The “Gateway to the West” is the City of St. Louis, Missouri. It was the starting point of the famed expedition west by the explorers Lewis and Clark in the early 1800s. St. Louis sits on the edge of the Mississippi River, the longest river in the United States. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see riverboats, barges and other ships going up and down the river.
A can’t miss spot to visit in St. Louis is the Gateway Arch National Park, home to the massive arch that has a prominent spot on the St. Louis skyline. The arch was built in the 1960s and is 630 feet tall! Visitors are able to go inside the arch and take a modified elevator car to the top. The views from the tiny windows at the top are incredible of the city of St. Louis and extending beyond the city limits to other parts of Missouri to across the Mississippi River into Illinois.
Nearby the Gateway Arch National Park is the Old Courthouse. This was home to the infamous Dred Scott decision in 1846, which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that slaves did not have standing to sue in court for their freedom, ultimately leading to the Civil War. From 1864 to 1894, the Old Courthouse was the tallest building in St. Louis.
The city of St. Louis is filled with incredible historical landmarks, as the city was one of the biggest cities in the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In fact in 1904, the World’s Fair was held in St. Louis as part of the 100-year commemoration of the Louisiana Purchase. There are still buildings around today that were used during the World’s Fair, such as the St. Louis Art Museum.
St. Louis biggest sports passion is the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. The games are routinely sold out and around the ballpark is the Ballpark Village that is home to many restaurants for fans both during game days and off days. The current stadium, Busch Stadium was built in 2006 and is named after the former owner of the Cardinals. If the last name looks familiar it is because the family was also the owners for many years of Anheuser Busch brewing company. Every year, the famous budweiser Clydesdales make an appearance in the ballpark on opening day and other special occasions.
There is a lot to do in St. Louis and the downtown is compact and easily walkable. I highly recommend visiting St. Louis to further explore US History and try some of the delicious local food specialties including the Fried Ravioli one of the many foods for which St. Louis known.