By Matt Berkley
For years, the colorful blooms of the Missouri Botanical Garden have impressed visitors from far and wide and served as the backdrop for countless parties and events. A new section scheduled to open this year hopes to attract the littlest visitors as construction continues on an area set aside for a children’s garden.
This $5 million project was spearheaded by the Schnuck family, whose lead donation honors matriarch Doris I. Schnuck, for whom the park is named. Two acres west of the Climatron are being transformed into a playground by J.A. Wachter Builders of St. Louis. With the theme “A Missouri Adventure,” the garden is set in the 1800s and will include a working river, a man-made cave, a series of wetlands and a plot of extinct species’ graves. Children can also spend time in a rendering of an old town square, complete with general store, jail and town hall. The more adventurous might scale the “Canopy Climb,” with an elevated tree house and boardwalk overlooking a maze of Osage Orange trees.
The new space is designed to be a playground for the mind and imagination and a place where children can learn about plants and nature as well as 19th century Missouri history. “It’s geared toward having fun while learning about the natural world,” says spokesperson Lisa Brandon.
