Carondelet Park, St. Louis City

Location: 3900 Holly Hills Dr, St. Louis, MO 63116

Amenities: playground, picnic shelter, trails, swimming (YMCA Rec Plex), restroom, ninja course, lake stocked with fish

Website: http://stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/parks/parks/view-park.cfm?parkID=5

Playground ground cover: poured rubber & wood chips

This park is huge—it's the city's third largest. There are two large lakes you can fish in, as well as a boathouse with a large pier and boat dock. The playground is fairly large and has two large play structures and a swing area. There are four sling swings and two expression swings. I didn't go in the bathrooms, but they are close by. The playground was redone in late 2024 and there are lots of benches around. 

The restroom building

The lake is stocked with fish

This park is large, so the easiest way to find the playground is to go to Loughborough and Trainor Ct. 

4 sling swings and 2 expression swings

There are 2 play structures, one for kids over 5 and one for kids under 5. The smaller playground has drums, maze boards, stepping stones, a rock wall, a metal slide, a plastic slide, and several activity boards. 

The larger playground has slides, a tunnel,  activity boards, a rock wall, stepping stones, 

drums, and bars and poles for climbing. 

Central Park, Maplewood

Location: Bounded by Walter and Elm Aves, Maplewood, MO 63143

Website: https://www.cityofmaplewood.com/government/departments/maplewood_local_parks___amenities.php

Playground Ground Cover: Astroturf

This is a long, skinny neighborhood park, and the playground takes up most of it. It was replaced in late 2024 and is completely fenced-in and gated. There is a toddler area with several activity boards, benches, covered picnic tables, and an area for bigger kids. 

The playground has a large webbed climbing structure, slides, tree stumps, a pretend window, and several hammocks. The playground has a treehouse theme and is a nice improvement over the old one.