welcome to My Virtual Saint Louis

Welcome to St. Louis! Your virtual trek through the Gateway City will include everything you need to plan a great getaway and offer a chance to explore our hotels, attractions, dining and nightlife options. No matter what you're looking to do, see or explore, you can find it here. St. Louis – it's all within reach.

ABOUT ST. LOUIS:  "MUST SEE" ATTRACTIONS

St. Louis has so many sites to see, it is very hard to narrow the list to only a few. However, here are some of our own favorites, organized by neighborhood or location for easier reference. There are many great attractions listed here, but this is by no means all-inclusive. See also specific neighborhoods for more information.

Area Attractions

• Arch and Museum of Westward Expansion . The Gateway Arch is the ultimate symbol of St. Louis. It rises 630 feet above the city and the riverfront, providing an astounding view from the top. The Museum of Westward Expansion located underground offers exhibits and films about westward expansion, and about the construction of the Arch.
  
  The Arch grounds - the only National Park Service facility in the City of St. Louis - are a pleasant strolling and picnicking area, with two lakes, views of the riverfront, and a grand staircase, known as the Monumental Feature, leading to the wharf.
  http://www.stlouisarch.com
  
  
• Aloe Plaza . This majestic fountain entitled "The Meeting of the Waters" located in Aloe Plaza across from Union Station sculpted by Carl Milles in 1939-40 was originally controversial because of its depiction of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers as nudes. Its first proposed name, "The Wedding of the Rivers," was equally controversial.
  http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/parks_div/aloeplaza.html
  
  
  • Meeting of the Waters Fountain. This majestic fountain entitled "The Meeting of the Waters" located in Aloe Plaza across from Union Station sculpted by Carl Milles in 1939-40 was originally controversial because of its depiction of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers as nudes. Its first proposed name, "The Wedding of the Rivers," was equally controversial.
    http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/parks_div/aloeplaza.html
    
    
• America's Center and Edward Jones Dome . From university commencement ceremonies, to corporate shareholder meetings, to auto and boat shows, America's Center (formerly the Cervantes Convention Center) is St. Louis's highly versatile, state-of-the-art convention complex. The center features over 502,000 contiguous square feet of convention and meeting space including 6 convention halls, 69 meeting rooms, the 1,411-seat John C. Ferrara Theatre, the St. Louis Executive Conference Center and the Edward Jones Dome.
  http://www.americascenter.org/
  
  
  • Edward Jones Dome. The St Louis Rams and numerous conventions play in this nearly 67,000-seat domed stadium.
    http://www.edwardjonesdome.org/
    
    
  • St. Louis Rams. St Louis's football team, the 2000 Super Bowl Champions and 2002 NFC Champions play in the Edwards Jones Dome.
    http://www.stlouisrams.com
    

• Busch Memorial Stadium . The home of the St. Louis Cardinals, Busch Stadium also hosted the St. Louis Cardinals football team and numerous other events - including monster truck racing and a concert by The Beatles - since its 1966 opening. Tours of the stadium are available. In early 2004, construction on a replacement Busch Stadium began immediately south of the current stadium. The 2005 season is the final one for the current Busch Memorial Stadium.
  http://cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/stl/ballpark/stl_ballpark_history.jsp
  
  
  • St. Louis Cardinals. The St. Louis Cardinals baseball team (founded 1892) has a rich history in St. Louis, and indeed the entire western United States, because it was the westernmost major league baseball team until the 1950s. The Cardinals have played at Busch Stadium since 1966. The Cardinals have won the World Series nine times, most recently in 1982.
    http://www.stlcardinals.com
    
    
• Campbell House Museum . This 1851 home and the furnishings of the Robert Campbell family are the only remnants of the once fashionable private street Lucas Place. A recent extensive restoration has made the Campbell House an exceptional example of the Victorian upper-class lifestyle of the 1880s.
  http://stlouis.missouri.org/chm/
  
  
• Centenary United Methodist Church . This historic church, built in 1869, was saved from demolition in the Plaza Square redevelopment of the 1950s, and today continues to serve a large congregation downtown. A recent capital campaign provided for the maintenance of the historic sanctuary. The plaza in front contains a decorative labyrinth, and the church is active in the community, with the most recent initiative being a drop-in center for the homeless.
  http://stlcin.missouri.org/history/structdetail.cfm?Master_ID=1375
  
  
• Christ Church Cathedral . Christ Church is the oldest Episcopal congregation west of the Mississippi River. The Cathedral is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. It is home base for a number of Episcopal community outreach initiatives, and houses a satellite of Girls, Inc., a community center for girls.
  http://www.yourcathedral.org/
  
  
• City Hall . St. Louis City Hall, built between 1893 and 1896, is modeled after the Hotel de la Ville, the city hall of Paris, France. In Washington Square, the park surrounding City Hall, there are statutes of President Ulysses S. Grant, briefly a St. Louis resident, and Pierre Laclede Liguest, the founder of St. Louis.
  http://stlcin.missouri.org/history/structdetail.cfm?Master_ID=1326
  
