The Gateway City of St. Louis is the epitome of the modern Midwestern metropolis. Missouri's second-largest city is vibrant but laid-back, populous but navigable, historic but still relevant. The city's planners have created an aesthetically beautiful city, with plenty of green space amidst buildings both old and new, framed by the majestic Mississippi and Missouri rivers. And capping it all is the world's tallest man-made monument, the beautiful and iconic Gateway Arch. St. Louis is a city of culture and surprisingly inexpensive.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
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.
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.
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.
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, info@worldchesshof.org. 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) 3 The Central West End. An eclectic, cosmopolitan neighborhood home to soaring turn-of-the-century mansions on St.
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. 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.
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.
St. Louis' designation as the "most dangerous city in America" should not deter the potential visitor. In reality St. Louis is just as safe as any other Midwestern city—that is to say, extremely safe in suburbs and wealthy neighborhoods, and quite dangerous in inner-city slums. The statistical discrepancy is because, unlike most cities, St Louis' municipal boundaries include mostly slums and very few suburb-like areas.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, St Louis typically sees ~32°C daytime highs and 17 rainy days.
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