Sunday, May 11, 2025

Missouri Live Steamers, Union





Location:  200 Grant St., Union, MO 63084

Amenities: Free miniature train rides - select dates monthly during the summer

Website: https://www.stlouislivesteamers.org/

The St. Louis Live Steamers organization is a group dedicated to building large-scale model railroads. Since 2005 they have been in Kircher Park, however, after excessive flooding, they decided they had to relocate. They struck a deal with the city of Union and are now ready to ride as of 2025! 

Each train only holds 15 or so people, but we only had to wait for a couple of full trains before it was our turn. The trains are smaller than the Wabash, Frisco, and Pacific Railroad. Before you take off, they instruct you not to lean to one side or the other during the ride, and to keep kids centered on your lap with their feet inside yours so they don't stick them out of the train. There's a narrow bridge that the train crosses during its loop trip, and you don't want to catch your foot on it! We looped around the track 3 times before our ride was over, and many families with small train fans immediately circled back to the end of the line for another ride. They run the trains on Saturdays starting at around 10 am. 











If you have a kiddo who likes trains, check out these other train activities



Friday, May 9, 2025

Baerveldt Park, Pagedale






Location: 1398 Ferguson Ave. Pagedale, MO 63133

Website: https://www.cityofpagedalemo.gov/parks-recreation

Playground Ground Cover: Poured Rubber, rubber mats, and astroturf

This is a decent-sized park in Pagedale, which is a small municipality in North County. The population is 3k people and has a total area of 1.19 square miles. This park is quiet and shady and has bathrooms, picnic benches, 2 colorful playgrounds, and a large covered pavilion. There is no signage but the park is across the street from the Pagedale City Hall.









There are 3 out of 4 functioning sling swings with an astroturf floor.


This has 2 more sling swings and 1 baby swing.


This is the smaller play structure. It has slides and a pretend window. 











The larger play structure has slides, a bridge, a bubble window, a steering wheel, pretend window, tic-tac-toe board, and lots of bars and poles.












Thursday, May 8, 2025

Velda City Park, Velda City



Location: 7129 Edison Ave, Velda City, MO 63121

Website: none

Playground Ground Cover: Rubber Mats

Well, this playground clearly needs help. It's old and neglected. It's enclosed by a fence with barbed wire and I'm not sure what the purpose of that is.



 There was trash everywhere and the benches were broken. 


There is one play structure and it has slides, a tunnel, maze boards, a tic-tac-toe board, and various bars and poles. 



 There are supposed to be 4 sling swings but they are all broken except 1. 


 There are 2 rocking vehicles for toddlers




 There is a pavilion but no restrooms