St. Louis

Understand

The city is named after King Louis IX of France, but it's usually pronounced "Saint Lewis", instead of "Saint Louie". St. Louis is known by the nickname of The Gateway to the West. The city was the last major stop before pioneers journeyed westward to the Pacific coast. The city also played a large part during the steamboat era due to its position at the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Missouri River. St. Louis was acquired from France by the United States during President Thomas Jefferson's term in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The transfer of power from Spain was made official in a ceremony called "Three Flags Day." On March 8, 1804, the Spanish flag was lowered and the French one raised. On March 10, the French flag was replaced by that of the USA. In 1904, St. Louis hosted that year's World's Fair and the Summer Olympic Games. Many of the parks, buildings, and finer homes in St. Louis were built around this time period. While the Fair has passed out of living memory, it holds an important place in the modern development of the city. Before Detroit became America's automotive capital, St. Louis was the largest producer of American automobiles in the early part of the 20th century. Midtown and Downtown still have many of the original warehouses and factories standing, but most have been converted to other purposes, such as loft apartments, shops and restaurants. St. Louis was also home to a bustling fashion manufacturing industry in the early 1900s, centered on Washington Avenue downtown. As with the auto industry, the last remnants of the fashion manufacturing industry can be found in the rehabilitated warehouses which contain new businesses and loft condominiums. In the late 20th century, St. Louis began a transformation from a manufacturing and industrial economy into a globally known center for research in medicine, biotechnology, and other sciences. Firms such as Bayer, Centene, Solae, Energizer, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Edward Jones, Wells Fargo Advisors, Nestle Purina, and Anheuser-Busch/Inbev are headquartered in St. Louis. AT&T and Bank of America operate major regional offices here. Two major private research universities, Washington University in St. Louis and Saint Louis University, are an important part of the local economy and society. St. Louis is truly a city of neighborhoods, each with its own distinct flavor and culture. There are 79 government-designated neighborhoods within the City of St. Louis, many of which have associations and councils that exercise wide control over development and subsidies from the high

Getting there

By car St. Louis is a freeway hub, connected to the following cities by freeway:

connects to Kansas City to the west, and Indianapolis and Columbus to the east. connects to Louisville to the east. connects to Chicago to the north and Memphis to the south. connects to Springfield (Missouri), Tulsa, and Oklahoma City to the southwest. Within the St. Louis area, ( on the Illinois side) forms a loop around the metropolitan area, bypassing the center city.

Locals may refer to Interstate 64 as "Highway 40"—US-40 is coincident with I-64 through St. Louis. Also, older or more traditional residents are likely to pronounce 40 as "Farty", which out-of-towners sometimes find humorous.

By plane 1 Lambert St. Louis International Airport (STL IATA). is the largest airport serving St. Louis, with annual passenger traffic of approximately 13 million people. The airport is 14 miles northwest of the city center and is directly served by the MetroLink light rail line. A 2-hour MetroLink transfer ticket costs $4 from the airport. Uber and Lyft are allowed at the terminal. (updated Mar 2019) 2 St. Louis Downtown Airport (CPS IATA). 3 miles east of the city center and serves charter and cargo flights. (updated Mar 2019) 3 MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV IATA). 21 miles east and only serves Allegiant flights. (updated Mar 2019)

By train

Amtrak (☏ +1-800-USA-RAIL (872-7245), 551 S 16th St) offers five daily arrivals from Chicago, two daily arrivals from Kansas City, and one daily arrival from Los Angeles, San Antonio via Dallas, Little Rock and many smaller intermediate stops on each route. 4 Gateway Multimodal Transportation Center, 430 S 15th St, is the central train and bus terminal in St. Louis. It is directly linked to the Civic Center station on the MetroLink light rail system. If you have time to spare when departing or arriving by train, take a seat at the Grand Hall at the nearby historic Union Station, now turned into a hotel and shopping arcade, to relive past glory of rail travel. St. Louis Union Station was also the site where President elect Truman was photographed holding the Chicago Daily Tribune with the erroneous headline "Dewey Defeats Truman".

By bus The bus terminal, which is served by Greyhound and Megabus, is at 430 S 15th St, next to the train station.

