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St. Louis, MissouriThe Arch, and BeyondBy Carol Muse EvansThink St. Louis, and most people imagine the magnificent arch that marks this “gateway to the west.” But the arch is merely an entry way to all St. Louis has to offer visitors, whether cultural, family-focused or sporting. As locals will tell you, “there’s more than meets the arch.” But for visitors, it’s a great starting place. St. Louis is just barely in Missouri, right over the banks of the mighty Mississippi River from Illinois. It was once home to Frenchmen and Spaniards before becoming part of the United States, and even before that, a civilization of mound builders – Indians – lived in this valley along the river, providing it one of its earliest nicknames, “Mound City.” Thomas Jefferson’s exploration of the West and his Lewis & Clark expedition to chart the new Louisiana Territory in 1804 put a real “mark” on the area, and it is this expedition that is recounted in the Museum of the West, housed inside the base of the Arch in St. Louis today.
See St. Louis from atop the Arch, then return to the base to see a film on the building of the arch, then one reflecting on the Louis & Clark Expedition. Just outside and across the street, take a trip down the Mississippi and enjoy a narrated tour of the area on the Gateway Arch Riverboats, where you can re-live the days of the Mississippi steamboats and what happened along the banks during those days, and maybe even hear a Mark Twain tale or two.
St. Louis became a major industrial center in the late 1800s, with more than 100 breweries operating in the city, and the largest one, Anheuser-Busch, still maintains its headquarters there today. You can tour the historic complex for free, Mondays-Saturdays. See the Clydesdale stables, the lager cellar and the Bud World gift shop. The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis offers the largest traditional Japanese garden in North America and is a real treat year-round. See the Kemper Center for Home Gardening, the Climatron rain forest and more. Whatever the season you visit, St. Louis probably has the sport. There are the famous St. Louis Cardinals who play at baseball Busch Stadium; the St. Louis Blues Hockey Team; the St. Louis Rams, a member of the National Hockey League; the Missouri River Otters, Professional Hockey Club; and even the Saint Louis University Billiken Basketball team. On top of everything else, you can get a list of many “free” attractions from the St. Louis Convention and Visitors’ Center. Among such “freebies” are the St. Louis Zoo, the Art Museum, the Science Center and the History Museum. IF YOU GO….St. Louis Convention and Visitors Bureau Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tours Ted Drewes Frozen Custard Gateway Arch Jefferson National Expansion Memorial The Magic House Missouri Botanical Garden Saint Louis Zoo Six Flags St. Louis Gateway Arch Riverboats Carol Muse Evans is a Birmingham-based freelance writer, specializing in family travel.carolmuseevans@alabamawriters.com. Photos by Carol Muse Evans. Copyright 2002 Carol Muse Evans. This work and its photos are protected by copyright and may be used only for personal non-commercial purposes. All other rights are reserved, and commercial use is prohibited without permission of the author. |
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The Gateway Arch itself was built in 1965 as a monument
itself to honor President Jefferson for his westward expansion and his
“forward vision.” The arch itself is one of our nation’s tallest manmade
monuments at 630 feet. This soaring Arch, the Museum of the West and the Old
Courthouse make up the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, now a National
Park monument. Take a ride to the top of the amazing arch and learn how it
was built with architectural principles, design and materials many believed
were way ahead of their time.
Re-Enter St. Louis circa the 1950s with a trip down
Route 66, or at least, Route 66 revisited. See the Route 66 State Park,
where you can see a model of one of the most famous highway in America, with
changing memorabilia and interpretive exhibits, along with a “really cool”
gift shop. Be sure to visit Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, open since 1929. This
frozen custard shop has served frosty “concrete” weight custard to travelers
along Route 66 and in St. Louis for years and is a local favorite. 
Families won’t want to miss the impressive St. Louis
Zoo, offering more than 6,600 animals. This world-class zoo has new exhibits
including the River’s Edge and the Insectarium. Some attractions do have a
fee. Families will also enjoy Six Flags St. Louis, with its many thrilling
roller coasters, the new “Scooby-Doo Ghostblasters” interactive adventure
and the new Hurricane Harbor Water Park, free with the theme park admission.
Kids and parents alike also love The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s
Museum offering more than 100 hands-on educational exhibits for kids from “1
to 101.”