The Turtle Park Story (2005)

Turtles have roamed the Earth since the time of the dinosaurs and have long fascinated children and adults. The natural wonder of turtles has helped make Turtle Park one of the major attractions in St. Louis, Missouri, since opening in 1996. The park is located at Oakland and Tamm Avenues, on the south side of Forest Park near the Zoo. In this 30 minute documentary, architect Richard Claybour takes us on a tour of the park's history as we meet the people who helped make Turtle Park come to life. From Anna Beth Caulkin we learn that the Turtle Playground park is a joint project of the city's Department of Parks and the Forest Park Forever organization. Sonya 'Sunny' Glassberg shares with viewers how she was inspired to donate the park for all children, young and old, to honor the memory of her family. We hear from the sculptor, Robert Cassilly how he wanted children to enjoy climbing on the giant turtles as we watch video of children playing in the park. Both children and adults then share their thoughts about the sculptor playground.