Forest Park has fields for a variety of team sports, including baseball, softball, football, cricket, rugby, soccer, and lacrosse.

Boeing Aviation Field, Central Field, Langenberg Field, and Cricket Field offer an array of locations for team sports. The most popular is Boeing Aviation Field, which was completely renovated in 2002.

Aviation Field was established in 1920 as a landing strip for airmail service between St. Louis and Chicago, which ended in 1921 following federal budget reductions. Private pilots then used the field for exhibition flights that drew huge crowds. Later the field was used for emergency landings. The hangar building was erected in 1919 and donated to the City by the U.S. Army. It has been home to the St. Louis Mounted Police since 1970.

The 2002 renovation brought the following amenities to the field:

• New limestone recreation support building (concessions, restrooms)
• Reconfiguration of all fields for multiple uses
  • Provide two baseball fields, including one performance-level field and one competition practice field
  • Provide four softball fields that may be converted for soccer
• Illuminated performance baseball field and all softball fields
• Canopies at performance dugouts
• Regrading, irrigation, and reseeding of entire field
• New sod at performance-level field
• Drainage systems at infields of performance and practice fields
• Maintain existing asphalt path
• No net loss of existing trees
• No net loss of open space

Major donors for the project were Boeing/McDonnell Douglas Foundation (lead gift), Saint Louis University High School, Cardinals Care, NFL Charities, Forest Park Forever.

Permits or reservations are needed to reserve fields in the Park. To reserve an athletic field call the St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry at (314) 289-5389. For a list of sports facilities in city parks, visit St. Louis City Park Info Sheet.