St. Louis Citygarden combines sculptures with botanical garden

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Citygarden St. Louis

St. Louis’ Citygarden is described as an “oasis” in the heart of a major city. The park is a combination of a botanical garden and a sculpture walk.

More than 20 sculptures are located throughout the 2.9-acre park, a few blocks west of the famous Arch and Old Courthouse. These two attractions serve as great background views for the Citygarden. A variety of trees, shrubs, plants and flowers dot the park.

Trees, plants and statues make up Citygarden St. Louis

Citygarden opened in 2009 and has been a popular place for locals and visitors. People will spend time relaxing and checking out the sculptures. Some people enjoy meals in the park. There is a coffee shop/restaurant next to the park.

Citygarden is a great place for a walk, picnic or just relaxing in downtown St. Louis

We spent about an hour or so in the park one day. It was a beautiful sunny and warm day. We couldn’t have picked a better day. We grabbed a map of the sculptures, which are available throughout the park.

Grab a map of the sculptures to find them all in Citygarden St. Louis

Possibly the best known and most photographed sculpture is “Big White Gloves, Big Four Wheels.” The Pinocchio-looking statue reaches skyward with his hands. The day we visited, someone had wrapped a St. Louis Cardinals’ scarf around his neck.

Statue that resembles Pinnochio in Citygarden St. Louis

“Eros Bendato” looks like someone dropped a head on its side. LOL.

"Eros Bendato" looks like someone dropped him on his head

“Kindly Geppetto” doesn’t look so kind with a hammer in his hand and a toy in the other. I love how the sculptures pop in front of the skyscrapers in the background.

"Kindly Gepetto" is a statue in Citygarden St. Louis

Another favorite of ours was “Big Suit.” The bodyless sculpture stood out in a pink suit with a white shirt. The buildings framed it well, I thought.

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“Door of Return” stood out among the statues in the middle of Citygarden. Again, the skyscrapers really work well as backdrops for the art pieces.

Door of Return statue in Citygarden St. Louis

“Samarkand” looks like a flower itself.

"Samarkand" looks like a flower in Citygarden St. Louis

Speaking of flowers, the plant life was beautiful to view. Flowers had bloomed and were something to behold. No matter the color of them – white, purple, pink – the flowers in the park really add to the overall scenery.

Flowers of all colors and types were seen in Citygarden St. Louis

The neat thing about Citygarden is that it’s an extension of the Gateway Mall area. At one end is the St. Louis Arch and Jefferson National Park and the Old Courthouse. On the far end is Union Station, a former train depot, which is now a hotel and retail area.

Gateway Mall area in St. Louis

Between the Arch and Courthouse and Citygarden is Kiener Plaza. It’s home to the famous “Running Man” sculpture, which stands in the middle of a beautiful water fountain. The water in the fountain was blue during our visit, as a sign of the city’s support for the St. Louis Blues hockey team, which was in the middle of it playoff run.

The Gateway Mall area is impressive in its entirety. We enjoyed our visit to the area, and truly loved checking out Citygarden. St. Louis has so much to offer visitors, and we encourage you to check out Citygarden and the rest of the Gateway Mall.

For more information on Citygarden, please visit www.citygardenstl.org .

For more information on the Gateway Mall area, please visit https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/parks/parks/browse-parks/view-park.cfm?parkID=44&parkName=Gateway.