  
• City Museum . A creative museum created by local artists Bob and Gail Cassilly where art, science, history and fun are integrated in an historic warehouse setting. Features include MonstroCity and the World Aquarium.
  http://www.citymuseum.org/
  
  
• Civil Courts Building . Punctuating the city skyline at Tucker and Market is the Civil Courts Building, with its top-floor law library enclosed in a model of the Temple of Halicarnassus. Ongoing renovations have helped the facility, built in 1930, continue to service the busy 22nd Judicial Circuit courts. The name of the building is a bit of a misnomer, though, since both criminal and civil cases are tried there.
  http://stlcin.missouri.org/history/structdetail.cfm?Master_ID=2090
  
  
• Cupples Station . This 12-acre area in downtown just west of Busch Stadium contains nine historic turn-of-the-century warehouses. The new 230-room Westin Hotel is an exciting, upscale addition to the hotel market downtown. Plans are underway by HRI Properties, Conrad Properties and Walsh|McGowan to complete the renovation of the remainder of the complex into a major mixed-use development with offices, apartments and retail, thus enhancing the historic character of these massive brick and stone edifices.
  http://stlcin.missouri.org/history/structdetail.cfm?Master_ID=1394
  

• Downtown YMCA . The main YMCA facility on 16th & Locust Streets once included a dormitory, now converted to senior citizen apartments. Many aspiring local athletes have trained in this building. The massive building still serves many people through its indoor swimming pool, gym, fitness centers, and handball courts.
  http://www.ymcala.org/Branch/Default.aspx?ENT=60
  
  
• Eads Bridge . Eads, the first bridge over the Mississippi River in the region was completed in 1874, and hailed as an engineering marvel. MetroLink carries commuters and visitors across the bridge's lower deck today. New decking, opened in 2003, provides access for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as cars, and a dramatic location with a tremendous view of the Arch for special events such as the cleverly named "Eats Bridge" al fresco dining on selected summer weekends. For such events, the bridge is closed to cars, while dining areas are situated along the entire span.
  http://stlcin.missouri.org/history/structdetail.cfm?Master_ID=1324
  
  
• Edison Brothers Warehouse (murals) . The former Edison Brothers Stores warehouse at 14th and Spruce -- originally opened in 1929 as the J.C. Penney western states distribution center and later donated to the University of Missouri -- is covered on three sides by murals that look like real statuary and fenestration. In reality, this is a simple box warehouse adjacent to I-64. The murals were commissioned by Edison Brothers and painted by muralist Richard Haas and his team in 1985-6. The building now houses condominiums developed by Donald Breckenridge, and the Sheraton St. Louis City Center Hotel & Suites.
  http://www.edisoncondos.com/home.htm
  
  
• Eugene Field House and St. Louis Toy Museum . This three-story rowhouse built in 1845 at 634 S. Broadway just south of the new Busch Stadium is the birthplace of poet Eugene Field, famous for writing children's poems such as "Little Boy Blue" and "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod." His father, Roswell Field, was the attorney for Dred Scott.
  http://www.eugenefieldhouse.org/
  
  
• Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis . The local office of the Fed, the central bank of the United States, serves portions of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and all of Arkansas. Tours of the Federal Reserve Bank are available for selected school groups with reservations; each visitor receives a small bag of shredded dollar bills.
  http://www.stlouisfed.org/
  
  
• Gateway Arch Riverboats . The Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher cruising riverboats offer sightseeing, dinner cruises and charter cruises.
  http://www.gatewaycruises.com/
  
  
• Hard Rock Cafe . The St. Louis branch of Hard Rock Cafe, located at Union Station, includes memorabilia from such great rockers as Chuck Berry and Ike & Tina Turner.
  http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes/Cafes.aspx?Lc=STLO
  
  
• Historical Walking Tours of Downtown St. Louis . Guided Walking Tours for Individuals and Groups of Downtown St. Louis are offered March thru November, Monday thru Saturday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 noon until 5:00 pm, weather permitting. Narrated Bus Tours of the St. Louis Area are available for Groups all year round, Monday thru Saturday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 noon until 5:00 pm. By popular demand St. Louis Walking Tours has expanded to include Narrated Bus Tours of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area.
  http://www.stlouiswalkingtours.com/
  
  
• International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame . The Museum displays the entire panorama of bowling's international history, from ancient Egypt to modern tenpins. It's also home to the only bowling lanes in downtown St. Louis (2 automatic, and 2 "old time" lanes).
  http://www.bowlingmuseum.com/
  
  
  • St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. The Cardinals Hall, located in the same building as the Bowling Museum, covers St. Louis baseball from its beginnings to the present, including memorabilia from the St. Louis Stars (Negro League) and the St. Louis Browns (American League).
    http://www.bowlingmuseum.com/chof.asp
    
    
• Kiener Plaza . A popular downtown open space, the park's centerpiece is a pool and fountain containing a statue known as "The Runner" by sculptor William Zorach. It is next to the many-stepped fountain and amphitheater named in honor of Morton D. May.
  http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/parks_div/kienerplaza.htm
  
  
• Laclede's Landing . "The Landing" is a nine-square block historic warehouse district of cobblestone streets on St. Louis's riverfront filled with bars, restaurants, and entertainment spots at night, and thousands of office workers by day. Among the attractions on the Landing are:
  http://www.lacledeslanding.org
  
  
  • The Laclede's Landing Wax Museum. The Wax Museum is home to more than 180 authentically costumed wax figures from London: Monsters of the silver screen, presidents, medieval tortures, movie stars, royalty, world leaders, and religious figures. (314) 241-1155.
    
