A Quick Checklist Before Visiting St. Louis
St. Louis is a beautiful city filled with so many sights like the Gateway Arch, the City Museum, and the Mississippi River. Before you hop on a plane or a car and head on over to St. Louis, keep the following places in mind, so you won’t miss out on these notable places.
Fun and Free Places to Visit
One thing that makes St. Louis unique from other cities is that they have a lot of free, no-cost attractions.
- The Zoo, rated the #1 zoo in the US by USA Today
- The Science Center
- The Botanical Garden, the second largest in the US
- The History Museum
- The Art Museum
- Forest Park
Historical Places
St. Louis is filled with historical places ever since it was founded by French fur traders Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau.
Top historical places include the Gateway Arch, a symbol of Westward Expansion and gives visitors a great view of the Riverfront, the Old Courthouse, where the prominent Dred Scott case took place, and Jefferson Barracks, the army’s first permanent base west of the Mississippi River.
For more information on these places, please see this article.
Food
St. Louis is known for its food, especially toasted ravioli and ribs. Don’t miss out eating at these delicious areas!
Imo’s Pizza is a locally-owned chain of pizza restaurants known for its unique St. Louis-style pizza. It is a thin, cracker-crust pizza with edge-to-edge fresh ingredients and Provel cheese. It is cut into squares hence the slogan, “Imo’s, the Square Beyond Compare.”
Ted Drewes is a family-owned frozen custard company known for its “concrete,” a malt or shake so thick that it could be served upside down. They have two locations in St. Louis: one on Grand, and one on Chippewa.
St. Louis is known for its style ribs. In the area, top rib restaurants include Pappy’s Smokehouse and Salt + Smoke. These places will make your stomach growl. To see more details on the best rib restaurants in St. Louis, please see this article.
Sports
St. Louis has two pro sports teams: the St. Louis Cardinals, a MLB baseball team, and the St. Louis Blues, a NHL hockey team.
The Cardinals won 11 World Series, and its logo features an actual cardinal. To learn more about the history of the St. Louis Cardinals’ logo, please see this article. They play at Busch Stadium, located downtown.
The St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019 against the Boston Bruins after 52 years. They play at the Enterprise Center, also located downtown, where famous concerts and some basketball games occur.
