Berra Park Takeaway. The park that made me pivot. It's where my friends helped me decide to get in shape and start this blog. Not particularly interesting, shiny, or different, but quality equipment. Located in The Hill across from Gioia's and Gian-Tony's. Parking is easy all around the park. Not playground complete. Comes with a statue of Midge Berra.
Table Of Contents: Experience | Playground | Amenities | Receipt
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Tuesday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Thursday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Friday | 6 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | 6 AM–10 PM |
Berra Park holds a special place in the heart of this site because it's where it all started.
After eating dinner at Gian Tony's across the street for a buddy's birthday, we had some time to kill before the babysitters had to leave, so we stopped to talk in the park.
Turns out that conversation was the last kick in the pants I needed to get things rolling over here.
/End Backstory
In terms of the park itself, Berra Park, which has no relation to Yogi, is a combo baseball, soccer, splash pad, pavilion, and playground standard St. Louis neighborhood park. I need an official name for this, maybe like a StLPa.
Berra Park it's very much like Villa Park in Olivette and Lewis Park in UCity, where it's incredibly functional but without any real reason to visit unless you live next door or are discussing future blogging plans.
I'm sure in the official park reviewing literature and Ph.D. classes, they would classify it as a "Neighborhood Park" or a "Community Park," but that's no fun.
Berra Park's strongest feature is the playground and pavilion area. This area of the park is extremely well-kept and seems like the kind of place to throw a sub-four-year-old's summer birthday party. With access to the bathrooms and the covered pavilion, kids can play on the playground, and parents can hang out in the same area.
The swings and slide make for a good conversation backdrop for adults hanging out in the park after hours.
Unfortunately, I don't have any active parenting under my belt with my kids at this park. Having been three times now, it's been because I'm grabbing Gioia's for lunch and not to play with the kiddos.
I'll miss the creative ways they would play with the splash pad in the summer or climb on the outside of the structure like spider monkeys to turn it into a ninja warrior experience.
The basics include two slides, swings, a climbing wall, and a main playground. I'm guessing, based on the size, it's good for ~30 minutes of easy play, and you could maybe squeeze an hour out with friends.
So it's not Playground Complete.
The splash pad would be the big extra draw here. Assuming it would turn on in the summer, that adds another level of fun. I've found that kids under four really like running in circles in splash pads, at least in my sample size of two kids with a 100% hit rate.
The pavilion with bathrooms adds a nice perk to Berra Park. It's been clean every time I've been there and has bathrooms and picnic tables. Pavilions seem pivotal for any St. Louis park.
The ball fields, soccer in particular, didn't seem particularly well kept, but they did have lights. The park is square in the middle of the neighborhood, so I'm not sure how often they'll have Friday night games here, but it seems possible.
I read that it hosts an annual egg hunt at Easter time. I've been to a similar community egg hunt in Durham, NC, when we lived there, and they are great for young kids.
Don't forget to stop and rub Midge's head when you come to Berra Park. You'll find the big guy in the park's southwest corner near Gioia's.
I find his nose and forehead particularly rubbable.
Parking is easy around the park's perimeter, but some streets are one-way, so make sure not to take a wrong turn into oncoming traffic.
Weekly reviews of restaurants, parks, and things to do All Around Saint Louis.
