The Original Music Pagoda

The Original Music Pagoda. A Concert House In Harmony With Nature. , Today's Nathan Frank Bandstand - a Classic in its Own Right, Dedicated in 1925 and built with white marble and concrete with bronze rails and a copper roof, the Nathan Frank Bandstand - restored in 2000 - is still a Forest Park and St. Louis icon., (photo caption:), In the late 1800s, the Music Pagoda drew carriages full of music lovers who parked around Pagoda Lake to listen to afternoon concerts. Said to resemble a building from One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, the Music Pagoda was of Syrian design. It was also, unfortunately, made of wood. A storm destroyed it, and the wreckage of that first bandstand burned in 1912. , (aside:), The Nathan Frank Bandstand and surrounding Pagoda Circle are 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. This area's beautiful landscapes and floral displays are maintained by the Flora Conservancy of Forest Park and the City of St. Louis., 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., 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. , -American Planning Association, 2013