Citygarden: Play, art, nature meet in St. Louis
Looking for a place to beat the heat on a scorching summer day? Try Citygarden, with its state-of-the-art spray plaza — complete with 102 computer-controlled water jets — and a separate 180-foot rectangular pool, highlighted by a six-foot waterfall.
Interested in perusing world-class sculpture in a relaxed setting? Check out Citygarden’s 24 outdoor works by internationally renowned artists, including Fernand Leger, Mark di Suvero, Keith Haring, Martin Puryear, Jim Dine, Tony Smith and Aristide Maillol.
Need a place to let the kids play away some excess energy? Want to escape to someplace that’s green — and boasts innovative landscaping? Citygarden comes to the forefront again, with play sprays for the kids and an abundance of native trees and plants in a scerene setting inspired by the area’s great rivers.
Open 24 hours a day and free to the public, Citygarden stretches out across 2.9 acres between Eighth and Tenth and Market and Chestnut streets, and part of the Gateway Mall, a mile-long stretch of largely uninterrupted green space between Broadway and 21st Street.
Within walking distance of the Gateway Arch, Citygarden opened July 1, 2009, funded by a $25–$30 million investment from the St. Louis-based Gateway Foundation. The city of St. Louis owns the land and improvements.
Other park features include:
• A video wall, set within a limestone wall that arcs across the two blocks, displaying video art and occasional movies.
• An audio tour, featuring the voices of St. Louis celebrities including Olympic Gold Medal winner Jackie Joyner-Kersee, sportscaster Joe Buck, baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, soprano Christine Brewer, orchestra conductor David Robertson, TV star Jenna Fischer and more.
• A pavilion café, with indoor and outdoor seating.
• A polished granite-capped “meander” wall that evokes a serpentine river.
Dogs are allowed in Citygarden, but you’ll need to use bags provided in the park to clean up after them.
HelloMetro Tip: A self-guided audio tour of the Citygarden sculpture is available by dialing (314) 802–9571 on your mobile phone, or by downloading it from iTunes. You can also request a brochure by sending an email to info@citygardenstl.org.
Posted by Bill Wolfe
