Cait Donohue

St. Louis' Forest Park

Much more than just a park- Forest Park is home to region’s major cultural institutions—the Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, Science Center and the Muny Opera.

St. Louis is home to many parks, but it is indisputable that Forest Park is one of our finest assets.

Forest Park was created in 1876 out of land just west of downtown St. Louis. In 1904 it was home to the St. Louis' Worlds Fair.The summer of 1904 it hosted the Summer Olympics. This was the first Olympics hosted by an English speaking country. At close to 1300 acres it is 500 acres larger than Central Park.

The Saint Louis Zoo

The City of St. Louis set aside 77 acres in Forest Park for the St. Louis Zoo.

State legislation provided that "the zoo shall be forever free," which has kept

the Zoo accessible to millions of visitors ever since.

The Saint Louis Art Museum

The art museum was founded in 1879 and was then called the St. Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts, The Museum was originally located in downtown St. Louis but relocated to their current home in Forest Park following the 1904 World's Fair. The Museum's long-standing commitment to free admission makes it possible for everyone to have the opportunity to visit its galleries as often as they like throughout the year.

The St Louis History Museum

Admission Fees -Adults: $5; Seniors $4; Students: $3

Prescheduled School Groups: Free
Children 6 and Under: Free
Free admission on Tuesdays

The St. Louis Science Center

The Academy of Science of Saint Louis was founded in 1856, as the first scientific organization west of the Mississippi River. The Academy founded the Museum of Science and Natural History in 1959 and moved to Clayton's Oak Knoll Park. The museum outgrew these facilities in the mid-1980s. In 1984, the museum acquired McDonnell Planetarium from the City of St. Louis. After a $3.2 million renovation, the building reopened July 20, 1985 as the St. Louis Science Center.

Following a $34 million expansion to construct the current main building, the Saint Louis Science Center opened November 2, 1991. General admission to the Science Center is Free.

The Muny

The Muny Opera is the nation's oldest and largest outdoor theater Free seats are available for every Muny performance. There are approximately 1,500 free seats in the last nine rows of the theater that are available on a first come, first served basis. The Muny's 2008 season begins June 16th with The Producers, and ends August 10th with Fiddler on the Roof. My Fair Lady, 90 Years OF MUNY Magic, Miss Saigon, and My One and Only are some of the other shows that will be playing in the 2008 season of the Muny.

The St. Louis Jewel Box
Admission is $1. It is free from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Tuesdays. The Jewel Box is located on Wells in Forest Park. The Jewel Box is an Art Deco floral conservatory built in 1936. The Jewel Box is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The Jewel Box has had a 3.5 million dollar renovation and is open once again to the public. It is surrounded by rose gardens,lily ponds, monuments, and statuary. It is listed on the National Historic Registry. The Jewel Box has different floral shows throughout the year. Some of which are the tulip show, the poinsettia show , easter lily's and the mums in October.

The Great Forest Park Balloon Race was founded by renowned balloonists Nikki Caplan and John O'Toole in 1973, and taken over by four, young, enthusiastic balloonists in 1977. It is the most well-attended, single-day balloon race in the country.
The race, celebrated its 35th anniversary last year,it is unique in that it originates from the middle of a major city, St. Louis. Attendance is free to more than 130,000 spectators who come out to watch 70 world-class balloon pilots compete in a race that is almost as exciting from the ground as it is in the air.

This years balloon "glow" will be September 19th

the race will be September 20th 2008.

The Community Of Des Peres
This community is located in West St Louis County, Missouri.

In 1701, a group of Jesuit missionaries established a settlement on the banks of the Mississippi River near the mouth of the Des Peres River. The name "Des Peres", which means "of the fathers", traces its origins back to that early settlement.

Manchester Road has been recently recognized by the Missouri General Assembly as a part of the "Original Route 66". So if you want to "get your kicks" just drive down Manchester Rd through Des Peres.

The Des Peres Department of Public Safety is unique in the metropolitan area as the only integrated public safety operation providing police, fire and emergency medical services. Des Peres is only one of a handful of similar operations in the State of Missouri

Des Peres is also extremely proud of its parks & recreation systems, which feature seven (7) locations and over 100 acres of parkland. Des Peres Park, (former home of the Lutheran Orphanage)is now home to Des Peres City Hall. The Lodge Des Peres is a 74,000 sq ft community center that opened in November of 2003. It features indoor an indoor wave pool and an outdoor pool with slides and a "lazy river." The Lodge also has an elevated running track,fitness center, and meeting rooms.

Des Peres is home to the U.S. Headquarters of The Edward Jones Company

Des Peres also has a major shopping center- West County Center located at Manchester Rd. and Highway 270. West County Center has a Nordstrom's ,Macy's, J. C Penney's, California Pizza Kitchen,and much , much more.

Des Peres is part of Kirkwood School District to the East,an.d Parkway School district to the West,

Kirkwood School District

is among the oldest school districts west of the Mississippi River. Located in southwest St. Louis County approximately 15 miles from the city of St. Louis, Kirkwood School District covers an area of 15 square miles and serves all or portions of eight suburban communities: Des Peres, Frontenac, Glendale, Huntleigh, Kirkwood, Oakland, Town and Country, and Warson Woods.

Parkway School District

Over the years, Parkway has flourished, growing from a rural environment to an urban one. Today, with 28 schools and an Early Childhood Center, Parkway is the largest district in St. Louis County, and one of the most outstanding in the country.

There are also two private schools in Des Peres

St. Clement of Rome

St. Paul Lutheran

Estimated median household income in 2005: $103,600 (it was $96,433 in 2000)

Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $358,700 (it was $253,500 in 2000)