For generations of St. Louisans, Steinberg Rink has meant winter: skates lacing up in the cold, music drifting across the ice, and the glow of rink lights against the dark expanse of Forest Park. Soon, though, that familiar ritual will unfold in a dramatically reimagined setting. When The Glade opens later this year, the historic rink site will expand into a year-round gathering place—one designed for skating in winter, festivals in summer, and everyday moments in between.
Developed through years of planning and community input, The Glade will weave the Steinberg site more fully into the life of Forest Park and the surrounding neighborhoods. The upgraded outdoor rink will anchor winter programming, but in warmer months the space will host roller skating, markets, movies, festivals, and everyday park activity.
Get a fresh take on the day’s top news
Subscribe to the St. Louis Daily newsletter for a smart, succinct guide to local news from award-winning journalists Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull.
With sustainability features like geothermal wells and dozens of new trees—and a design that nods to the original mid-century architecture—the project aims to ensure that one of St. Louis’ most beloved park traditions evolves into a flexible public space for the next generation.
Soon, visitors approaching the site from Kingshighway or the park’s winding paths will encounter a space that looks and feels very different from the Steinberg of the past. A landscaped hillside dotted with new trees will slope toward the rink, while terraces, gathering spaces, and a rooftop restaurant overlook the activity below. Instead of a quiet off-season, the area is designed to stay lively throughout the year.
A year-round destination
A typical day at The Glade will look very different from the Steinberg many St. Louisans remember. In winter, the centerpiece will still be the ice: skaters circling the rink while visitors gather on terraces and inside warm community spaces overlooking the park. The redesigned complex encourages visitors to linger—grabbing food and drinks on the rooftop restaurant, warming up by fire pits, or simply watching the activity below.
In the future, the space may also include rentable igloos or gathering spots for groups—small touches designed to turn a quick skating trip into an afternoon or evening in the park.
In summer, the rink transforms into a flexible plaza. Roller skating programs could share the space with outdoor markets, concerts, movie nights, and community events. Nearby, an interactive water feature will offer a place for kids to cool off, while the building’s “community living room” provides a casual indoor stop for runners, cyclists, and families spending the day in the park.
While the programming expands the site’s possibilities, planners were careful not to lose what Steinberg has always been. The rink, which first opened in 1957, has long been one of St. Louis’ most recognizable winter traditions. The updated design pays homage to that legacy, borrowing cues from the original mid-century architecture through clean lines and a low profile meant to feel familiar even as the facility itself is entirely new.
“We want people to feel a little bit of the familiar and a whole lot of the wow,” says Dominik Jansky, Forest Park Forever’s director of communications and marketing. “You’ll know you’re at Steinberg again—but it will also feel like something people never imagined this space could be.”
Beneath the surface, however, the infrastructure will be significantly upgraded. A modern refrigeration system is designed to maintain more consistent ice and better withstand the temperature swings that often challenge outdoor skating in St. Louis. The goal is to bring back the experience people remember—only smoother, more comfortable, and better equipped for decades to come.
Building a greener future
Sustainability is also central to the redesign. The project incorporates geothermal wells to support energy-efficient operations, along with expanded landscaping and the planting of roughly 150 new trees across the surrounding hillside. Together, those elements reinforce Forest Park’s broader environmental priorities while enhancing the landscape visitors move through on their way to the rink.
Meanwhile, the transformation is still unfolding in stages. Much of the early construction work happened underground—utilities, infrastructure, and foundations largely invisible from the outside. But the site is entering a more visible phase, with the outlines of the new building and water feature beginning to take shape. Over the coming months, visitors passing along Kingshighway or biking through the park will begin to see the project’s long-anticipated shapes rise from the ground.
The timing also aligns with a milestone for Forest Park itself. As the park marks its 150th anniversary, The Glade represents one of its most ambitious recent updates—part of an ongoing effort to refresh aging infrastructure while expanding how people use the park year-round.
For decades, the Steinberg site functioned largely as a seasonal destination. Once skating ended, the area fell mostly quiet until winter returned. The Glade aims to change that dynamic entirely, transforming what was once a single-purpose facility into a flexible public space that connects more seamlessly with the surrounding park and nearby neighborhoods.
When The Glade opens later this year, the first experience will still feel familiar to many St. Louisans: stepping onto the ice at Steinberg once again. But around that familiar ritual will be a space designed for much more—places to gather, dine, linger, and return throughout the year.
“Years from now, we hope visitors won’t think of The Glade as something new at all—just another place in Forest Park that feels like it has always been there,” Jansky says.