Greyhound, ☏ +1 314-231-4485. Operates service to most cities including Chicago, Bloomington-Normal, Kansas City and Columbia. (updated May 2022) Megabus. Operates service to/from Chicago, Memphis, Dallas, and Little Rock. Fares from $1 when reserved very far in advance. (updated M

Getting around

By train MetroLink, +1 314-231-2345 – A light rail system that runs to many of the metropolitan area's most popular destinations. There are two branches on the Missouri side of the river—the Red Line begins at Lambert–St. Louis International Airport, while the Blue Line begins in the suburb of Shrewsbury. The lines merge at the edge of Forest Park, and travel through downtown and into Illinois. MetroLink stops at the Delmar Loop, Grand Center arts district, Forest Park, the Central West End, Downtown St. Louis, and Downtown Clayton, among other places. The campuses of University of Missouri-St. Louis, Washington University and St. Louis University each have stops on campus or nearby. A 2-hour transfer pass costs $3 ($4 if purchased at the airport station). Day pass, which includes trains and buses, is $5.

By bus Metro St. Louis operates buses around the St. Louis metro area, although in many cases, they don't run as frequently as you would like. A single fare is $2.

By car Travel by car is the most common mode of transportation in St. Louis.

By taxi Taxis generally do not drive around looking for street hails; you must order service by phone or from an app. Uber is extremely popular and useful in St. Louis. A 2015 accident in a taxi that did not have insurance has caused a controversy—make sure you choose a reputable taxi or ride-hailing company.

Neighborhoods St. Louis is one of the more segregated cities in the nation, and is home to the country's first private gated street—Benton Place in Lafayette Square. In one minute you might be driving down tree-lined avenues with large houses, and the next minute you might be in a low-income neighborhood. Though the region is now more racially and economically integrated than it was, the road system still follows historic boundaries marking one area from the next. Hotels and most St. Louis guide books should have good maps of the layout of the neighborhoods of the City. St. Louis City is separate from St. Louis County—the city is really a city without a county, with its own government, school system, and other services. St. Louis City has just under 294,000 residents while St. Louis County has just under one million residents. The entire St. Louis metropolitan region has approximately 3,000,000 residents. Some of the more well-visited and larger neighborhoods in St. Louis City are:

Downtown - The Central Business District of St. Louis, downtown is nearing the end of a decade-long multi-billion dollar revitalization. Featuring professional sports stadiums, dozens of hotels, corporate headquarters,

See

Obviously, the Gateway Arch is a must-see attraction; even if you can't handle the ride to the top, you should at least gaze upward and ponder the arch's majesty. But St. Louis has plenty else to see, too, and several of the attractions offer free admission. (That doesn't mean parking is free, or that you can do everything within the attraction without extra charges... but still: free!)

1 Anheuser-Busch Brewery, 1200 Lynch St, ☏ +1 314-577-2626. The place where all Anheuser-Busch beers are made for the mid-west U.S. Free tour, with free beer samples for those 21+, of one of the world's largest breweries and bottling factories, housed in beautiful red-brick buildings. The Clydesdale horses and their historic truck and stables are one of the biggest attractions on the tour, as are the brew house and packaging facility. The adjacent beer garden serves really good food and offers cheap samples of most Anheuser-Busch branded beer, from Goose Island to Hoegaarden. 2 Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, 4431 Lindell Blvd (at Newstead Ave in the Central West End neighborhood), ☏ +1 314-373-8200. 7AM-7PM. This Roman Catholic church contains the most mosaic art in one site in the world—83,000 square feet, installed by a family of artists who used more than 41 million tiles with more than 7,000 colors. 3 Citygarden, 801 Market St (walk down Market Street five blocks from the Arch). Sunrise to 10PM. Citygarden gives kids fountains to play in and sculptures they can related to (Pinocchio, big heads, etc.); art lovers the chance to experience 24 sculptures by some of modern art's great masters (Leger, Herring, etc.); and everyone an award-winning garden in the midst of the city where you can relax and beat the heat. If you'd like to eat in the gardens, there is a cafe that is open for lunch or you can pick up something from the many takeout places nearby. Free. (updated Sep 2016) 4 City Museum, 750 N 16th St, ☏ +1 314-231-2489. M-Th 9AM-5PM, F Sa 9AM-midnight, Su 11AM-5PM; closed M Tu in winter. For the young, the young at heart, or anyone who thinks a five-story playground made of salvaged materials sounds awesome. Don't let the name fool you; this place is a blast! The City Museum is a huge playground built in an old 11-story warehouse made largely out of architectural artifacts from around St. Louis collected by an eccentric millionaire. There are concessions inside the museum as well as bar service by local brewery Schlafy. While there are plenty of artifacts on display, it's not so much a museum as it is a collection of mazes, obstacle courses, tunnels, airplanes

