ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — South St. Louis County is full of hidden gems.
Shining bright and green as far as the eye can see is Suson Park.
Our Today in St. Louis team got a behind-the-scenes look at the hard work that goes into making it a must-see spot for Missouri families.
We met with Sam Henderson, who works at Suson Park. Henderson walks through the morning routine for employees who cater to the animals on property.
“We clean up, we check on everyone-- make sure everyone is happy and healthy," she said.
A busy day at Suson Park’s Animal Farm is business as usual.
“We’re just going to go in and give him his morning breakfast," Henderson said, gesturing to a horse.
Henderson said the barns on Suson Park property built in the 1960s have become a safe haven today for the retired animals that call the park home. Henderson says, “Some of them came from farms where they couldn’t be worked anymore.”
Furry friends and friendly faces fill the four barns on the property. A team of three employees care for the animals.
Visitors find many surprises in one of St. Louis County’s most unique parks. “Lots of people don’t even realize we have a farm... But once they do, people just love seeing all the animals and how they interact everyday," Henderson said.
Visitors can to the mini-barn to see mini horses. 'Mini' of the horses have lived on the farm for years.
“This is our senior citizen area," Henderson said.
Visitors can pay a quarter to give a handful of grain to some very grateful goats.
Bring treats to the gate, and the goats rush over to take them.
“You can tell they’re very used to human interaction and being fed," Henderson said.
There’s more to do at the park. The fun lies under the surface.
Fishermen come out bright and early to cast a line in one of the park's four lakes.
One fisherman, Joe, reels one in in front of our crew. “This 'aint one of our bigger ones, though." he said.
Maybe not the catch of the day, but there’s plenty more where that came from.
Henderson said maintaining biodiversity in the lakes is a top priority for Suson Park. “All of our lakes are stocked once a month. They can have anything from blue gill, bass, catfish or trout or catfish in them.”
It's a fisherman’s dream. Joe smiles, “Plenty to catch, plenty to eat,” he said.
From the playgrounds to the pastures, there’s plenty to see at Suson Park.
Henderson said all the work is really done to encourage the next generation of nature-lovers. “It really educates our community and it gets people out seeing what a working farm is really all about.”
Little feet file into the mini barn, and it's big smiles all around.
The Barn House at Suson Park is open every day from 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The Animal Farm is open according to normal park hours, which are 8 a.m. to 30 minutes past sunset, every day.
Everything is free to see, but don't forget your quarter if you’d like to feed the goats!
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