Author Talk: Forest Park: St. Louis’s Gathering Place Since 1876 with Amanda E. Doyle and Cameron Collins
September 20 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Come with authors Amanda E. Doyle and Cameron Collins for a fun and fascinating turn on the WHEEL! OF! FOR…EST PARK!
As the heart of St. Louis celebrates its 150th year in 2026, you’re invited to take an interactive tour through some of Forest Park’s most familiar and beloved features, as well as get treated to hidden histories and fascinating trivia…all from the comfort of your seat at the Kirkwood Public Library! Your guide: “Forest Park: St. Louis’s Gathering Place Since 1876,” the new, lushly illustrated book by Doyle and Collins. We’ll have a carnival-style spinny wheel and you, the audience, will use it to direct our talk. Come hear about the animals who arrived before the Zoo, the generations of folks who've slept in tent cities in the park, the country's first hot-air balloon race, and more.
The park has been both a mirror for St. Louis and its people. It showed us examples of all the trials and triumphs we experienced in our everyday lives, from racial strife and economic freefall to population abandonment and urban decline. It’s also been a window, giving us glimpses of what else lay beyond our own experiences and broadening our lives, from bringing the world’s wonders here for a spectacular exposition to providing a home for the playground movement, accessible arts, and a free place to breathe and just be. Of particular interest to Kirkwood fans will be the pivotal role played by Hiram W. Leffingwell in the park's conception and creation.
Please bring your favorite Forest Park memories and your burning questions; we'll do our best to answer them! Books will be available for purchase and personalized signing by the authors. (Cash/check/credit/debit/Venmo accepted; $49.36 per copy.)
