Tornado Recovery in Forest Park: what to know when visiting & how to support
Forest Park experienced severe damage from the tornadoes that devastated our region on Friday, May 16. Large, fallen trees and debris obstruct many pathways and some of our favorite places. Repairing the damage and making Forest Park safe again will require a massive, expensive effort.
Helping Forest Park: the road to recovery is long
Our team is touched by the offers to volunteer and donate to recovery efforts. We will use this webpage to share updates, images and resources.
Repairing: You can support repairs and Forest Park’s recovery by becoming a member or making a one-time donation.
Volunteering: Please fill out this form if you’re interested in volunteering to remove debris. NOTE: Volunteer opportunities to come up through the next several months. After each area has been cleared of hazards and our team ensures safety, we’ll contact you about upcoming opportunities.
Connecting: Subscribe to our electronic newsletter to learn about opportunities, on-going recovery efforts and future community gatherings in Forest Park.
Affected areas: we continue to assess damage, remove hazards
Teams from Forest Park Forever and the St. Louis City Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry continue to assess damage, clear hazards and plan recovery. The west and north ends of the Park were hardest hit and there are over 4,000 damaged trees. Additional details are listed below. While this is not a comprehensive list, please consider these areas closed unless otherwise noted:
The Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center has reopened with reduced hours (6 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily) for now, however the adjacent basketball courts, handball courts, racquetball courts and Variety Wonderland Playground are closed until work in these areas is completed.
The Jewel Box is open but there are still obstructions and hazards in the surrounding green space
Kennedy Forest and Kennedy Boardwalks: boardwalks are damaged, and even if a path or trail appears clear, there may be “hangers” – large limbs suspended in a tree above
Paths and trails along Skinker Boulevard and Lindell Boulevard
Cascades waterfall
Paths and trails along Lagoon Drive, between Emerson Grand Basin and Picnic Island
The allee of trees at the top of Art Hill
Paths and trails around the St. Francis of Assisi statue, Korean War Memorial, Vandeventer Place Gates near the Jewel Box
The Anne O’C. Albrecht Nature Playscape (Storytime and field trips are postponed while work continues)
Images below show groups of volunteers removing fallen tree debris at multiple locations in Forest Park
Visitor safety: give us space to remove hazards
We are still working with the City to assess the full scope of damage. Right now, our nonprofit conservancy is clearing ground hazards and working with contractors to remove aerial dangers. For your safety and theirs, please give us space by avoiding work areas and considering other locations for outdoor recreation.
If attending an event or visiting an institution in the Park, please resist the urge to inspect damaged areas until our trained professional teams and contractors are able to clear areas safely again.
Fallen trees and other debris cause limited visibility on roads and paved pathways in and around the Forest Park.
Traffic lights in several neighborhoods, and along Skinker, Lindell and Kingshighway may be operating as 4-way stops, slowing traffic.
Around the Park, outside paths are littered with ground obstructions and aerial hazards. Even if a street or path seems clear, there may be “hangers” – large limbs suspended in a tree above – and our team or City Parks crews may be using space for heavy equipment or to stage the large amount of debris from taking apart fallen or damaged trees. For your safety and ours, do not move along a pathway that has been closed. Do not move or remove barriers, cones or signage on or around pathways.
Images below show damage from the May 16, 2025 tornados at Picnic Island, near the Muny, PICNIC PAVILION 11 IN KENNEDY FOREST, AND A PATHWAY ALONG SKINKER BLVD., from left to right
Images below show damage from the May 16, 2025 tornados aROUND THE DENNIS & JUDITH JONES VISITOR & EDUCATION CENTER, RACQUETBALL COURTS, HANDBALL COURTS, SWINGS AND “THE NICK” BASKETBALL COURTS, and variety wonderland playground, from left to right
Images below show damage from the May 16, 2025 tornado to the BELOVED WILLOW TREE IN LANGENBERG FIELD, AND MOORE MEADOW NEAR LIBERAL ARTS BRIDGE, and the nathan frank bandstand in pagoda circle (near the muny)
Images below show damage from the May 16, 2025 tornados aROUND POST-DISPATCH LAKE, THE EMERSON GRAND BASIN, THE CASCADES, PATHWAYS ALONG LAGOON DRIVE, SHAKESPEARE GLEN, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
