The turtles were designed and sculpted by Bob Cassilly and the park opened in August 1996.

Turtle Park can be seen from Interstate 64 and the Saint Louis Zoo to the north.

[5] St. Louis philanthropist Sunny Glassberg developed the idea and donated the funds for Turtle Park.

[6] Turtle Park was voted the "Best Picnic Spot" in St. Louis in 2011 by the Riverfront Times.

[5] In 2015, MySun Charitable Foundation sponsored renovations to Turtle Park, including new turf, resurfacing the access path, and the installation of a water fountain.