About St. Louis MO
St. Louis is an independent city as well as a key United States port in the state of Missouri. It is situated on the west shores of the Mississippi River, close to the state’s border with the state of Illinois. St. Louis is well noted for being the economical and cultural hub of the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan region. It is very important to state that this metropolitan area is the biggest of its kind in the entire state of Missouri. Before the arrival of European settlers, the future site of St. Louis was once a key hub for the Amerindian Mississippian culture. This city was established by French fur traders; Pierre Laclede along with Auguste Choteau. It was named in honor of King Louis IX of France. After the French’s defeat in the 7 Years War, St. Louis was ceded to the Spanish, but in 1800 it again became one of the French’s spheres of interest in North America. The US then bought St. Louis as a component of the famous Louisiana Purchase.
All through the 19th century this Missouri city grew as a key port on the Mississippi River. In 1877, St. Louis ceded from the St. Louis County, and became an independent city. It hosted Louisiana Purchase Exposition together with the summer Olympics in the early 20th century, 1904 to be more specific. Nowadays, the economy of St. Louis is largely dependent on service, manufacturing, tourism, trade and transportation of goods industries. It is as well home to 9 out of 10 Fortune 500 firms that are based in the state of Missouri. When it comes to sports, St. Louis fields 2 Major League professional teams. These are the St. Louis Cardinals who play in the Major League Baseball and the St. Louis Blues, which is part of the National Hockey League.
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Top attractions
St. Louis boasts of a wide variety of attractions that bring tourists to it in droves. One of the most prominent of which is, without question, the Gateway Arch, which happens to be the planet’s highest arch and also the highest artificial monument in the entire western hemisphere. The Gateway Arch was specifically built as a memorial to the western expansion of the country. It is the centerpiece attraction of the Gateway Arch National Park that was previously known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park. St. Louis is as well home to the St. Louis Art Museum, which was constructed specifically for the 1904 World’s Fair. This St. Louis museum is home to fascinating paintings, sculptures and other cultural exhibits. The St. Louis Art Museum is situated in the city’s Forest Park and offers free admission to all visitors.
These is the Missouri Botanical Garden too, that was established in the late 1850s and has the distinction of been one of the oldest botanical institutes in the country. The Missouri Botanical Garden occupies a 79 acre parcel of land in St. Louis’ Shaw neighborhood, and is listed on the National Historic Landmark register. It comes complete with a 14 acre Japanese garden and the Climatron Geodesic Dome Conservatory. The City of St. Louis is as well home to the St. Louis Science Center, which was established in the mid 20th century. It is located in Forest Park and features a science museum and a planetarium.
The St. Louis Science Center has the distinction of being one of the 2 science centers in the US that offer free admission to the general public. Another key attraction in the City of St. Louis is, without doubt, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra that was established in the late 19th century. This symphony orchestra has the distinction of been the 2nd oldest of its kind in the entire country. Its main base of operations is the Powell Symphony Hall. St. Louis is also home to the Union Station that was constructed in the late 19th century, and serves as St. Louis’ major passenger intercity train terminal. Union Station was once the biggest and busiest train station in the world, but it was later on transformed into a hotel, shopping center and entertainment complex. This occurred in the 1980S.
Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch offers a 630 feet ride to its pinnacle, and is a globally acclaimed monument that was constructed to commemorate the country’ iconic western expansion. While here, visitors can get to explore the Gateway Arch National Park that is the original site of where the famous Lewis and Clark expedition set out for their historic expedition. Another key attraction in the St. Louis Gateway Arch National Park is embarking on the 19th century paddle and wheel replica boat, which offers narrated cruises on the Mississippi River.
Six Flags St. Louis
In essence, this is an exhilarating Midwest themed amusement park that offers a wide variety of attractions suited for the entire family. Some of the most notable of which are the Batman Ride, the Screaming Eagle lumber rollercoaster and the Thunder River. The last of which comes complete with whitewater rapids. Visitors to Six Flags St. Louis can as well get to watch live shows and concerts that are held on a regular basis.
St. Louis Zoo
This is, without question, one of the City of St. Louis’ most popular free attractions. The St. Louis Zoo has being able to achieve national renown, and has the distinction of been numbered among the foremost zoological parks in the United States. Besides the intriguing wild animal exhibits, this zoo offers exciting rides on its Emerson Zooline Railroad. Other leading attractions of the St. Louis Zoo include the Big Cat Country, the Penguin & Puffin Coast and the highly interactive Stingray Pool exhibits. St. Louis Zoo also has a separate kids’ petting zoo.
Magic House
This is the Midwest region’s very first interactive kids’ museum. One of the highlights of visiting St. Louis’ Magic House is exploring its recreation of the Oval Office. It also has a miniature town where children of all ages can get to play the roles of grownups. Magic House as well comes complete with a fascinating 3 story beanstalk and a giant kaleidoscope.
Forest Park
Forest Park, like it has being earlier noted was the site where the City of St. Louis hosted the World’s Fair at the turn of the 20th century. It is now ranked among the biggest urban parks in the United States, and offers exciting attractions that draw millions of visitors every single year. Forest Park is highly acclaimed for attraction no less than 12 million visitors on an annual basis thanks to its numerous world class attractions and picturesque hiking and biking trails. Forest Park is also home to the Jewel Box, which is an exquisite greenhouse that puts to show a variety of superb floral displays. Not to mention the golf courses located within this St. Louis park, and of course, the iconic World Fair Pavilion.
City Museum
St. Louis City Museum is a very distinctive playground for both the young and the young at heart. It is characterized by caves, slides and numerous climbing apparatuses. All of which have been created with recycled or found objects. City Museum as well comes complete with an aquarium, which is home to over 10,000 marine creatures. Other key attractions of this St. Louis museum are the Museum of Mirth, Mystery & Mayhem together with the Elmslie & Sullivan architectural exhibit. City Museum also offers the Art City exhibit that lets visitors create their very own works of art.