About Francis Park
Francis Park offers a unique blend of active play for children, diverse sports courts for all ages, and serene natural beauty, complemented by a conveniently located beer garden serving pizza and coffee. It's a versatile urban green space ideal for family outings, combining relaxation, recreation, and community events, particularly vibrant during the summer months.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Family outings combining children's playground fun with adult relaxation at the beer garden.Active families seeking tennis or pickleball courts alongside walking opportunities.Picnics and casual walks for individuals or groups.Attending local community events and enjoying a neighborhood atmosphere.**Young Children (2-10 years old)**: Excellent, primarily due to the 'nice big playground' and 'very nice children's play area' mentioned.
Why families love it
- Features a beautiful small lotus/water lily pond, serving as a scenic centerpiece.
- Boasts a nice big playground area specifically for children, described as a 'very nice children's play area'.
- Equipped with numerous sports courts, including approximately 8 tennis courts and 6 pickleball courts, and possibly squash/handball courts.
- Conveniently has a beer garden nearby the courts that offers 'amazing pizza and coffee'.
- Provides ample distance for walking paths amidst beautiful mature trees, offering a significant nature experience within the city.
- Hosts great events 'probably a couple times a month', enhancing community engagement.
Insider tips
- Plan visits during the summer months to fully experience the beer garden, active water features, and community events.
- If planning to use the sports courts, ensure your visit is during daylight hours due to the absence of court lighting.
- Be prepared for a lively atmosphere with many families and dogs, as it's a popular community spot.
- Take advantage of the ample street parking, which is widely available.
- Consider packing a picnic to enjoy the scenic setting, though food is also available for purchase.
Good to know before you go
- Visiting in the winter if the primary interest is the beer garden, water features, or specifically planned events, as these may be closed or inactive.
- Planning late-night sports activities, as the courts are not illuminated.
- The park's beer garden and water features are closed or drained during the winter season, limiting full enjoyment.
- Sports courts lack lights, restricting play to daylight hours only.
- Crowds
- Can be quite busy with 'a ton of families and dogs' present.
- Value
- The park itself appears to be free to access. Food and beverages from the on-site beer garden, such as pizza and coffee, would be an additional cost. The general impression is good value, as amenities like sports courts, playground, and natural beauty are freely available.
- Food
- On-site food and beverages are available for purchase at the beer garden, including pizza and coffee.
- Accessibility
- No specific accessibility accommodations (e.g., wheelchair access, sensory-friendly features) are mentioned in the reviews.
- Safety
- No specific safety features (e.g., staff supervision, security measures) are explicitly mentioned in the reviews.
What parents say
"Amazing park, has a beautiful small lotus pond. Has squash / handball courts (I think). A few tennis and a few pickleball courts, these two which are right next to the beer garden that has amazing pizza and coffee. Closed down for the winter but such a cool spot during the summer. It has a nice big playground for kids as well and ample distance to walk. Such a nice neighborhood around. They also have great events probably a couple times a month. I think it’s my favorite park in St. Louis."
a year ago
"Great park! Lots of street parking. There are always a ton of families and dogs here. The beer garden is located near the pickleball and tennis courts. I believe there are 6 pickleball courts and like 8 tennis courts; would love for them to add lights to the courts so we could play later. There are bathrooms on the back side of the beer garden. It looks like there is a very nice children's play area, however, I don't have any children so I have not investigated any further."
a year ago
"I bet the water feature is really neat in the summer. It was drained for the season, but still neat sculptures. Beautiful mature trees. All different kinds. The maples were beautiful in the center of the park. This rural lady needed nature and the park delivered nature in a city. Nice playground for kids, tennis courts, gazebo, benches."
a year ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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