Many future visitors to Forest Park will enter through a revamped northwest entrance after Forest Park Forever completes $3.2 million in updates to the St. Louis landmark.
The entrance at Skinker Boulevard and Lagoon Drive will feature a wider pedestrian walkway and a grand arch made of stone and steel.
The project includes refurbishments to the often-overlooked Musicians Memorial and Fountain off Lagoon Drive, traffic-calming measures and 117 trees to help replace those lost in the May 16 tornado.
Planners intend for the revamped entrance to become a signature site at Forest Park.
“It’s going to be an Instragrammable moment,” said Ted H. Spaid of lead design firm SWT Design. “It's going to be that place where people go to take pictures of the entrance to Forest Park. And it's going to be here for well over 100 years.”
Forest Park Forever is funding the project through private donations. The Eric P. & Evelyn E. Newman Foundation is the lead donor.
The Musicians Memorial and Fountain, near the northwest entrance but wedged between two putting greens on the park’s golf course, was dedicated in 1925 in honor of St. Louis Symphony Orchestra musicians Owen Miller and Otto Ostendorf. A later adjustment to the path of Lagoon Drive left the attraction in an awkward spot.
Planners hope a series of refurbishments will make it a more popular gathering space. The project includes new seating and shade trees at the fountain.
“It's cattywampus to the roadway and we really wanted to make it more of a feature that [visitors can see] was meant to be there. We have the opportunity to fix something that just just didn't fit anymore in its location,” said John O’Gorman, Forest Park Forever’s senior vice president for development and community initiatives.
Forest Park Forever plans to break ground on the project this summer, plant trees in the fall and add finishing touches in spring 2027.
The project will join other planned and ongoing efforts to improve Forest Park’s offerings, including upgrades to park’s Hospital Drive entrance and construction of the Glade, a project that reimagines 22.5 acres near Jefferson Lake. The Glade will include a restored Steinberg Skating Rink, a rooftop terrace and restaurant, a picnicking lawn and other amenities.
St. Louis city government is also rebuilding the double bridge at the intersection of Lindell and Union boulevards.
“We wanted to really create a welcoming environment for visitors and people from St Louis to say, ‘Hey, you're coming into a special place,’” Spaid said. “This is a significant park in the country, and [the updated entrance] will really give it that elevated level of significance.”
