Jones Dennis and Judith Visitor and Education Ctr

Aside from education and receptions the Visitor’s Center is a great meeting place inside Forest Park. There’s plenty of comfortable seating both indoors and outdoors. It’s good for working, studying, relaxing, releasing… plenty of restrooms and full-​equipped with baby changing stations and stalls.
Lockers for your valuables (bring your own lock), filtered water (bring your own bottle), grab lunch at Forest Perk Café (open til 4pm) or pack a lunch and cop a squat at one of the table tops.
If you need assistance the ladies at the center counter will gladly help guide the way.

This used to be the old golf club house and racquet ball center years ago. I have to admit I have not been here since the remodel but it is very nice!
I attended a wonderful wedding reception last Friday evening here and had a wonderful time. It was a nice blend of open space yet compartmentalized so that there were different areas during the event. I enjoyed the rustic feel to the «hall». There are big windows and refurbished wood flooring. Ceilings were tall with wonderful wood beams.
This wasn’t the largest reception hall. I suspect there was room for maybe 100 or less.
Now I need to check it out during the day.

Never been to Forest Park before and looking to learn to use the shuttles? You’ll want to start your day right here. Greta maps, clean public restrooms with a filtered water bottle filling station and super excellent staff that has worked here for years. One lady said she has worked here 7 years and I think the other one said 20 years. They know Forest Park well and there are no questions that they can’t answer. They are even familiar with the food of St Louis. AAA+++
(There is also a small café called Forest Perk that has great friendly service and a good selection of food and drinks)

Pulling up to an open parking right out front on a Sunday afternoon is totally awesome, so this place really had me from the start. Inside you will find many pamphlets of places to enjoy in Saint Louis. You will also find a café inside and a playground next door, and not to mention the free History Museum steps away.
It’s more than worth it to swing by here when you’re in the area and see what more there is to explore.

Pretty solid visitor’s center for the park. Its located at the north central end of the park right across from the main parking lots and the Dwight Davis Tennis Center. There is outdoor patio seating on the front and rear of the building. Inside there are a couple of lounge areas decorated with local children’s art (most of the time). The staff is always friendly and eager to help with any questions you might have. The information desk has flyers and handouts for not just the areas of the park but for attractions all over the state. There are medium sized restrooms (about 6 stalls) but there is also enough room to change clothes if you are coming form work and need somewhere to get ready for your workout. There are even lockers in the hallway. For indoors there is also a small café where you can buy snacks and light lunchfood (soup and sandwhich). Its nothing terribly original or fancy, but it will give you some options if you are at the park and realize you need a quick bite or the kids are screaming at you!
Outside there are handball and racquetball courts. I think there are 2 handball and 4 racquetball courts. There are ample bike racks on the front and back side of the building as the main bike path for the park has an outlet at the center. They even have a watering bowl for the pups next to the water fountain should you need it.
From the visitor’s center you can easily walk to the Missouri History Museum (¹⁄₅ mile) or the Great Basin (¹⁄₃ mile), the World’s Fair Pavilion (¹⁄₃) mile and the Art Museum (½ mile). So, if you are able to do a bit of walking, you can tour the heart of the park and stretch out those legs without getting too strenuous.
Lastly, my favorite thing about the visitor’s center is the wonderful playground. The playground is designed for kids age 2 – 12. The foundation is made of recycled rubber as opposed to wood chips. The equipment is divided into two main sets one for small children and one for older. The entire playground is encircled with a tight row of trees which gives privacy to parents to be with their kids. The equipment is plenty big enough to handle dozens of kids at any one time. There are also swings, see saws, and other accessories that I don’t even really know what they do since we didn’t have them when I was a kid.
If you ask me, park at the main lots there so that you can utilize the visitor’s center and you will be in a walkable distance to most other areas.

OK so I don’t know if many people know allot about this place, or how much people know about it’s history. It used to be called the Lindell Pavilion but was renovated for $ 4Million dollar’s to what it is today.
It is operated by Forest Park Forever and has an Information/​Visitors center there with maps and great people to help you get anywhere you need to go in the park.
It also has the Forest Perk Café, a great place to have lunch and get out of the heat. Great healthy salads also hot and cold sandwiches.
They also have Shower and Locker Rentals for people to use, Especially helpful if you are Starting a run or cycle ride on the Trail-​head there behind the building and need someplace to wash up when you get back.
They also almost always have a company that rents bikes out front, they also have tours on bikes too.
They also have handball and racquetball courts to the north of the building that look like allot of fun.
They usually have allot of Art exhibits that change through the year.
They have meeting spaces and a large Event Space «The Trolley room» that I personally have been to my Brother-in-law’s reception at and it was Incredible. The layout and size of the room was perfect and the lighting for a photographer is outstanding.
I am also a huge fan of the Dennis and Judith Jones Variety Wonderland park just a short walk to the south of the main building. My family has come here many times to play at this incredible park.
I have been interested in this place ever since the Reception I went to and now I am absolutely in love with it, and I hope you will be too.