Dennis and Judith Jones Variety Wonderland at the Dennis and Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center

St. Louis Variety, formerly Variety Club,  presented a $2 million gift to the City of St. Louis — its first inclusive public playground in 2005. Thanks to seven local donors, this historic gift was officially named the Dennis and Judith Jones Variety Wonderland at a groundbreaking ceremony on July 26 in Forest Park.

This half-acre, state-of-the-art playground was specifically designed for ALL children — able-bodied children and children with disabilities. Featuring 29 pieces of equipment, children will naturally learn about diversity, disabilities and acceptance through playtime in five areas. First Adventures for children ages 2-5, Big Adventures for children ages 6 to 12, the Secret Garden and an Observation Relaxation Deck and Living Shelter. Some of the features include a wheelchair-accessible tree house, Braille panel and 32′ musical pylon for the visually impaired, creative panels, 14 perennials known to attract, feed and house Monarch butterflies and talk phones. Customized equipment include teeter-totter swings with high backs, disc swings, metal slides for children with cochlear implants, double slides and four-seat seesaws.

Donors are Dennis and Judith Jones, Mary Ann Lee, Jill and Sam Hamacher, Barbara Hagnauer Muckerman and Richard I.C. Muckerman, the Steven F. Schankman family and Ed and Margie Imo.

Turtle Playground

Turtle Playground features three large and four small turtles to climb all over. The playground, funded by St. Louisan Sonya “Sunny” Glassberg, is at Oakland and Tamm avenues, on the south side of Forest Park just across Highway 40.

The turtles were designed and sculpted by St. Louis artist Robert Cassilly. Architect Richard Claybour designed the park.

For more information, visit Turtle Playground.

Science Playground

A small science playground on the northeast side of the planetarium offers fun for the body and the brain.