Click here to explore St. Louis in a day
Best known as “Gateway to the West”, this beautiful city was founded as a trading post in 1763. Bounded by three rivers - the Missouri to the north, Meramec to the south, and Mississippi to the east - it's not surprising that St. Louis has strong ties to the water. St. Louis' role as a hub for culture and commerce is still seen in many of its present-day attractions.
Getting to St. Louis:
St. Louis is a well-connected city to other US cities and to international destinations.
By plane: Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL) is located only 15 miles northwest of the Garden.
By train: Amtrak service in St. Louis arrives at the Gateway Station.
By car: St. Louis is centrally located in the US. Distance to other main cities in the Midwest include: to Columbia, MO - 127 mi, to Indianapolis, IN - 242 mi, to Kansas City, MO - 249 mi, to Memphis, TN - 292 mi, and to Chicago, IL - 297 mi.
Local ground transportation:
Public transportation: MetroBuses run over 50 routes throughout St. Louis City and County. The MetroLink is a 46-mile-long light rail transit system with 37 stations, stopping at numerous points of interest including STL airport, Union Station, Busch Stadium, Laclede's Landing and Forest Park. The Metro system runs daily with hours based on day and location.
Rental cars: Various rental car companies operate in St. Louis. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty serve the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.
Taxi: Numerous taxi cab services are available, from the airport terminals or calling the company in advance. Cabs cannot be flag down on the street. Uber and Lyft shared-riding services are also both operating in the St. Louis area.
Restaurants:
A rich mixture of cultures makes St. Louis restaurants and private dining options great for those who like their restaurants bustling and those who prefer their dining private. The bulk of St Louis restaurants are in several distinct areas of the city, all of them within 20-minute drive from the Garden, including the downtown area, the Hill, and South Grand.
For a detailed list of options near the Garden click here or you can visit Sauce for complete culinary options in the city.
Tourist attractions:
St. Louis has a great deal to offer when searching for attractions beyond the usual or expected. If variety is the spice of life, the city of St. Louis and its attractions are living life to the fullest. An assortment of spaces scattered around the city allow visitors to choose an attraction to suit their style, from family oriented, to adventurous, to music-lovers, and crafty-brewers, these are just a few of the many tourist attractions available within a 20-minute drive from the Garden.
Among the many attractions, Laclede's Landing showcases dining and entertainment in preserved historic buildings from the city's original riverfront establishment. Replica steamboats ferry visitors up and down the Mississippi River as they did in the early 1800s. Renowned Italian community "The Hill," established by the influx of Italian immigrants in the 1800s, serves world-famous authentic Italian cuisine, including St. Louis' original toasted ravioli. Forest Park, site of the St. Louis World's Fair and now one of the nation's largest urban parks, still preserves some of the fair's original construction, along with a host of modern attractions such as the Saint Louis Zoo and Saint Louis Art Museum.
Below is a list of the main tourist attractions in St. Louis that we recommend visiting during your stay:
Anheuser Busch Brewery
Busch Stadium
City Garden
City Museum
Delmar Loop (food and night time entertainment)
Endangered Wolf Center
Forest Park
Grant’s Farm (Anheuser Busch estate-animal park)
Historic Lafayette Square
Jefferson Barracks Historic Park
Jefferson Memorial Museum and Gateway Arch
Laclede’s Landing
Laumeier Sculpture Park
Lemp Mansion
Lone Elk Park (elk, bison and other wild animals)
Magic House (interactive educational displays)
Missouri History Museum
Muny Opera
National Blues Museum
National Great Rivers Museum
National Transportation Museum
Old Cathedral on riverfront
Old Courthouse
Purina Farms
Scott Joplin House
Shaw Nature Reserve
Six Flags over Midamerica
Soldier’s Memorial Military Museum
Soulard Farmer’s Market
St Louis Aquarium
St. Louis Art Museum
St. Louis Mercantile Library
St. Louis Science Center and Planetarium
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
St. Louis Zoo
Tower Grove Park
Ulyses S. Grant National Historic Site (Whitehaven)
World Bird Sanctuary
World Chess Hall of Fame