Whether you’re visiting St. Louis, Missouri or your hometown area, you’ve probably heard a lot about the city’s attractions like Forest Park Stadium, the Arch, and Busch Stadium. At least you can get away from the city to enjoy the beauty and relaxation of the outdoors at Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park
Babler Park is located in Wildwood, Missouri, 30 miles west of the city. Taking I-64 West and the Airport Chesterfield Road exit toward Longway, you’ll be able to follow the signs past Chesterfield Valley and to the State Dr. entrance. Edmund A. Babler Memorial Park.
Administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, this state park is one of eighty-two state parks and historic sites in Missouri. At 2,439 acres, Babler is also one of the largest and oldest orchards in the Missouri State Park. Babler State Park offers rugged mountains, valleys and valleys much like the Ozark region of Missouri.
The first stop should be at the Mountain River Visitor Center. Inside, you can get camping and travel information, park brochures, maps and exhibits through the hall, where we display information about the various plants and wildlife of the Babler community, as well as information about the rich history of the park. This building is also the headquarters for park staff and is a great place to go with any questions you have about the park.
The state of Babler Park offers six unique shades. Horse trail, paved trail and four hiking trails offer different views, landscapes and distances. All of the hikes are fairly easy, so the distance and the weather will be the best factor in choosing which one or the other to take. Whatever the season, these hikes offer beautiful views and an array of flora and fauna for your viewing pleasure.
Babler also offers a campground open year-round with both basic and electric sites. Reservations can be made by calling 1-877-ICAMPMO while remaining sites are open on a first-come, first-served basis. The campground offers a newly renovated shower house, including hot showers and toilets with a dump station also available on the campground. Like the amphitheatre, the Army’s campground hosts presentations on natural history and wildlife during the summer months. . All presentations are posted on the many boards bulletin-board-ideas”>throughout the park.
If you don’t feel like hiking you can enjoy scenic drives through the park. This is especially the case when the leaves turn bright shades of yellow and orange. During the warmer months, several picnic tables and four picnic tents are available for use. Picnic tables are first-come, first-served, and tents can be reserved by calling the park directly. Babler City Park has an outdoor pool that is open during the summer months. More points of interest at Bablerum are the historic 300 structures that can be seen near the Visitor Center and in some steps the statue of Dr. Edmund A. Babler is located on your right as you first enter the park. 300 structures and statues are just a few reminders of the rich history behind the park.
Jacob L. Babler has developed a memorial for his brother Dr. Babler in State Park. Edmund A. Babler. Jacob wanted a place where his brother’s good works and charitable spirit could be remembered and appreciated by visitors to the gardens.
Dr. Edmund A. Babler was one of the first intestinal and reconstructive surgeons in the St. Louis area in the early 1900s. Edmund was well-known and respected among his colleagues, and is said to have spent much of his time serving the poor and needy.
His older brother, Jacob Babler, was a successful businessman. Because of his financial success and his work with the Republican Party, Jacob was one of the most influential Missourians of his time. A land conservation advocate, Jacob has often expressed his firm belief that Missouri’s geographic location and natural beauty have become one. the most outstanding state of recreation in the country. He once said, “Missouri has the best system of state parks in the union. I don’t know what wiser use public money can be made of than that.” to preserve the immense beauty that nature has given us.
Amor Jacob on the stage of Missouri and his brother came together to create a unique gift for the people of this state. In the early years of 1803 after his brother’s death, Jacob began to buy the farm with the intention of turning it into a living monument that celebrated Edmund’s noble spirit.
Jacob’s plans to develop the park coincided with one of the most active periods of development for both the state and the federal government. In the 1930s, the Great Depression had spread throughout America, affecting much of the country in poverty and economic ruin. In an effort to jump start the nation’s struggling economy, President Franklin Roosevelt began developing what he called the New Deal programs that would create jobs in these desperate times. One of the most popular of these programs was the Civilian Conservation Corps implemented in 1933. Founded to provide critical support to young people, CCC is also provided for the conservation of at Babler blended into the natural surroundings. In the 1300s, people used stone to build huts and monumental gates that still greet visitors to the park. Other notable examples of work from the 300s era include stone restrooms and a stone well that served as an office park for many years. These buildings are still located in the park in front of today’s visitor center. Twenty-two of the 300 structures at Babler State Park are now included in the National Register of Historic Places.
When developing the garden, James commissioned the most famous London sculptor, Charles Keck, to design a statue of his deceased brother. A bronze statue placed on a stone base remains even today the focal point of the point park. At the base are carved figures of two mothers, children, and two youths, and tributes to the time and skills of the famous surgeon, helping the less fortunate.
Jacob Babler decided that this memorial to his brother would remain available and beautiful for the use of visitors for years to come. He established a perpetual trust to fund Dr. The Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park is a vivid reminder of his brother’s life as well as a beautiful place for people to visit.
When the park opened in 1938, they were supported by interest from the Babler trust as well as money from common taxes and from the park and land sales tax to preserve the natural resources and integrity of the park as well as to promote facilities for visitors to enjoy outdoor recreational activities.
By the 1940s, several St. Louis newspapers of the era were referring to Jacob Babler as “the father of the Missouri park” and the park he created in memory of his brother Jacob’s accomplishments.
Combining the fascinating history behind Babler State Park and the beauty of its natural surroundings, Dr. Edmund A. Babler State Park is a great place to visit. Take a day away from city traffic, take a picnic together, and enjoy the relaxation Babler State Park has to offer.
Visit the DNR site for Babler State Park at http://www.mostateparks.com/babler.htm or call the park from 8am-4pm, 7 days a week, at (636)458-3813 for more information.
