Turtle Park

Last updated
Turtle Park
Turtle Park.jpg
Sculpture at Turtle Park
Forest Park (St. Louis).png
Red pog.svg
Location within Forest Park and St Louis
Type Sculpture park and playground
Location St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Coordinates 38°37′55″N90°17′35″W / 38.63184°N 90.29302°W / 38.63184; -90.29302
CreatedAugust 1996 [1]
Operated bySt. Louis Parks Department and Forest Park Forever [2]
StatusOpen all year (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
Public transit access Bus-logo.svg MetroBus

Turtle Park (also Turtle Playground [3] ) is a sculpture park located at the southern edge of Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri at the intersection of Oakland Avenue and Tamm Avenue. The park contains seven concrete turtles and one snake. The turtles were designed and sculpted by Bob Cassilly and the park opened in August 1996. Turtle Park can be seen from Interstate 64 and the Saint Louis Zoo to the north.

Contents

Design

The park contains seven turtle species that are native to Missouri [4] as well as a clutch of eggs. The three large turtles are a snapping turtle, a Mississippi map turtle and a red-eared slider and named after Sunny Glassberg's children: Dick, Tom, and Sally. The four smaller turtles are a stinkpot turtle and three box turtles, named after Glassberg's grandchildren: David, Adam, Emily, and Antonio. [5] The snapping turtle is 40-foot long and used 120,000 pounds of concrete. [4] A concrete snake lines the park; its head is attached to and appears to be biting the Tamm Avenue Overpass at the west end of the park. [6] The design allows kids to climb on the turtle's shells and into their open mouths. [5]

History

St. Louis philanthropist Sunny Glassberg developed the idea and donated the funds for Turtle Park. [2] She hired Bob Cassilly to design the park and the St. Louis Parks Department and Forest Park Forever helped locate the land for the park, a strip of Forest Park that had been cut off by Interstate 64. [1] Glassberg wanted the park to be a fun place for children: "I wanted to give children a place where they could be happy, where they could feel inspired. Because I feel that that sort of thing is contagious." [2] The Park opened in August 1996. The reconstruction of Interstate 64 in 2009 necessitated the removal of the snake's head. Cassilly's team removed the head and the new bridge was designed in such a way that the head could be placed back on the overpass. [6]

Turtle Park was voted the "Best Picnic Spot" in St. Louis in 2011 by the Riverfront Times . [5] In 2015, MySun Charitable Foundation sponsored renovations to Turtle Park, including new turf, resurfacing the access path, and the installation of a water fountain. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 64</span> East–west Interstate in eastern US

Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at the Bowers Hill Interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bower's Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. I-64 connects Greater St. Louis, the Louisville metropolitan area, the Lexington–Fayette metropolitan area, the Charleston metropolitan area, the Greater Richmond Region, and Hampton Roads.

The Saint Louis Zoo, officially known as the Saint Louis Zoological Park, is a zoo in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri. It is recognized as a leading zoo in animal management, research, conservation, and education. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Admission is free based on a public subsidy from a cultural tax district, the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District (ZMD); fees are charged for some special attractions. A special feature is the 2 ft narrow-gauge Emerson Zooline Railroad with passenger trains pulled by Chance Rides C.P. Huntington locomotives that encircle the zoo, stopping at the more popular attractions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest Park (St. Louis)</span> Large city park in St. Louis, Missouri

Forest Park is a public park in western St. Louis, Missouri. It is a prominent civic center and covers 1,326 acres (5.37 km2). Opened in 1876, more than a decade after its proposal, the park has hosted several significant events, including the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904 and the 1904 Summer Olympics. Bounded by Washington University in St. Louis, Skinker Boulevard, Lindell Boulevard, Kingshighway Boulevard, and Oakland Avenue, it is known as the "Heart of St. Louis" and features a variety of attractions, including the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, and the St. Louis Science Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MetroLink (St. Louis)</span> Light rail system serving St. Louis, Missouri, and surrounding areas

MetroLink is a light rail system that serves the Greater St. Louis area. Operated by Metro Transit in a shared fare system with MetroBus, the two-line, 38-station system runs from St. Louis Lambert International Airport and Shrewsbury in Missouri to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. Intermediate destinations include downtown Clayton, Forest Park, and downtown St. Louis. It is the only U.S. light rail system to cross state lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Credit River</span> River in Canada

The Credit River is a river in southern Ontario, which flows from headwaters above the Niagara Escarpment near Orangeville and Caledon East to empty into Lake Ontario at Port Credit, Mississauga. It drains an area of approximately 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi). The total length of the river and its tributary streams is over 1,500 kilometres (930 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missouri Route 364</span> State highway in eastern Missouri

Route 364, known locally as the Page Extension, the Page Avenue Freeway, the Page Expressway, or simply the Extension, is a freeway that connects St. Louis County in Maryland Heights with St. Charles County in Lake St. Louis via the Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Missouri River. The highway is a designated auxiliary state route of I-64.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carondelet Park</span> Park in St. Louis, Missouri

