Downtown St. Louis is monotonous. Grids of office buildings circle other office buildings. A handful of stadiums and high-class hotels inhabit the blocks unoccupied by businesses. The city is gray, except for two green blocks, appropriately named Citygarden.

The garden sits on what used to be two lots of vacant land between Eighth and Tenth and Market and Chestnut Streets. Twenty-four sculptures from world-renowned artists, including Donald Baechler, Niki de Saint Phalle and George Rickey, are scattered throughout the park and surrounded by plants native to Missouri.

The northeast corner of the park features the Terrace View, an indoor and outdoor restaurant that serves Mediterranean, Italian and French cuisine for lunch and dinner to park visitors.

The sculptures and three water installments — a 180-by-20-foot wading pool, a spray plaza and a sheet of water flowing over a tilted granite disk — invite children to splash, run and climb.

Paul Wagman, Citygarden representative, said the goal of the garden is to create a public space that beautifies the local area.

“Part of the magic of this garden is that it leads to many different kinds of experiences,” Wagman said. “In general, this is a space that is lovely, is meant to make a person feel joyful, calm, excited and pleased. There are spaces that are kind of romantic — they’re sophisticated and urbane.”

Wagman said the Gateway Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1985, is dedicated to improving the cultural landscape of St. Louis. The Foundation provided $25 million to create the park.

Perhaps those most excited about the park are the children, who especially love playing in the spray plaza, located in the middle of the garden. The spray plaza has 102 jets that sporadically spray water up to eight feet high in a variety of patterns. The jets surround a small pool of water that holds the basin-shaped sculpture “Voyage,” by Jean-Michel Folon.

The park prides itself on its interactivity. Not one sign bans visitors from jumping in the fountain, climbing the granite wall or touching the statues. The pathways leading from statue to statue through green gardens promote movement and play.

Kay Ahaus brought her 4-year-old granddaughter Megan to the park. Megan played in the fountain as her grandmother watched, smiling.

“I wanted to see the park,” Ahaus said. “I really like it. It’s great for real young kids, but it’s also great for older kids, too.”

Ahaus said the fountains were unusual in the downtown setting, and the large size made them more fun for kids to play in than public pools.

While the children splash in the water, adults can sit on the benches nearby or enjoy the sculptures. A tall bronze statue of Pinnochio leans back and raises his hands toward the skies in thanksgiving, while smooth oversized white rabbits lay peacefully in the shade. A digital sculpture depicts figures walking in place, and a bird with human legs stares straight ahead at visitors as they pass.

This outdoor art museum is filled with sculptures from world-class artists. Sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle, creator of the “Adam and Eve” statue in the Citygarden restaurant, has  pieces on display in countries around the world, including Germany, Israel and France. Paintings by Ferdinand Léger, a French painter and sculptor who created “Femmes Au Perroquet” in the northeast corner of the park, have sold for more than $8 million.

Visitors can download an audio tour for free as an MP3 from the Citygarden Web site or dial a number to listen to the tour on their phones. The audio tour features narrations by famous St. Louisans, including Mayor Francis Slay, sportscaster Joe Buck, actress Jenna Fischer and three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Park supervisor William Merchant said he began working at the park just after it opened.

“Visitors love it, especially the kids,” Merchant said. “We see mostly families and kids during the day. Around lunch, employees from around here come to eat lunch — it’s a nice place to take a break.”

Merchant said he likes being able to work outside and especially enjoys the art.

“Everyone can interact with the art — it’s not a museum setting,” he said. “You can go up, see how it’s made, touch it, climb it if you please. It’s a different context to art.”