Do

1 America's Convention Center. Over 500,000 square feet of exhibit space, also featuring formal reception rooms, presentation-style rooms, a theatre, and the Edward Jones Dome next door. 2 World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF), 4652 Maryland Ave, ☏ +1 314-367-9243, [email protected]. St Louis has become the U.S. capital of chess, with many of the U.S.'s top players and university teams in the city. The U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fame are at this address. You can see exhibitions about the sport of chess. (updated Apr 2016)

Neighborhoods 3 The Central West End. An eclectic, cosmopolitan neighborhood home to soaring turn-of-the-century mansions on St. Louis's famous private streets, chic dining, and upscale boutique shopping with a great mix of cafés, independent bookstores (check out Left Bank Books on Euclid and McPherson), art galleries, salons, antique and modern furniture such as a Design Within Reach and Centro, coffee houses, and youthful energy. One of the more lively neighborhoods in St. Louis that borders Forest Park, the CWE is a great destination for a day of walking around or a weekend stay. 4 Laclede's Landing. Just north of the Arch and part of Downtown St Louis, and the second oldest neighborhood after Soulard, "the Landing" is what amounts to St. Louis' old town. You are likely to enjoy the cobblestone streets and the shops, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and a bizarre wax museum. Next to the Landing is a $400 million casino complex called Lumiere Place, featuring a Four Seasons hotel, nightclubs, 75,000 square feet of casino gaming, and an innovative multi-colored light feature spanning 24 vertical floors on the exterior of the building that lights up St. Louis' skyline. Not many original buildings on the Landing remain, as the area is constantly undergoing new developments and rehabilatation of older buildings. Nightly horse-drawn carriage rides take you around the Landing and much of Downtown. 5 Soulard Market, 730 Carroll St. Although strangely named ("un soulard " means "a drunk" in French.), the Soulard neighborhood, covering the waterfront for several miles south of the Arch, is the oldest in St. Louis. The Georgian (or should that be Louis XVI?) style houses surround a central farmer's market which supplies the city's residents, supermarkets, and restaurants with the freshest, and inexpensive, local produce. This is the oldest farmer's market west of the Mississippi, and is open year-round every weekend. There are a number of bars and restaurants in the neighborhood as well, and visitors can celebrate French heritage with t

Buy

In addition to these entries, there are a number of suburban shopping malls in St. Louis County.

Delmar Loop. Funky, hip and great for people watching, the University City Loop is one of the best places in St. Louis to fulfill your "alternative" shopping needs. Downtown St. Louis. Revitalized Downtown St. Louis is now home to a number of local fashion-forward shops and several upscale furniture stores. For the latest in fashion trends in a non-mall environment, there is nothing like checking out the boutiques downtown St. Louis. Most are centered around Washington Avenue. The Hill. The city's Italian district, The Hill has a great selection of Italian restaurants, shops and businesses. 1 Washington Avenue, 900–2000 Washington Avenue. Washington Avenue encompasses the Washington Avenue Historic District, which used to be the garment district in St. Louis. It is full of warehouses and beautiful brick buildings. The area is now filled with artists, clothiers, hatters, and many restaurants and bars. Cherokee Street. Cherokee Street includes a 12-block stretch of art galleries, antique stores, cafés, restaurants and bars.

Eat

St. Louis has its very own magazine and accompanying website, Sauce, which is the definitive guide to dining in St. Louis. Visit for a searchable restaurant directory, news, and reviews.

