City: St. Louis, MO

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (314) 771-2679

Description: In 1866 Henry Shaw drew up a proposal for Tower Grove Park and started construction two years later. Today the grand pleasure park that Shaw gave to the citizens of St. Louis is home to softball, soccer, tennis, corkball, and Frisbee games, as well as to the strollers, joggers, and picnickers who revel in the fanciful Victorian pavilions and sculptures that he commissioned. Tower Grove Park, one of only three U.S. parks designated a National Historic Landmark, is almost 300 acres of grassy, tree-lined getaway that offers a variety of recreational options. The park has more than 8,000 types of trees and shrubs that Shaw imported from around the world. Picnickers often head straight for the grassy banks of the lily pond and its artistic arrangement of stones from the old Lindell Hotel. “The Ruins” are the backdrop to the tranquility of the sailboat pond and its fountain, and there are plenty of large shade trees. Bands perform on the Music Stand, and larger groups hold picnics and family reunions in the numerous Victorian pavilions. Carriage rides through the park are available.