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Visitors Guide to
St. Louis & St. Louis
County, Missouri
Gateway to the West |
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HISTORICAL
HIGHLIGHT
White Haven
Grantwood Village, Missouri
There are many sites in the United States that commemorate or
interpret Ulysses S. Grant, a famous Civil War general and the 18th
president of the United States, and the role that he played in
shaping the country. Unlike other sites the Ulysses S. Grant
National Historic Site that is commonly called White Haven
introduces visitors to Grant, his wife, and the people who lived at
the plantation as individuals. The National Park Service presents
White Haven as a microcosm of the issues that faced the nation in
the mid 19th-century. White Haven encompasses nearly 10 acres of the
1,000-acre plantation and features the restored residence,
outbuildings, a Visitor Center, and museum.
Click here for complete details ...
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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 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.
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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