Carondelet Park, established in 1875, is the third largest park in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. The park contains nearly 180 acres (0.73 km2) and is located in the southeastern portion of the city, just west of Interstate 55, and is accessible at the Loughborough Avenue exit. Loughborough Avenue is the park's southern boundary; its northern boundary is Holly Hills Boulevard. The park takes its name from Carondelet, St. Louis. The Carondelet, Holly Hills, Boulevard Heights, and Bevo Mill neighborhoods surround the park, and the park is a focal point for the community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City Museum</span> Museum in St. Louis, Missouri

City Museum is a museum whose exhibits consist largely of repurposed architectural and industrial objects, housed in the former International Shoe building in the Washington Avenue Loft District of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Opened in October 1997, the museum attracted more than 700,000 visitors in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in St. Louis</span>

Transportation in Greater St. Louis, Missouri includes road, rail, ship, and air transportation modes connecting the bi-state St. Louis metropolitan area with surrounding communities throughout the Midwest, national transportation networks, and international locations. The Greater St. Louis region also supports a multi-modal transportation network that includes bus, paratransit, and light rail service in addition to shared-use paths, bike lanes and greenways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 64 in Missouri</span> Highway in the U.S. state of Missouri

Interstate 64 (I-64) passes through the Greater St. Louis area in the US state of Missouri. The entire route is concurrent with U.S. Route 40 (US 40). Because the road was a main thoroughfare in the St. Louis area before the development of the Interstate Highway System, it is not uncommon for locals to refer to the stretch of highway as "Highway 40" rather than "I-64". On December 6, 2009, the portion of the highway running through the city of St. Louis was named the Jack Buck Memorial Highway in honor of the late sportscaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Cassilly</span> American sculptor, entrepreneur, and creative director

Robert James Cassilly Jr. was an American sculptor, entrepreneur, and creative director based in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1997, Cassilly founded the idiosyncratic City Museum, which draws over 700,000 visitors a year and is one of the city's leading tourist attractions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dogtown, St. Louis</span>

Dogtown is a traditionally Irish section of St. Louis, Missouri. It is located south of Forest Park, with its southeastern edge abutting the traditionally Italian section of town, The Hill neighborhood. The neighborhood is anchored by St. James the Greater Catholic Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Line (St. Louis MetroLink)</span>

The Blue Line is the newer and shorter line of the MetroLink light rail service in Greater St. Louis. It serves 25 stations across three counties and two states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O'Fallon Park</span>

O'Fallon Park is a municipal park in St. Louis, Missouri, that opened in 1908.

The streets of St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and the surrounding area of Greater St. Louis are under the jurisdiction of the City of St. Louis Street Department. According to the department's Streets Division, there are 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of streets and 600 miles (970 km) of alleys within the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Aquarium</span> Zoo in Missouri , U.S.

The World Aquarium was an interactive animal exhibition, conservation research center, and animal sanctuary located in Laclede's Landing, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, founded by Leonard Sonnenschein. It closed in mid-2019. Some highlights of the child-centered exhibition are being able to feed and touch many animals. The museum allowed general admission, school tours and behind-the-scenes tours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cementland</span> Abandoned public art project in St. Louis

Cementland is an incomplete public art exhibit on the 54-acre site of a former cement factory just north of St. Louis, Missouri. The brainchild of sculptor Bob Cassilly, who also created St. Louis' City Museum, it contains giant concrete sculptures and obsolete machinery, and was planned to have navigable waterways, among many other features.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayton–Tamm, St. Louis</span> Neighborhood of St. Louis in Missouri, United States

Clayton–Tamm is a historic St Louis neighborhood and once an Irish-American enclave located near the western border of St. Louis, Missouri, USA, just south of Forest Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myron and Sonya Glassberg Family Conservation Area</span> Protected area in Jefferson County, U.S.

Myron and Sonya Glassberg Family Conservation Area is a 429-acre (1.74 km2) protected area in northwestern Jefferson County, Missouri. It is south of Eureka and southeast of Pacific. The Glassberg Family Conservation Area is located within the watershed of the Meramec River, primarily in the watershed of LaBarque Creek. The Young Conservation Area is about 0.2 miles (0.32 km) to the east and LaBarque Creek Conservation Area is about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) to the southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest Park Parkway (St. Louis)</span>

Forest Park Parkway is a parkway in Clayton, Missouri and St. Louis that runs from Interstate 170, becomes Forest Park Avenue at Kingshighway Boulevard, and ends at Market Street and Interstate 64. It is considered an arterial snow route. Its right-of-way has carried various railroad lines throughout much of its history.

References

  1. 1 2 Sorkin, Michael D. (May 20, 2013). "'Sunny' Glassberg dies; philanthropist who donated Turtle Park". St. Louis Post-Dispatch . St. Louis. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Turtle Park Story". St. Louis: Higher Education Channel. April 2005. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 Parks, Anne Elise (September 30, 2015). "Turtle Park gets restoration grant for improvements". St. Louis: Fox2now.com. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 Sandweiss, Lee Ann (2001). Missouri History Museum (ed.). St. Louis Architecture for Kids. Juvenile Nonfiction. Google books excerpt.
  5. 1 2 3 "Best Picnic Spot 2011: Turtle Park". Riverfront Times . St. Louis. 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  6. 1 2 Bertacchi, Denise (September 27, 2010). "Cassilly's Giant Turtles for Kids at Forest Park". Directory of St. Louis. St. Louis. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.