We opened to dozens of registered members the weekend of April 12, 2025. Memberships are now available. Please email dogpark@tgsna.org to be added to our email list or with questions.

Groundbreaking began fall 2024, with completion of the project in March 2025. 

The dog park process began in 2017 with Parks identifying a move-forward plan. Volunteer committee work began in late 2021. Tower Grove South Neighborhood Association adopted the Dog Park Committee as a new standing committee in 2022. The Dog Park application was completed in summer of 2022.

The project is funded by former 15th Ward Aldermanic Funds, voted on by neighbors in 2016 Participatory Budgeting, coupled with Metro Parks funding. The dog park was ranked #5 and was the last of the projects to be started and completed.

Dog Park membership-based annual dues will allow access into the gated area for one or multiple dogs, similar to other dog parks in the area. Annual membership to the Dog Park will follow a calendar year schedule and be as follows:

Tower Grove South & 6th Ward Neighbors
1 dog = $45/year
2 dogs = $60/year
3 dogs = $75/year

Non-Resident
1 dog = $65/year
2 dogs = $80/year
3 dogs = $95/year

There is a limit of three dogs per household. 

The McDonald Dog Park features a double gated entry; locked keypad accessed by paid members with proof of current vaccinations; is approximately 5,000 sqft; located adjacent to existing pavilion structure in the northwest corner of the park; has water access; a bench; shade from existing mature park trees. 

The Dog Park Committee, as a standing committee of the Tower Grove South Neighborhood Association, is in charge of maintaining the facility and being good stewards of the funds that will be needed to do general ongoing maintenance and eventual replacement of the canine-turf dog surface. 

The dog-specific K9 Grass, by ForeverLawn® is designed with maximum wear-and-tear for a dog park like this one. The turf has an average lifespan of 12-15 years under normal environmental and use conditions.

Hours of operating will be 6:00 a.m. daily open, in accordance with all City park opening times. We ask that members please exit the dog park by one hour after sunset (although City Parks are open until 10 p.m. daily all year). Special hours will soon be listed to members for older and shy dogs.

Parks will continue to service the trash cans in and around the park, weekly. Dog waste bags are the responsibility of each dog owner, as is cleaning up after your dog(s).

The existing street parking will continue to service the needs of the park. We do not anticipate a significant amount of additional traffic/parking needs from dog park visitors, and local dog park research tells us that many neighborhood members will walk their dogs from home to visit.

This is the first accessible dog park project in the City’s Park System and one of only three public parks in the City of St. Louis with any known accessible amenities.

As part of the McDonald Dog Park Application, members need to provide proof of current rabies vaccination, proof of spaying or neutering, paid membership, liability waiver, and agree to dog park rules. Special hours will soon be listed to members for older and shy dogs. Our hope is to also soon announce socialization hours, as an opportunity for dog owners to meet up with others.

Members will be provided best practice guidance for new members on how to best introduce your dog to others. Every dog is unique.

Neighborhood support, sponsors and memberships will continue to drive the dog park’s success and sustainability. Consider becoming a sponsor today! Email dogpark@tgsna.org for more information. 

We welcome anyone to become a part of the committee or to drop in on our Dog Park Committee calls. You can give as little as one hour a month to make a difference. We’re typically meeting at 5:30 p.m., the third Monday of each month.

The Dog Park is intended to be a welcoming place for all who gather, even if you don’t own a dog. With inclusivity in mind, we welcome all to be a part of ongoing conversations on how we can make the dog park a success and welcome your constructive feedback.

We anticipate overall park cleanup days to increase due to the efforts of the Dog Park Committee and neighborhood volunteers, and Parks has added additional trash cans outside the dog park. 

We’re actively working to identify partnership opportunities that make sense for the sustainability and awareness of the dog park, intending to be a good neighbor to the community in which we serve.

MEDIA ADVISORYFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 29, 2025

Contact:
Bree Bowen
Phone: (618) 420-1424
Email: bowenb@stlouis-mo.gov

Bob Nelson

Phone: (314) 960-4190
Email: bnem321s@gmail.com

Dedication Set for City's Newest Dog Park 

Celebration on Sunday for Tower Grove South turf dog park

ST. LOUIS – The Tower Grove South neighborhood officially opens its new McDonald Dog Park with a community dedication at 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 1. Free dog treats will be available for attendees while supplies last.

The 5,000 square-foot, off-leash facility, located at 4200 Utah St., St. Louis 63110, is the first fully accessible dog park in the City of St. Louis system. It features a specially designed low-maintenance, synthetic turf called K9Grass® by ForeverLawn, which is engineered for durability and year-round use.

McDonald Dog Park was funded through a combination of ward capital funds allocated in the 2016 Participatory Budgeting process led by former 15th Ward Alderwoman Megan Green, and additional support from Metro Parks. Of the nine initiatives selected in that budgeting cycle, the dog park ranked fifth among priorities such as street lighting, tree planting, sidewalk repairs, alley paving, and trash infrastructure.

The $204,000 project gained traction in 2021 when volunteers revived the initiative and formed a dedicated Dog Park Committee. The Tower Grove South Neighborhood Association (TGSNA) formally adopted the group in 2022, and construction began in fall 2024. The park had a soft opening in April 2025 and has already welcomed nearly 100 members.

The park also includes:

• A double-gated, keypad-secured entrance

• Shaded seating and mature trees

• Human/dog-friendly drinking fountain

• Proximity to existing restrooms, playground, splash pad, and sports fields

“We’re thrilled to see the immediate response of our neighborhood to the opening of the project. It’s a unique amenity of the Tower Grove South neighborhood and know it will only continue to grow in popularity as the word gets out and as the park starts picking up in attendance with the warmer months ahead,” said McDonald Dog Park Co-Chair Leah Sweetman. “It is a community gathering place for socialization of both dogs and humans alike, and plays an important role in the diversity of our neighborhood’s amenities and its walkability." 

“I’m proud of the volunteers who stepped up to make this happen for their neighbors," said 6th Ward Alderwoman Daniela Velázquez. “Our community worked with the City to bring this to life. That kind of collaboration and energy is what makes our ward so special.”

“We welcome the community to join our members, volunteers, elected and neighborhood leaders as we celebrate a milestone in both accessibility within our public parks system and a much-welcomed enhancement to McDonald Park,” said McDonald Dog Park Co-Chair Bob Nelson. “Our committee’s long-term goals include introducing dog-friendly events to the park and partnering with organizations that may find benefit of the accessible nature of the combined park amenities.”

With the opening of McDonald Dog Park, the 6th Ward has the most dog parks of any ward in the City of St. Louis. It joins Shaw Dog Park and Water Tower Dog Park at Compton Hill Reservoir Park, reinforcing the ward’s reputation as the place to be for pups and their people.

Memberships are open to residents and non-residents, with annual pricing as follows (limit three dogs per household):

6th Ward / TGS Residents

 1 Dog: $45

 2 Dogs: $60

 3 Dogs: $75

Non-Residents  

 1 Dog: $65

 2 Dogs: $80

 3 Dogs: $95

The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to one hour after sunset. McDonald Park itself remains open until 10 p.m. daily. The three-acre McDonald Park celebrates its 100-year anniversary in 2028.

To learn more or apply for membership, visit www.tgsna.org/dog-park or email DogPark@tgsna.org.

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