Forest Park’s first basketball courts expected to open in July

ST. LOUIS – Forest Park is planning to open its first basketball courts in July with a series of celebrations.

The new courts will be located just north of the Forest Park visitor center at 5595 Grand Drive.

The setup will consist of two full courts and two half courts with lighting, a shade pavilion, new landscaping, and seating for players and spectators.

Plans for the basketball courts have been in the work since 2021. Once ready, the basketball courts will be the first at Forest Park in its nearly century-and-a-half history. Supporters have sought basketball courts for years with hopes they will promote for physical activity and social cohesion in the community.

According to nonprofit Forest Park Forever, celebrations will consist of a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, July 9, and a formal dedication ceremony on Saturday, July 13.

The ribbon cutting is set for 2 p.m. on July 9. The dedication ceremony begins at 10 a.m. on July 13, followed by youth, high school, adult, and wheelchair basketball games.

For more information on the celebrations, click here. Anyone interested in playing the July 13 celebration games should register ahead of time. Click here for details.

The new courts will be named after Nicholas Booker, a former St. Louis-area high school basketball player who collapsed and died on a court during his freshman year of college in 2018 after an asthma attack.