Historic places in St. Louis

Historic places in St. Louis

1. See

   Anheuser-Busch Brewery

   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. Eat

   Blues City Deli

   Some of the best Po-Boys from cities on the "Blues Highway", St. Louis, New Orleans, Memphis, and Chicago. Add in some Love with a little taste from Italy. Set it in a turn of the century store front in one of St. Louis' great historic neighborhoods (Benton Park. Drench your ears with some of the best Blues from the 1920s to the 50s.

3. See

   Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis

   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.

   7AM-5PM, daily. Mosaic Museum: M-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su noon-4PM

4. See

   Forest Park

   One of the nation's largest city parks, with 1,293 acres, is open to the public for golf, tennis, baseball, bicycling, boating, fishing, handball, ice skating, in-line skating, jogging, cricket, rugby and more. The park is also home to the St. Louis Science Center, the art museum, the zoo, and a history museum, all with free admission. Forest Park is really at the heart of St. Louis. It was also the site of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase World's Fair, which lays claim to serving the first hot dogs, hamburgers, and ice cream cones. You cannot visit St. Louis without hearing about, driving by, or exploring Forest Park.

5. See

   Missouri History Museum

   Features a life size replica of Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis. Permanent exhibits include the 1904 Worlds Fair which celebrates the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition held in St. Louis; Collected, an ever evolving exhibit showcasing the holdings of the Missouri Historical Society; and St. Louis Sound Reprise which shares St. Louis' history in the evolution of music.

   Tue-Wed 10AM-5PM, Thu 10AM-8PM, Fri-Sun 10AM-5PM; Closed Mondays·Free

6. See

   Old Cathedral

   Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France

   The first cathedral built west of the Mississippi River (1834), this is the only building that was spared when the park was constructed. It's still an active Roman Catholic basilica.

7. See

   Old Courthouse

   The site of the historic Dred Scott slavery case which was one of the seeds of the Civil War. While the Park is under construction, you can buy tickets to the arch here. The Courthouse also holds exhibits from the now-closed Museum of Westward Expansion, which used to be underneath the Arch.

   Free

8. Do

   Riverboat Cruises

   Take a cruise down the Mississippi River on the Tom Sawyer riverboat. The boat has paddle-wheels (for display only) and a narrator with guide you around the industrial buildings on the Mississippi waterfront. They also offer cruises with dinner and live music at certain times and also a day trip to historic Kimmswick, Missouri.

   $26, $3 discount if purchased with a ticket to the top of the arch

9. Do

   St. Louis City SC

   MLS

   After more than a decade of trying to secure a MLS team for one of America's historic soccer hotbeds, St. Louis finally got its team for 2023. As noted above, City SC is playing at a brand-new stadium on the edge of downtown.

10. See

    St. Louis Union Station

    This 110-year-old National Historic Landmark has been restored and redeveloped as a dynamic mixed-use project that includes shopping, dining and entertainment. For history buffs, this is where the classic photo of Harry Truman holding the incorrect "DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN" newspaper was taken.

11. Do

    The Delmar Loop

    Delmar Blvd. straddles the city limits and University City. This street was named in 2007 by the American Planning Association as one of the 10 Great Streets in America. This is the area known as The Loop to most locals, however, usage of the term outside of the St. Louis area is not as popular due to more famous Chicago loop. Rock and roll legend Chuck Berry performed every month at the historic Blueberry Hill restaurant until late 2014. Although most popular with the 20-something hipster crowd, something can be found for everyone. Boutique shopping, ethnic restaurants (including many Thai establishments), upscale dining, independent movie theatres, record stores, nightlife opportunities, a few music concert venues, and people watching are among the many things to do on the Loop. Many restaurants feature outdoor dining to take in the bustling street scene.

12. Buy

    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.

13. See

    Scott Joplin House State Historic Site

    2658 Delmar

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to St. Louis (CC BY-SA 4.0).