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Along the Mississippi
River's 2,552-mile journey from its headwaters in Minnesota to the delta in
Louisiana, St. Louis is one of the few truly cosmopolitan destinations along
the Great River Road. The Greater St. Louis area is the 18th largest
metropolitan area in the United States with more than 2,800,000 people.
St. Louis is home to a
vibrant art scene. New and revitalized institutions, along with world-class
architecture and public sculpture can be found throughout the city and
county. The Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park is one of the nation's
leading comprehensive art museums. The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and
the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts are two of five free museums within
blocks of each other midtown arts district called Grand Center. Laumeier
Sculpture Park is a 105-acre open-air museum in St. Louis County that
features over 80 works of contemporary sculpture. St. Louis has its
origins when in 1764 French fur traders established a small village named
after Louis IX, the Crusader King of France. There are a number of museums
and historical sites that tell the St. Louis' story. The Museum of Westward
Expansion documents the history of European expansion from the days of Lewis
and Clark. The area has a number of historical houses and societies that
offer tours. In St. Louis County the Museum of Transportation has over 300
locomotives, rail cars, and other forms of transportation. The St. Louis region
has a number of green spaces for nature and outdoor enthusiasts. Forest Park
is the largest of the 105 city parks in St. Louis and at 1,293 acres is one
of the largest urban parks in the United States. The park opened in 1876,
was home to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition (the St. Louis World's
Fair) and is home to the St. Louis Zoo. Faust County Park, in St. Louis
County, is home to many historical and cultural attractions including the
Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, a historical village, and the St. Louis
Carousel. The county is also home to Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State
Park, Castlewood State Park, Columbia Bottom Conservation Area and the
Powder Valley Conservation Area. There are more than
just the sights to see and activities that make St. Louis an attractive
place to visit. St. Louis is famous for its one of a kind eateries. At the
1904 World's Fair vendors invented ice tea and the ice cream cone and
popularized the hot dog and hamburger. Contemporary dishes unique to St.
Louis are toasted ravioli, gooey butter coffee cake, and thin crust pizza.
St. Louis also has a variety of one of a kind shopping opportunities. Its
historic neighborhoods have shopping districts whose streets are lined with
antique and specialty shops. For those in St. Louis on an extended stay
there is a variety of unique bed and breakfasts to choose from and the
hotels and motels ranging from the upscale high rises in downtown to the
affordable and casual motels in the county. greatriverroad.com invites you to explore St. Louis because as the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission says: "there's more than meets the Arch!"
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St. Louis and St. Louis
County have a lot to offer its visitors. The area's most prominent
attraction is the Gateway Arch. Designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen
and completed in 1966, the nation's tallest monument rises over the west
bank of the Mississippi as a symbol of St. Louis' role as the Gateway to the
West. The Arch is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial complex
that also includes the Museum of Westward Expansion and the Odyssey Theater.
St. Louis has a number of outstanding public institutions that are free to
visit: the Zoo (photo left,) Art Museum, History Museum, and the Science Center.
