| St. Louis Home Attractions Famous Residents Recreation Restaurants/Hotels/ Bed & Breakfast  |
Laclede’s Landing, named for the founder of St. Louis, Pierre Laclede, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Landing is located on the Mississippi River front in downtown St. Louis, directly north of the Gateway Arch. History has been preserved on The Landing with original cobblestone streets, restored brick buildings, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a wax museum. Laclede’s Landing is famous for its quality restaurants, night life, and dinner theatre. For additional information call 314-241-5875.
The Black World History Museum celebrates the lives and contributions of African Americans in United States history. Visitors learn about what life was like in Missouri for black slaves and explore the lives of famous African Americans in history such as George Washington Carver, Dred Scott, and many others. Permanent and traveling exhibits cover American history from slavery to the 20th century. A replica slave ship, slave cabin artifacts, and an exhibit on Martin Luther King Jr. are among the exhibits. The Black World History Museum is located at 2505 St. Louis Avenue. Call 314-241-7057 for more information.
See thousands of butterflies in free flight at the Butterfly
House, an 8,000-square-foot glass conservatory. The Butterfly
House is home to more than 1,000 tropical butterflies throughout the year
and full of exotic tropical plants. The Exhibit Hallway features a collection
of more than 18,000 butterflies. Young visitors enjoy the 28-foot high
butterfly sculpture and the 30-foot long caterpillar sculpture in the
outdoor garden. The Butterfly House is located in Faust Park, a 200-acre
park that has other attractions such as the historic village, the carousel,
and much more. Call 636-530-0076 for additional information.
St.
Louis’ oldest church, Basilica
of St. Louis, was built in 1831. Today, this national monument
still offers a daily mass as well as a museum that contains religious
artifacts and exhibits about St. Louis history. The Old Cathedral, as
it is called by residents, was decreed a Basilica in 1961 by Pope John
XXIII. Admission is free and the Basilica is located at 209 Walnut Street
in downtown St. Louis. For additional information call 314-231-3250.
You will find two museums under one roof when you visit the International
Bowling Museum & St.
Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum
at 111 Stadium Plaza. The International Bowling Museum covers 5,000
years of bowling history and even offers guests a few lines of free bowling.
The Cardinals Hall of Fame covers 100 years of baseball history. There
are vintage photographs, trophies, bats, balls, and other memorabilia
for all to enjoy. Also on display is Mark McGuire’s 1962 Corvette,
a gift from the Cardinals organization when Big Mac broke the home run
record. For more information call 314-231-6340.
The Jefferson
National Expansion Memorial includes the Gateway Arch, the
Museum of Westward Expansion, and the Old Courthouse. The Gateway
Arch
was built between 1963 anorial hostd 1965 at a cost of $15 million.
The Arch is 630 feet tall and is the tallest manmade monument in the United
States. Visitors can take a tram ride to the top of the Arch for a view
that is breathtaking. Underneath the Arch, the Museum
of Westward Expansion is the size of a football field and
is filled with exhibits about Native Americans, pioneers, and Lewis &
Clark. You may also learn about the Arch designer, its construction, and
its trams system. The
Old Courthouse is located two blocks west of the Arch and
was constructed in 1839. The courthouse is a museum that focuses on St.
Louis history with refurbished courtrooms and ranger-guided tours. The
Jefferson National Expansion Mems more than four million visitors each
year. Call 877-982-1410 for more details.
The Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion started out as a farmhouse in 1848. It was transformed into a Greek Revival mansion with additions in 1861 and 1875. This mansion was once the home of Pierre Laclede’s great granddaughter, Emile DeMenil, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The mansion was refurbished in the 1960's and opened as a museum in 1965. Mansion tours reveal original furnishings, furniture, artwork, and memorabilia from the 1904 World’s Fair. This is the perfect place to experience St. Louis’ French history. The Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion is located at 3352 DeMenil Place in St. Louis. Call 314-771-5828 for additional details.
Part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, the Old
Courthouse was constructed
in 1839 and has been host to many historic speeches and trials. Ranger-guided
tours visit the restored courtrooms, dioramas, and galleries that tell
of St. Louis history and its role in the westward expansion. Highlights
at the Old Courthouse include the Dred Scott Exhibit that describes his
struggle for freedom and the African American culture. The Old Courthouse
is open seven days a week and admission is free. The address is 11 North
4th Street and the phone number is 314-655-1600.
