Major restroom renovation and new plaza development, funded by donors to Forest Park Forever, greatly improve the Forest Park visitor experience

The City of St. Louis Parks Division and Forest Park Forever are pleased to announce the opening of a significantly renovated comfort station and new gathering plaza in Forest Park near the World’s Fair Pavilion and the future Nature Playscape. What had been just a partial-year restroom has been transformed into a renovated and modernized building with year-round restrooms and a spacious new gathering plaza where visitors can meet, unwind and even charge their phones. The project’s highlights include:

• An upgraded building, with improved functionality and aesthetics


• Year-round, fully accessible restrooms with diaper-changing stations

• New year-round accessible drinking fountain with bottle filler and dog bowl

• Spacious new gathering plaza and stone veneer seating wall with toad and frog sculptures

• New landscaping, trees and perennial plants

• New plaza tables with chairs and umbrellas 

• Six new bike racks

• Two phone-charging/electrical outlet stations

• New interior and exterior lighting

• Upgraded utility room for potential future use

This $600,000 project has been funded by donors to Forest Park Forever, the nonprofit conservancy that partners with the City of St. Louis to restore, maintain and sustain Forest Park. The lead donor for this project was St. Louis-based Famous Footwear. The Mackey, Shapleigh and Schmid Families also provided support for this improvement project. 

“We know how important amenities like restrooms and gathering spots are to visitors, and we are pleased to open this new and improved space in Forest Park,” said Greg Hayes, Director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry for the St. Louis. 

“Forest Park Forever would like to thank our generous donors for making this significant improvement project possible,” said Lesley S. Hoffarth, President and Executive of Forest Park Forever. “Thanks to a lead gift from Famous Footwear and generous donations from several local families, the renovated comfort station and spacious new plaza will improve the Forest Park experience for many visitors for years to come. We would like to thank all of our supporters and our City of St. Louis partners for another successful restoration project in the Park.”  

“At Famous Footwear we’re committed to leaving a lasting impression with every step,” said Molly Adams, President of Famous Footwear. “Caleres and Famous Footwear are proud to support these improvements in Forest Park, where millions of St. Louisans come to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. This new gathering plaza will provide visitors from around the region and the world with an attractive place to rest and recharge before heading out for another adventure in the Park, including the future Nature Playscape nearby.”  

Several St. Louis-based companies were involved in the project. SWT Design was the prime consultant, project manager, landscape architect and civil engineer. Ross & Baruzzini was the architect and MEP engineer, and Hof Construction was the general contractor. St. Louis-based sculptor Abraham Mohler created the toad and frog sculptures on either side of the seating wall.