St. Louis original foods Barbequed pork steaks, St. Louis-style — Boston Butt sliced into steaks, basted with Maull's Barbecue sauce Gooey butter cake — a type of coffee cake with a bottom layer of buttery yellow cake and a top layer of either egg and cream cheese, or butter and sugar Toasted ravioli — breaded, then deep fried, these small meat, cheese, or veggie stuffed pasta pockets reflect local Italian influence; a favorite bar food in St. Louis Slinger — a large plate full of hash browns piled over with two eggs and a hamburger patty (or other meat) and then covered with chili and cheese (onions optional); a popular ultra-heavy diner food St. Louis-style pizza — made with Provel cheese on a super thin crust. St. Paul sandwiches — a fried egg and vegetable patty on white bread with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise; unique to the Chinese-American restaurants in St. Louis 1 Gus's Pretzels. great hot large pretzels about 1 ft long and 1 inch diameter! (updated Mar 2019) Maull's Barbecue Sauce — a spicy, semi-sweet tomato-based sauce unusual for containing pepper pulp and anchovies; available in eight varieties. Red Hot Riplets — a somewhat-spicy variety of potato chips made by local firm Old Vienna with St. Louis-style barbecue sauce. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. Every St. Louis resident has had Ted Drewes at some point in their life. They have two locations in St. Louis, including one on the original Route 66. Featuring dozens of toppings for its famous frozen custard, it's a wonderful treat in the warmer months.

Bakeries St. Louis' German heritage is evidenced in its vintage bakeries throughout the metro area:

2 Federhofer's Bakery, 9005 Gravois St, ☏ +1 314-832-5116.

The Hill If you are a fan of Italian, head over to a neighborhood known as the Hill. Home of Yogi Berra, the Hill has more Italian restaurants than any other area in the city.

3 Adriana's, 5101 Shaw Ave, ☏ +1 314-773-3833. Sicilian. Not open for dinner but can boast one of the best Italian veggie sandwiches out there. Lines are long but move quickly. 4 Cunetto's House of Pasta, 5453 Magnolia Ave, ☏ +1 314-781-1135. 5 Favazzas, 5201 Southwest Ave, ☏ +1 314-772-4454. 6 Guido's Pizzeria and Tapas, 5046 Shaw Ave, ☏ +1 314-771-4900. Su-Th 11AM-11PM, F Sa 11AM-midnight. Guido's blends the traditional Italian-American fare of the Hill District with distinctly Spanish-flavored tapas plates. (u

Drink & nightlife

Most tourists will be familiar with St. Louis' world famous Anheuser-Busch brewery, especially its signature variety Budweiser, or their best-seller Bud Light. However, unless you are accustomed to American style pilsners, it is unlikely you will find these and other Anheuser-Busch brands suit your palate. For those more familiar with European brews or who have been caught up in the domestic craft brewery explosion interested in sampling a local brewery's product, the Saint Louis Brewery's Schlafly craft brews are more likely to satisfy. Schlfaly is the largest craft brewery in St. Louis but not the only one. 4Hands, Civil Life, Urban Chestnut, Square One, Perennial Artisan Ales, and O'Fallon Brewery are just a few of the other breweries in town. They are definitely worth a look. If you would rather explore rather than choose one specific establishment, two areas in St. Louis are great for wandering from location to location: The Central West End (featuring the Drunken Fish and Bissinger's Chocolate Lounge all off Euclid Ave), and Downtown centered around Washington Ave (featuring Lucas Park Grille and Plush). St. Louis's MetroLink system is great if you prefer not to drive, but much of the line will stop running by 1AM. St. Louis is also home to a number of gay and lesbian friendly nightlife options. From busy bars to energetic dance clubs, make sure to stop by. Much of these are on Manchester Rd in Forest Park Southeast.

1 Blueberry Hill, 6504 Delmar Blvd (on the Delmar loop), ☏ +1 314-727-4444. Restaurant, darts, bar open till 3AM. 2 Halo Bar, 6161 Delmar Blvd (In the music venue The Pagent), ☏ +1 314-726-6161. 3 Hair of the Dog, 1212 Washington Ave (Downtown). Washington's only dive bar; great atmosphere and cheap drink prices. Cheers-type environment, where everybody knows each other's name, and strangers are warmly welcomed. Service is a strong point, and this place is perhaps St. Louis' best watering hole. 4 Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave, ☏ +1 314-352-5226. Bevo Mills favorite with the friendliest bar staff and huge selection of bottled beer and liquor. Featuring one of St Louis's greatest venues in the back where local bands can be seen every weekend and free movies are featured on Wednesdays 5 Pinup Bowl, 6191 Delmar Blvd. Bowling alley and martini lounge open till 3AM. 6 The Silver Ballroom, 4701 Morgan Ford Rd. Bevo Mills bar featuring 14 pinball machines and a punk rock juke box 7 Venice Café, 1903 Pestalozzi St, ☏ +1 314-772-5994. South City area. A mosaic-covered bar with outside sitting features nightly music.

