Founded in 1868, Tower Grove Park is known for its beautiful Victorian Pavilions and its lush greenery. With 289 acres, it is the second largest park in St. Louis and a truly beautiful sight in the spring. “When you live in a city, you get consumed from all the concrete around you,” junior Aravinth Karunanandaa said. “Tower Grove is a good place to get out of that funk, and go somewhere where green is everywhere.”

Tower Grove, located south of Saint Louis University’s Health Sciences Campus at 4256 Magnolia Ave., has various species of trees and shrubs from around the world, and is a refuge for several species of birds. Tower Grove has many areas designated for picnics and recreation, tennis courts, ball fields and a playground for kids.

The park also offers horse-drawn carriage rides, and the stone horse stable, built in 1870 before the park was publicly established, is the oldest structure in Tower Grove. The Piper Palm Green House is also quite old, constructed in 1878. It is the oldest greenhouse west of the Mississippi River, and has become a popular spot for wedding ceremonies.

The park also features many built-in structures, the most popular including the fountain pond surrounded by the ruins of the Lindell Hotel, which burned down in 1867. Tower Grove Park is held to a Victorian ideal, standing on the principle of an older, forgotten time.  The park is usually overlooked due to the attention of Forest Park, and is so-called “one of St. Louis’s best-kept secrets.”  The park is located in the Shaw neighborhood. For SLU students, it is a short trip down Grand Blvd.

Tower Grove is a must-see for those visiting St. Louis – if not for recreation, then for the sheer beauty and antiquity of the classic, well-kept park.