Forest Park Forever and City of St. Louis Hosting Free Open House for Reimagining Steinberg Rink into Year-Round Facility
ST. LOUIS, September 27, 2022 – Forest Park Forever, along with the City of St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, are excited to announce an open house at Steinberg Rink and Pavilion from 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, October 8. All activities, food, and drinks are free! Steinberg is located at 400 Jefferson Drive, St. Louis, 63110. The event is part of an ongoing process to transform Steinberg into a venue that Forest Park’s 13 million visitors can enjoy 12 months out of the year.
The open house will feature food trucks, free roller skating and skate use, live music, a deejay and activities that could be part of “Steinberg Reimagined.” “This open house gives all of us an opportunity to experience the potential of a year-round Steinberg,” said Lesley Hoffarth, President and Executive Director of Forest Park Forever. “The live music, games, roller skating and other activities at the open house are the result of ongoing and extensive public engagement we began last year. Over 3,300 people from across the region have filled out comment forms, telling us what they want to see and experience at Steinberg Reimagined,” said Hoffarth. “It will be exciting to see some of their choices in-person at the open house.”
For the first time, conceptual renderings for Steinberg Reimagined will be on display to provide visitors a sense of the possible activities for Steinberg’s future and to spark visitor input at the open house. “Steinberg Rink and Pavilion belong to all of us,” said Mayor Tishaura Jones. “It’s important that as many people as possible come out to look at the renderings while enjoying the free activities and food. We are also asking everyone to provide feedback on their experience because public engagement is integral to the success of this project.”
Opened in 1957, Steinberg Rink and Pavilion are in need of major upgrades, and the opportunity to reimagine it is inspired by the Forest Park Master Plan, which was approved by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen in 1995. The Master Plan has guided the restoration of the Park and launch of major capital projects for the past two and a half decades. It calls for Steinberg “to operate as an all-season, lighted . . . recreation support facility.” The project has four major components: Steinberg Pavilion, the skating surface, the adjacent landscape and the types of activities Steinberg Reimagined will provide.
“Although we are still in the preliminary stages of transforming Steinberg, I’m excited about the progress we’ve made and the input we’ve received from the community,” said Greg Hayes, Director of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry for the City of St. Louis. “This event will showcase what we can offer at Steinberg year-round, and there will be a wide range of options for people to choose from.”
The Steinberg Pavilion and Rink opened in November 1957 thanks to a donation from the Steinberg Charitable Trust. It is believed to be one of the first racially integrated public venues in St. Louis. The facility, located in the eastern section of Forest Park, hosts ice skating from mid-November through February. For information on hours, visit www.steinbergrink.com
Oct. 8 Vendors, Performers and More
Community Organizations
Brickline Greenway
Clayton Community Foundation
Dexter Silvers (artist)
Disabled Athletes Sports Association
Future64
Gene Slay Girls & Boys Club
Girls Inc.
International Institute of St. Louis
Police Athletic League
St. Louis - Fire Department
St. Louis ArtWorks
St. Louis County NAACP
WECOLLABSTL
St. Louis International Spouses Group & St. Louis Mosaic Project
St. Louis Chess Club
Paraquad
St. Louis Mosaic Project
Activities
360 photo booth
Yoga sessions with Yoga Buzz
Steinberg Memories Mural
Chess demonstration & challenge matches with St. Louis Chess Club
Lawn games (shuffleboard, connect 4, giant Jenga, cornhole)
Roller skating (rental skates available free of charge)
Performances
Leo White (roller skating)
St. Louis Flamenco Society
St. Louis Okinawa Eisa
Samba Bom
Vendors
Sedara Sweets
Wandering Sidecar Bar
Way2Fresh Eats
Narwhals
Mothers Fish
Juicemasters
4Hands
Steinberg Pavilion's Rinkside Café
About Forest Park Forever
Founded in 1986, Forest Park Forever is a private nonprofit conservancy that works in partnership with the City of St. Louis and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry to restore, maintain and sustain Forest Park as one of America’s greatest urban public parks for a diverse community of visitors to enjoy, now and forever.
Forest Park Forever has led major fundraising efforts to restore many landmark destinations in Forest Park, including the Emerson Grand Basin, the Boathouse and the Jewel Box. In 2017, the organization completed a major fundraising campaign securing $139 million for Park restoration projects and an expanded endowment.
Today, Forest Park Forever maintains Forest Park with the City of St. Louis; raises funds for and helps manage capital restoration projects called for in the Forest Park Master Plan; delivers experiential educational opportunities to teachers, students and adults; and provides information and guides for the Park’s 13 million annual visitors. Not part of the Zoo-Museum Tax District, Forest Park Forever is supported by private donations from throughout the community, including its 7,000 members, 1,100 volunteers and many leading community and corporate partners.
Connect with us at facebook.com/forestparkforever, twitter.com/forestpark4ever and instagram.com/forestparkforever.
About Forest Park
Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri, is considered one of the nation’s greatest urban public parks. The Park’s 1,300 acres (about one and a half times the area of Central Park in New York City) feature beautiful landscapes sprinkled with forests, ecosystems, nature reserves, lakes and streams, as well as five of the region’s major cultural institutions and endless opportunities for recreation. Forest Park attracts 13 million visitors each year, making it the sixth most visited urban park in the United States. In 2022, Forest Park was voted the Best City Park in the country by readers of USA Today.