Sleep

St. Louis does have the host of usual Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn and similar chains. Check out chain websites for exact locations throughout the metropolitan region. One great thing about the city is an abundance of hotel rooms, convention and meeting space, and amenities for travelers. Since the city has a low cost of living, even for the Midwest, you might find even the most expensive hotels relatively affordable; rooms at even the Ritz-Carlton start in the mid $200s per night. In addition to the following listings, which are in St. Louis city, see St. Louis County for more listings.

Budget 1 Drury Pear Tree Inn (previously Hampton Inn), 2211 Market St, ☏ +1 314-241-3200. Near the Union Station. Swimming pool.

Mid-range 2 Drury Inn Union Station, 201 S 20th St, ☏ +1 314-231-3900. Indoor pool, restaurant. Restored historic hotel, near the magnificent Union Station. 3 Moonrise Hotel, 6177 Delmar Blvd (The Loop). An affordable, luxury boutique right on the Delmar Loop. True to its name, the entire hotel, and every room, is lunar-themed. Check out the roof-top bar with great views of downtown. Close to Clayton, University City, Washington University and tourist attractions.

Splurge 4 The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta St. Louis, 212 N Kingshighway Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63108, ☏ +1 314-633-3000. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. (updated May 2020) 5 Four Seasons Hotel, 999 N Second St, ☏ +1 314-881-5800. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. The Four Seasons' newest hotel, in Downtown St. Louis in the Lumiere Place casino and entertainment complex. The structure itself is an exciting and vibrant addition to the St. Louis skyline, and with being just steps from Laclede's Landing, there is plenty to do around this urban oasis. 6 Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, 1 S Broadway St (Right next door to the St. Louis Cardinals' Busch stadium), ☏ +1 314-421-1776, fax: +1 314-331-9029. 7 Marriott St. Louis Grand, 800 Washington Ave, ☏ +1 314-621-9600. Luxury hotel, historic downtown flagship. $169 (Feb 2022). 8 Magnolia Hotel St. Louis, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, 421 N 8th St, ☏ +1 314-436-9000. Luxury hotel. Formerly the historic Roberts Mayfair Hotel, where, since 1925, American notables like Irving Berlin, Cary Grant and Harry Truman made their headquarters and home away from home in St. Louis. Despite a change of ownership, you can relive the experience in this landmark building. 9 St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, 1820 Market St, ☏ +1 314-231-1234. A hotel in the heart of downtown with 550 rooms inside the historic train stat

Go next

Nearby Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is just across the river in Illinois. It is the site of the largest pre-Columbian city north of Mexico, with an estimated population of 10-20,000 people at its peak. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The top of the "Monk's Mound" offers amazing views of the city and the arch and the free museum is very well done and gives great insights into how the people of what is now America lived 1,000 years ago. It is hard, although possible, to reach the site via public transportation, but it is a $25 Uber ride from downtown. The Katy Trail State Bike Trail. The Katy Trail is a bike path built where a Kansas-Missouri-Texas railroad line formerly ran. It's over 200 miles long, and biking on a section (or the whole thing) and stopping on the small towns dotting the tree-lined trail is a worthwhile excursion. Great place for bikers, runners, and those who want to experience small town Missouri and the great outdoors. 1 Lewis and Clark State Memorial Park (Camp Dubois) (Where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi River. On the Illinois side, about 15 miles from the Gateway Arch. Take I-70 North to Exit #248A McKinley Bridge, then Hwy 3 north towards Alton, exit at New Poag Rd. (Hwy 203) and turn left). This is the location that explorers Lewis and Clark stayed at to begin their journey to the Pacific in 1803-04. Short hiking trails, 82 campsites, 1930s lodge, popular for family picnics. (updated Apr 2022)

Further afield Alton is a historic river town just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. Enjoy wineries, winter eagle watching, 50 antique shops, 9 golf courses, historic sites, fine dining, and elegant bed and breakfast accommodations. For a scenic day trip, take the Great River Road north from Alton to Grafton, Illinois, stopping for antique shops and then on to lunch at the Père Marquette Lodge in Père Marquette State Park. This drive is especially beautiful in the fall months, but in the winter you can see a number of bald eagles roosting along the river bluffs. St. Charles - nearby and makes a nice day trip. Jefferson City - Take a short trip to the state capital! Troy – only a short ride away.