A warehouse of adventure, the City Museum, offers three floors of art, history, and science adventures. It is a unique, wacky museum created with recycled materials that have been transformed to create one-of-a-kind educational displays. You can see the world’s largest windmill, a life-sized whale, or a school bus hanging off the museum roof. Kids enjoy the tunnels, caves, and passageways that run throughout the old warehouse. The City Museum is located at 701 North 15th Street in St. Louis. Call 314-231-2489 for more information.
The Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, also known as White Haven, was the childhood summer home of Grant’s wife, Julia Dent Grant. The couple resided at White Haven from 1854 to 1859 when the Grants moved to Galena, Illinois, to serve in the Civil War. Today, White Haven is a 10-acre National Historic Site that commemorates the life, military career, and the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant. The site contains five buildings that have been restored to their 1875 appearance. The buildings consist of the main house, the summer kitchen, a chicken house, the ice house, and a barn that serves as the visitors’ center. The Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site is located at 7400 Grantwood in St. Louis. Call 314-842-3298 for more information.
Open year round, Laumeier Sculpture Park is a 98-acre outdoor art display. There are more than 80 sculptures at Laumeier as well as an indoor Museum of Art. The indoor exhibits include sculptures, drawings, ceramics, paintings, and photography. The Laumeier Sculpture Park is located at 12580 Rott Road. For more detailed information, call 314-821-1209.
The Magic House, St. Louis’ premiere children’s museum, was founded in 1975. It’s located in a three-story Victorian home that was constructed in 1901. Visitors are exposed to fun, educational hands-on learning with more than 100 exhibits. You can slide down a three-story slide, forecast the weather, work at a bank, or check out the Fitness Safari. The Magic House was chosen as one of the top 12 family destinations in the United States by FamilyFun Magazine. The Magic House is located at 516 South Kirkwood Road. Call 314-822-8900 for additional information on the Magic House.
Grant’s
Farm is a 281-acre wildlife preserve and a historical site
operated by Anheuser Busch. Visitors are given red carpet treatment with
an open-air coach ride through the Deer Park where guests see bison, elk,
zebras, longhorns, and many other unique species. The coach ride ends
at a kid-friendly zoo area that is filled with exotic animals such as
elephants, camels, tropical birds, and many other exciting creatures.
Visitors learn about the history of Grant’s Farm, how it was once
owned by Ulysses Grant and later by the Busch Family. A cabin hand-built
by Grant still stands in Deer Park. The famous Anheuser Busch Clydesdale
horses have a training and breeding facility at Grant’s Farm where
visitors can get up close and personal with the gentle giants. Admission
is free at Grant’s Farm and parking is $5.00 per vehicle. Grant’s
Farm is located at 10501 Gravois. Call 314-843-1700 for more information.
The Missouri Botanical Gardens, also known as Shaw’s Garden, offers 75 acres of botanical bliss. Its greenhouse, a geodesic dome, is 70 feet high and accommodates trees, streams, waterfalls, and a wide variety of plants. Guided tours visit the English Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Chinese Garden, lily ponds, and the green houses. The Missouri Botanical Gardens are located at 4344 Shaw Boulevard. For additional information call 314-577-9400.
The St. Louis Science Center, located on the south side of Forest Park, offers 232,000 square feet of science exhibits and learning fun. There are more than 700 hands-on exhibits where visitors can learn about DNA, aviation, inosaurs, bridges, the human body, space exploration, and much more. The free admission makes this attraction popular with more than 1.5 million people visiting the Science Center annually. Call 314-289-4400 for additional information
The Missouri
History Museum in Forest Park is the ideal place to explore
St. Louis history from its beginnings as a frontier trading post to its
evolution into a commercial center. The 1849 Fire, the 1904 World’s
Fair, Charles Lindbergh, Lewis & Clark, and Native American Indians
are among the topics covered at the Missouri History Museum. The museum
is open daily and offers free admission. Phone 314-746-4599 for more information.
View an original Monet or Picasso at the St. Louis Art Museum in Forest Park. The museum is located in the Fine Arts Palace that was built for the 1904 World’s Fair. There are more than 30,000 works of art on display in over 100 different galleries from practically every time period and culture. Admission to the St. Louis Art Museum is free. For additional information call 314-721-0072.
Another
attraction with free admission, the St.
Louis Zoo is a must see for visitors of all ages. The 90-acre
zoo is home to 700 species and nearly 7,000 animals. Big Cat Country,
River’s Edge, the Children’s Zoo, the Reptile House, and the
Penguin & Puffin Coast are a few of the quality exhibits visitors
come to see. The Zooline Railroad offers a unique view of the zoo with
its 1.5 mile trip through the zoo. The St. Louis Zoo tallies more than
three million visitors annually. Call 314-781-0900 for details.