    
  • Dental Health Theatre. The only one of its kind in the world, the Dental Health Theatre presents entertaining and educational programs on dental health care at no charge. The focal point of the theatre is the lower dental arch of 16 three-foot-high fiberglass teeth. (314) 241-7391.
    
    
• Lucas Garden Park . The sunken garden park behind the Central Library is a quiet gem of an urban park. Downtown Children's Center has its playground here.
  http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/parks_div/lucas.html
  

• Macy's . The historic flagship store of the Famous-Barr department store chain now Macy's is located in downtown. The "Train Window" is a popular Christmas-time display at St. Louis's own department store, "Famous and Barr." A recent escaltor reconstruction project ensure Famous will remain a fixture downtown for years to come.
  http://www1.macys.com/store/event/index.ognc?action=search&storeId=477
  
  
• Marriott Pavilion Hotel (now St. Louis Marriott Downtown) . The first floor of this downtown hotel is the former Spanish Pavilion from the 1964 New York World's Fair, acquired by St. Louis mayor A.J. Cervantes in 1965 and relocated to St. Louis. Some of the interior decorative elements of the Spanish Pavilion remain inside the lobby and Pavilion Restaurant.
  http://www.slia.org/events/marriott_pavilion_hotel.htm
  
  
• Mel Carnahan Courthouse . This massive 1934 Public Works Administration was originally the U.S. Court and Custom House, but was sold to the City of St. Louis in 2000 after the completion of the Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse. It is a fitting complement to the rest of the municipal buildings complex adjacent to it.
  http://stlcin.missouri.org/history/structdetail.cfm?Master_ID=1494
  
  
• Mississippi Nights . One of the most prominent concert clubs in the Midwest, and regularly voted best music club in St. Louis, Mississippi Nights brings in up-and-coming national acts and local bands to perform. Located just north of Laclede's Landing, Mississippi Nights has an intimate club atmosphere.
  http://www.mississippinights.com/
  
  
• Old Cathedral . Officially known the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, the Old Cathedral is the oldest Catholic Cathedral west of the Mississippi River, and is the only piece of central riverfront ground that was not acquired for the Archgrounds. There has been a Catholic church at this location since 1770. A small museum is located in the back of the Cathedral, and Mass is still celebrated daily.
  http://www.catholic-forum.com/churches/140stlouis/
  
  
• Old Courthouse . Along with the Arch, the Old Courthouse is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site. The Old Courthouse was the site of the first two trials of the pivotal Dred Scott case in 1847 and 1850. It was also where Virginia Minor's case for a woman's right to vote came to trial in the 1870s.
  http://www.nps.gov/jeff
  

• St. John the Apostle and Evangelist Catholic Church . This historic church, built in 1869, was saved from demolition in the Plaza Square redevelopment of the 1950s, and today continues to serve a widespread congregation from its downtown base.
  http://www.archstl.org/parishes/154.shtml
  
  
• St. Louis Public Library . The Central Library is a 1912 Cass Gilbert design covered with quotations from great authors. Inside, catacombs of reading rooms and shelves rich in history await the visitor. Also visit the Culver Gallery on the second floor.
  http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/
  
  
• St. Louis Union Station . Formerly one of the nation's largest railroad passenger terminals, Union Station is now home to the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Hard Rock Cafe, and dozens of shops and restaurants. Several historic trains are on display near the rear of the complex, and other reminders of the station's history are available throughout the midway of the terminal. St. Louis Union Station is a National Historic Landmark. There also is a museum at the Station called the Memories Museum. Free guided tours of the Station are offered.
  http://www.stlouisunionstation.com/
  
  
• St. Mary of Victories Catholic Church . This Roman Catholic church on the southern edge of downtown, founded originally in 1853, was a center for refugees from Hungary after the 1957 uprising, and now serves as a chapel for special occasions.
  http://www.catholic-forum.com/churches/299stmary/
  
  
• U.S. Post Office . The main post office, built in 1937, has magnificent murals lining the walls of the interior lobby area, and continues to be responsible for the distribution of mail throughout the region. It is particularly busy each April 15th.
  http://www.usps.gov/
  
  
• Wainwright Building . Perhaps one of the most significant buildings in American architecture, the Wainwright was one of the first "skyscrapers" designed by Louis Sullivan.
  http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Wainwright_Building.html
  
  
• Washington Avenue Loft District . The loft district is the former garment district of St. Louis, now occupied by artists' loft studios, upscale loft apartments, and a variety of nightclub spaces.
  http://stlcin.missouri.org/devprojects/projinfo.cfm?DevProjectID=50&isTrans=1