Steinberg Skating Rink and Pavilion

In 1957, Steinberg Skating Rink opened in Forest Park, St. Louis, home to the 1904 World's Fair (Louisiana Purchase Exposition). The Steinberg family, a wealthy and philanthropically-minded St. Louis family, donated the bulk of the money towards building the rink. At 27,600 square feet, it is the Midwest's largest outdoor rink. 

Born and raised in St. Louis, Mark C. Steinberg began work as an office boy at the Altheimer & Rawlings brokerage firm before creating the Mark C. Steinberg & Company, which evolved into the city's largest brokerage firm. He also stood as the second largest shareholder of United Railways Company, served as president of the Sanjanet Apartment Hotel Company, was Chairman of the Board of Fulton Iron Works and the Medart Company, and served on the board of directors at Velvet Freeze. Additionally, his love of sports led him to become a controlling member of the St. Louis Browns when Hall of Fame owner Bil Veeck owned the team. He also gave generously to several athletic associations in St. Louis and built the Steinberg wing of Jewish Hospital. Etta Steinberg, wife of Mark, was the daughter of Aurelia Stix and David Eiseman, owner and president of Rice-Stix Dry Goods Co. in St. Louis. After Mark died in 1951, Etta continued the philanthropic efforts shared by Mark and herself. She dedicated much of her time to health-care-related projects and contributed to the growth of Washington University in St. Louis. Indeed, students of the institution can visit Steinberg Hall, which houses the College of Architecture, Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design, and the College & Graduate School of Art. 

The city's expansive skating rink arguably stands as the Steinberg's most recognizable gift to the St. Louis. The skating rink in New York City's Central Park so impressed Etta she gave $600,000 toward the $1 million skating rink in Forest Park in St. Louis, now known as Steinberg Skating Rink. It opened in 1957 and continues to operate today as the Midwest's largest open-air ice rink at 27,600 square feet. Skaters can enjoy the rink from mid-November through February, including holidays, although a trend in warmer winters has affected that time range in recent years. T

The rink sits within Forest Park, an extensive public park in western St. Louis that was once home to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair (Louisiana Purchase Exposition) -- attended by more than nineteen million visitors -- and 1904 Summer Olympics. A mid-1990s Master Plan instilled by the Park's Department has led to a $100 million restoration project of the park, which includes ideas for making the Steinberg Ice Rink and Pavillion area usable year-round, such as adding more recreational activities and possibly a beer garden. 

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