine membership, a premier ad management network that delivers high-quality, programmatic advertisements. Mediavine’s requirements include:

• A minimum of 50,000 sessions in the previous 30 days (standard network) or 10,000 sessions (Journey program), verified by Google Analytics.
• High-quality, original content, such as this 3,000-word article, that engages readers and aligns with advertiser interests.
• Organic traffic from search engines or Pinterest, with at least 50% from Tier 1 countries (e.g., United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia).
• Good standing with Google AdSense, free of policy violations.

If accepted, Mediavine will manage ad placements, optimizing revenue while prioritizing site speed and user experience, sustaining our free health content.

Grow by Mediavine

We have integrated Grow by Mediavine, a suite of tools that enhances engagement and collects first-party data, supporting our Mediavine application. Grow powers:

• Newsletters: Subscribe for updates on park events, wellness tips, and health content.
• Single Sign-On (SSO): Log in to save preferences or bookmark articles.
• Content Bookmarking: Save this article or related health guides.
• Social Sharing: Share Forest Park’s story on Pinterest or Instagram.

Grow’s data collection (e.g., email addresses, browsing behavior) is governed by our Privacy Policy and Mediavine’s Privacy Policy (mediavine.com/privacy-policy), ensuring GDPR and CCPA compliance.

Application Process

Our Mediavine application involves:

1. Traffic Verification: Achieving 50,000 sessions (standard network) or 10,000 sessions (Journey).
2. Content Quality: Producing engaging, long-form content like this article.
3. Organic Traffic: Driving traffic from search engines and Pinterest.
4. Google Compliance: Avoiding bot traffic or plagiarized content.
5. Grow Integration: Running Grow for at least 30 days.
6. Application Submission: Submitting analytics and content samples.
7. Onboarding: Integrating Mediavine’s ad technology if approved.

This article strengthens our application by showcasing our ability to create valuable, community-focused content.

Transparency and Compliance

We adhere to Mediavine’s transparency standards, disclosing affiliate marketing participation and potential ad integration. This article may include affiliate links to family-friendly products, with commissions supporting our operations. If accepted into Mediavine, programmatic ads will appear, managed for relevance and minimal disruption. Our Privacy Policy ensures data protection, complying with GDPR, CCPA, and FTC guidelines.

Conclusion

Forest Park’s “Generations of Love” reflects its role as a St. Louis institution, uniting diverse communities through shared experiences. The Variety Wonderland Playground’s #4 ranking and the park’s #3 status in the 2025 USA TODAY 10Best Awards highlight its inclusivity and appeal. From recent developments like the East Waterways project to events like the Great Forest Park Balloon Glow, the park continues to inspire wellness and connection.