Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
The Original Lindell Pavilion
A Shelter for Millions of Streetcar Riders in the 1890s
— Forest Park —
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 14, 2019
Lindell Railway Company opened the Lindell Pavilion as a shelter for visitors who took the streetcar to Forest Park for a day's relaxation away from the city. The building was remodelled in 1914 as a golf and tennis locker room and pro shop. After a 1925 fire, the pavilion was rebuilt with only part of the original tower remaining. In 2003, the pavilion underwent extensive renovations and reopened as the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center.
Today's Visitor Center — a Resource for Forest Park's 13 Million Annual Visitors
The Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center, home to much of the Forest Park Forever staff, is an informal Park headquarters for visitors of all kinds. Volunteers answer visitor questions, runners and cyclists meet, and many St. Louisans hold their weddings and special events in this welcome historic space.
The Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center is among dozens of significant landmarks, landscapes and natural areas restored and maintained through the public-private partnership of the City of St. Louis and Forest Park Forever. The St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission partners with Forest Park Forever to provide visitor services at the Center.
Forest Park — one of the Great Public Spaces in America* — is St. Louis' big backyard. Home to extraordinary natural areas, restored historic landmarks, world-class cultural institutions, hundreds of species of wildlife and endless opportunities for recreation and relaxation, the 1,371-acre Park attracts more than 13 million visitors each year.
* American Planning Association, 2013
While Forest Park fell into disrepair during the second half of the last century, a $100 million restoration campaign led by Forest Park Forever and the City of St. Louis initiated a magnificent new era for the Park. Today, Forest Park Forever and the City continue this partnership to restore, maintain and sustain this civic treasure, with more Master Plan restoration projects recently completed, underway and planned for the coming years.
Erected by City of St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry; Forest Park Forever; St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Railroads & Streetcars • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.
Location. 38° 38.633′ N, 90° 17.016′ W. Marker is in St. Louis, Missouri. It is in Forest Park. Marker is on Grand Drive, 0.1 miles west of Cricket Drive, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 14, 2019
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center (within shouting distance of this marker); How Should People Gain Access to Their Park? (within shouting distance of this marker); How Do We Divide Our Land? (within shouting distance of this marker); How Will We Open Our City to the World? (within shouting distance of this marker); Are Trees and Lawns Enough? (within shouting distance of this marker); A Fair Legacy: The Zoo (within shouting distance of this marker); Should Park Space Serve Other Uses? (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Can We Control Nature? (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Louis.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 18, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 376 times since then and 34 times this year. Last updated on June 25, 2023, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 18, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.