Top five things to see and do in Saint Louis, USA - St. Louis Sightseeing: Top 5 Sites
Top five things to see and do in Saint Louis, USA
Saint Louis, Missouri, located in the heart of America in the Midwest, is one of America's most storied and eblematic cities. Situated along the Mississippi River, St. Louis served as a vital, bustling port city for much of the 18th and 19th century. It served as an entry point into the great western American frontier, earning it the nickname "The Gateway to the West." It hosted both the 1904 World's Fair and he 1904 Olympic Games, the both American city to host both events. Today, Saint Louis remains a vibrant, quintessential American city with plenty of interesting attractions to offer to an enthused traveller. Here is a list of my top five favorite Saint Louis sites:
The Gateway Arch
The Arch is an architecutral wonder that simply cannot be missed. Erected in 1965 at 630 feet tall, the Arch looms on the banks of the Mississippi as one approches the city from the east as the tallest monument in the United States. It frames the St. Louis skyline majestically and serves as a symbol to the city's historical roots as a "Gateway" City. In terms of unique, modern architectural (and symbolic) monuments, the Gateway Arch is in a league right up there with the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The Arch has both a museum at its base which covers the history of both the Arch and St. Louis as the "Gateway City." Also, if one wants to catch truly breathtaking views of St. Louis and its surrounding area there is an elevator ride all the way to the top. The Arch is one of the iconic symbols of America, and a true can't miss.
Busch Stadium
While St. Louis was a Gateway to the American West, baseball serves as America's pasttime and a cultural symbol of the country. The new Busch Stadium, opened in 2006, is one of the nicest baseball stadiums in the entire country, and serves home to one of America's original and most successful baseball teams, the Saint Louis Cardinals. Even if baseball is not one's cup of tea, its historical importance in American culture should be appreciated. Daily tours are given during the offseason, and from April to September 81 home games are played annually. If the Cardinals are in town, it is worth one's while to get to experience a truly American cultural event in a brand new, state-of-the-art stadium watching one of America's most storeied teams play ball.
St. Louis Zoo
While almost every major city has a zoo, St. Louis's ranks as one of the oldest zoos in the United States and one of the largest, with almost 4000 types of animals. Among the higlights are a 228 foot long free flight aviary, an impressive collection of chimpanzees, and one of the largest collections of Emperor penguins in the entire world. MOst of the exhibits utilize large, natural habitats for the animals, enabling visitors to watch the animals in environments similar to their natural habitats. Oh yea, one last great thing about the St. Louis Zoo (and reason to go there for a traveller on a tight budget), it is free.
Forest Park
Trivia Question: What is the largest urban park in the United States? If your immediate response was Central Park, you would probably have guessed the same as the vast majority of people, but you would have been wrong. Forest Park is about 50% larger than Central Park. The primary site of the 1904 World's Fair, Forest Park is not only historically important, it has numerous attractions within its borders that are worthy of seeing, including the Jewel Box, the World's Fair Pavilion, and the St. Louis Zoo (see above). In addition to these great attractions within the park there are golf courses, lakes, and plenty of open areas to enjoy a nice picnic or football match in St. Louis's temperate climate.
Anheuser-Busch Factory
Anheuser-Bush, the world's largest beer brewer, is headquartered in Saint Louis. Daily tours are available to see the beer brewing process, the iconic Clysedale horses that are a symbol for Budweiser, and for some free samples of the finished product at the end of the tour. A unique experience and a good reward for a long, productive day of sightseeing in Saint Louis.
