The Dennis and Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center bustles with activity every day, but it is more than a hub for Forest Park.

Since the Visitor Center opened in 2003, it has also been a hub for people around the world, thanks to a partnership between Forest Park Forever and Explore St. Louis.

Officially the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, Explore St. Louis provides volunteers and visitor services at three locations — St. Louis Lambert International Airport, the Gateway Arch National Park and the Forest Park Visitor Center. Their job? To help everyone make the most of the city.

“Our partnership with Explore St. Louis has been very positive and fruitful,” says Forest Park Forever Director of Community Engagement Anne Grossmann. “We have all the information about the Park, but because of Explore St. Louis, we also have information about the neighborhoods, restaurants, shopping and attractions across the region. ”

And make no doubt about it — Explore St. Louis volunteers are also Forest Park Forever volunteers.

“They are as important to us as everyone else who gives their time to the Park,” says Forest Park Forever Volunteer Manager Michele Blanke. “We are so grateful for their service.”

Explore St. Louis is grateful for the volunteers, too. At its annual recognition luncheon on December 6, 2019, the organization honored three volunteers who serve at the Forest Park Visitor Center — Tom Schinsky, Christine Obermeier and Alan Kretchmar.

Read on to learn more about them and be sure to stop by the Visitor Center to say “Hi” the next time you’re in the Park!

“A City Worth Talking About”

As Tom Schinsky listened to the speaker at the recognition luncheon build up to announcing the winner of the President’s Award, Explore St. Louis’ highest honor to recognize individuals for their outstanding service, he thought, “Wow, he started at the airport in 2009, just like me. I should know that guy.”

Then it hit him: “He’s talking about me!”

That kind of humility has been Schinsky’s trademark for the past ten years, but the humility ends when it comes to St. Louis.

“This is a city worth talking about, and once you tell people about it, they get excited, too,” he says.

The Sunset Hills resident and 45-year Anheuser-Busch veteran employee should know. Prior to joining the volunteer team at the Forest Park Visitor Center, Schinsky volunteered at the airport and at America’s Center downtown.

“People come here from all over the world, and there are so many things to see and do. It’s remarkable once you start pointing them out,” Schinsky says.

Among his favorite visitors to the Park are Europeans making their way cross-country on Route 66. They fly into Chicago, then drive the historic route all the way to Los Angeles, often stopping by Forest Park on the way.

“I’ve met people from Norway, Finland, Sweden, Germany, you name it,” Schinsky says. “They are always looking for a place to eat, and it’s great to have so many options for them, from the Central West End and the Loop to the Hill. I love doing what I do for Forest Park!”

“A Suitcase Full of Experiences”

Christine Obermeier understands Schinsky’s feelings about receiving the President’s Award. She won it in 2018.

“I was shocked!” says Obermeier, who reached the 2,000 hours milestone in 2019. But like Schinsky, she doesn’t let humility get in the way of selling the city.

“My shifts are four hours of diplomatically bragging about St. Louis,” she says of her work.

“The city has a reputation for all the great things you can do here. It sells itself,” Obermeier notes. “Anyone who thinks St. Louis is on the downside needs to do this work.”

Obermeier enjoys being able to take more time with visitors at the Forest Park Visitor Center than she can at the airport location.

“The Park is a fantastic place to talk to people,” she says. “I like to point out to St. Louis natives how much Forest Park Forever has done to bring it back.”

One of the materials Explore St. Louis provides is a coloring book. Obermeier, a retired elementary school teacher and administrator from Ritenour School District, loves giving it to kids who visit the information desk.

“They come here when they need a break from the accessible Variety Wonderland Playground nearby,” she says. “I can’t wait for the Nature Playscape to open.”

Until then, Obermeier looks forward to continuing to build her treasure trove of memories from working at the Forest Park Visitor Center.

“I have a suitcase full of experiences,” she says. “I love them all.”

“Showing People What They’re Interested In”

Alan Kretchmar, a retired ophthalmologist, recalls gazing wistfully down at Forest Park from the old Deaconess Hospital before beginning his complex surgeries.

“I would look at that beautiful park and imagine myself working there some day,” he says. “Now, that’s what I do!”

At the recognition luncheon, Kretchmar celebrated having donated 1,000 hours of service over the past eight years for Explore St. Louis. He joined the Forest Park Visitor Center volunteer team in fall 2011 and expanded his service to the Arch location a few years ago.

However, Kretchmar doesn’t stay behind the desk. He has also led Then & Now tours for Forest Park Forever. His typical route includes the Missouri History Museum, Dwight Davis Tennis Center, the Grand Basin, Picnic Island and the Boathouse.

At the Grand Basin, he uses a map of the 1904 World’s Fair to help visitors imagine where the palaces were. But really, he’ll take visitors anyplace in the Park.

“I’ll do whatever they want,” he says. “A couple of years ago a girl was interested in the Jewel Box, so I took her over there. Sometimes, theater fans from New York will want to see the Muny, so we do that. I enjoy showing people what they’re interested in.”

Like Schinsky and Obermeier, Kretchmar has met people from around the world at Forest Park — and he has visited some of their homes, too, on his family’s European bike tours.

“That’s the kind of thing that’s great about working at the Forest Park Visitor Center,” he says. “I love making connections to people that extend far beyond the Park.”