In the heart of St. Louis is a park known as, well, the “Heart of St. Louis.” Forest Park is an amazing place where nature and cultural attractions coexist in a beautiful and historic setting.
Forest Park was home to the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair as well as to some Summer Olympic events that same year. Most of the many, many buildings put up for the fair were designed to be temporary, though Forest Park still contains some stunning facilities originally built for the landmark 1904 gathering. And the park’s 1,326 acres provide many wonderful outdoor options for visitors, as well.
Speaking of visitors, the park attracts 12 million visitors each year—more than Busch Stadium and the Gateway Arch National Park combined. If you are a person in recovery for a substance use disorder, you may well want to count yourself among those millions of visitors, because Forest Park’s amenities offer a wealth of options that can bolster your efforts to maintain your sobriety.
Get Out Into Nature at Forest Park
For those in recovery, the natural world can be a particularly powerful place. And Forest Park offers a variety of landscapes—from forest to savannah to a healing garden. There is a lot to explore and enjoy, and doing so offers a range of benefits.
For example, while you are out in the sun, you will take in vitamin D, which has been shown to reduce the symptoms of depression. The exercise you get while out of doors can reduce stress and lead to better sleep—which is extremely important for managing your mental health. The exercise is, of course, also good for your physical health, and your outdoor activity may also provide a boost to your immune system (which may well have been undermined by your substance use). If you have chronic pain to manage, getting active can help provide relief and perhaps reduce or eliminate your need to rely on pain medication (which can be problematic for those with substance use disorders).
Getting out and exploring can help you battle boredom, a powerful enemy of recovery. In fact, some people in recovery find themselves ruminating excessively, which means that the ongoing chatter in their head has a strong tendency to turn toward the negative. That negativity is not good for your ongoing sobriety. Fortunately, spending time in nature is an excellent way to break the cycle of habitual rumination. And every so often, you may have what is known as a peak experience—which brings with it wonderful feelings of connectedness and well-being.
Indoor and Other Options at Forest Park
There are plenty of other attractions to explore at Forest Park—and you may find benefits for your recovery at any or all of them.
For example, the Saint Louis Museum of Art (located in the only permanent building constructed for the World’s Fair) has an outstanding collection and hosts visiting exhibits. Admission to the museum is free (and admission to the primary exhibits is free on Fridays). Enjoying the art can be beneficial in and of itself, but it may also inspire you to engage in an artistic practice of your own or to delve more deeply into the traditions of artworks that particularly speak to you. Taking up an engrossing hobby of this kind can support your recovery by keeping boredom at bay.
The Saint Louis Zoo is one of the few zoos in the country offering free admission. The zoo is open, but at the time of this writing, reservations are required due to the public health situation. The Saint Louis Zoo is home to 13,000 animals, so there is always a new experience to be had as you watch and learn about the creatures who call the zoo home.
The Saint Louis Science Center is also in Forest Park and it, too, features free admission (like the zoo, reservations are currently required). Dedicated to inspiring lifelong learning about science and technology, the center offers experiences that people of all ages can enjoy.
Visiting these and other wonderful spots in Forest Park can provide much needed inspiration when you are struggling to maintain your sobriety—or even when things are going smoothly. Taking the time to get out and explore both natural and human-made beauty is an exceptional way to get out of your own head, which can be the best thing you can do to stay on your recovery path.
The Aviary is Another Positive Place for Your Recovery
The first step on your recovery journey is getting treatment for your substance use disorder. At The Aviary Recovery Center, near St. Louis, MO, you will find a compassionate team of experts ready to help you overcome your addiction to drugs and alcohol as well as to address any co-occurring mental health disorders. We want you to get out and enjoy the world—and places like Forest Park—free from the influence of drugs and alcohol.
