Citygarden

In 1999 Downtown Now, a nonprofit group, proposed a plan for a sculpture garden covering two blocks of downtown St. Louis. This plan was approved by the Board of Alderman. As they began developing the plan over the next few years, there was a boom downtown. Old warehouses were transformed into lofts and all kinds of new businesses popped up. This boom created a need for recreational space that was available to the public. In 2007, the Gateway Foundation made a proposal to the Board of Aldermen which later was also approved by the St. Louis Preservation Board and the Board of Public Service. Their proposal was to partner with the city to create the public sculpture garden. Their plan became reality in a stretch of the gateway mall which runs from the Arch Grounds to Union Station and is what we know today as Citygarden.

Before you head to Citygarden you can download their App which contains an Index of Art, Calendar of Events, Information about food in & around the park, a list of plants that can be found, information about the Water Fun features, and Tours with interactive GPS & audio. If you have a group, tours are also available. Citygarden is free to the public and open daily from sunrise to 10 PM.

The plants in Citygarden were carefully chosen by horticulturists from the Missouri Botanical Garden and designers from the Gateway Foundation. Plants that were selected include trees, shrubs, grasses, ground covers, and wildflowers that are native to Missouri and are known to have qualities of urban & drought tolerance. They were placed based on the amount of light/shade and wetness/dryness that they require to thrive. 

If you get hungry during your exploration of Citygarden you can check out Kaldi’s Coffee, a St. Louis based coffee shop & cafe. Their menu features a slightly different variation than their classic menu including beer, wine, cocktails, and a focus on brunch. Kaldi’s is located in one of the 2 buildings in Citygarden, the other being the maintenance structure for its staff and their equipment. 

Both buildings in Citygarden feature Green Roof Systems in which plants completely or partially cover a roof to offer many benefits. The first benefit being a cooling effect reducing the “Urban Heat Island Effect.” An Urban Heat Island is created in an area that is highly populated due to retention of heat in concrete & asphalt surfaces, reflection of sunlight off high-rise buildings, waste heat, and more. The cooling effect created also decreases the need for interior building insulation. Depending on the types of plants used on a Green Roof, in 1 square meter up to 4.4 pounds of airborne particles can be removed per year. Since there is no foot traffic, Green Roofs can house plants that are easily destroyed by walking & birds on the ground, and are safer environments for certain insects. There is also a tray system on the Green Roof which helps with water retention. On top of all of the environmental pros, Green Roofs also improve views from surrounding high rises and complement the look and feel of the garden.

Other environmentally friendly aspects of the park are the 5 Rain Gardens which cover about 5000 square feet. These are planted depressions which collect water run off rather than letting it flow into storm drains. The water is filtered and slowly absorbed into the soil which prevents erosion, water pollution, flooding, and improves water quality. 

The most notable attractions of Citygarden are the 3 Water Fun features. These fountains combine water, sculpture, and plant life to create a unique experience for visitors and tons of fun for kids. The Spray plaza allows children to play in a field of vertical jets of water, and features a light show during the evenings. The second fountain is called the split basin which is a long pool of water. The third is a titled granite disk with a sheet of water poured from the Eros Bendato sculpture. Pool monitors are on duty weather permitting from 10 am - 8 pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day. 

The art in Citygarden is a compilation of 25 sculptures and a state of the art, 14 foot long video wall. At night movies, photography, art videos, and cardinals games can be seen on the video wall. Information about each of the sculptures can be found on the map of Citygarden and on their App. 

Overall the Citygarden in Downtown St. Louis is an urban Oasis that can be enjoyed by all!