Entrances

 
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The East Gate Entrance

The East Gate on Grand Boulevard was designed as the main entrance for vehicular traffic into Tower Grove Park. Adorned by two lions and two griffins, which were acquired in Berlin, Germany by Henry Shaw, this gate is the most ornate of the entrances and serves as an example of the more formal landscape architecture popular in the late-nineteenth century. Built between 1870 and 1872, the gate is made from granite, cut limestone, and rubble stone.

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The West Gate Entrance

The West Gate and accompanying gatehouse on Kingshighway Boulevard are the only example of Gothic Revival Style in the Park. Built between 1870 and 1872 and renovated in 1880, this entrance is an example of the picturesque design favored by British and American landscape architects in the nineteenth century. The towers flanking the vehicle entrance are about 38 feet tall and are the only remaining structures in the park with a castellated appearance. The smaller towers alongside the pedestrian entrances are 15 feet tall and are predominately built of limestone.

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The North Gate Entrance

Erected between 1870 and 1892, the North Gate welcomes visitors into Tower Grove Park from Magnolia Avenue. The stone piers, coping, and columns were acquired from the lower floor of the St. Louis Courthouse during renovations of that building in 1870. The expanse of the gate complex along with its towering ornamental columns creates the impression of grandeur intended by Henry Shaw and favored by landscape architects of the nineteenth century.

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The South Gate Entrance

The South Gate originally served as a pedestrian entrance into the park from Arsenal Street. Later the gate would become an exit from Center Cross Drive for carriages and vehicles. What remains of the original structure was built in 1888 and is representative of the more monumental style of landscape design popular in the late nineteenth century. This gate compliments the Magnolia Avenue entrance, as both gates are composed of the same limestone pier and ornamental wrought iron railing.