Faust Park is a 200-acre public park in Chesterfield, Missouri.
History
The land that would one day become Faust Park was originally owned by
Frederick Bates, the second
Governor of Missouri
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
. In 1819, Bates built an estate on the land called Thornhill. The Thornhill Estate was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1974. In 1968,
Leicester Busch Faust acquired 100 acres of land and opened it to the public as a park. By 1995, the park had expanded to be nearly double its original size. Several attractions have since been erected in the park - such as the St. Louis Carousel, a Carousel built in the 1920s from an amusement park in
Forest Park. After St. Louis Highlands (an amusement park in Forest Park) burned to the ground in 1963, several workers saved what was left and many of the items were brought for display in Faust Park.
In 1998,
The Butterfly House was opened to the public. The Butterfly House is operated by
Missouri Botanical Gardens.
Attractions
Faust Park's Thornhill Estate remains one of the oldest structures in
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
and has regularly scheduled tours. The Thornhill Estate is a small replica village depicting the life of people in the area in the 1800s. Faust Park gives interactive tours of the Thornhill Estate which allows visitors to participate in a variety of household chores done by homesteaders of the time.
Faust Park also plays host to various festivals such as concerts, food truck fests, and Halloween Hayrides.
Amenities
The park has a 1.3 mile trail called "Governor Bates Trail". In addition to several other walking trails, the park boasts several pavilions, a playground, a lake, picnic sites, bathrooms, and other historical sites
See also
*
Parks in Greater St. Louis
*
Frederick Bates (politician)
Frederick Bates (June 23, 1777 – August 4, 1825), was an American Lawyer, attorney and politician. He was 1824 Missouri gubernatorial election, elected in 1824 as the second governor of Missouri and died in office in 1825. Before that he ha ...
References
{{Parks of Greater St. Louis
1968 establishments in Missouri
Buildings and structures in St. Louis County, Missouri
Tourist attractions in St. Louis
Parks in St. Louis County, Missouri