Explore St. Louis

It's not as old as the Cathedral of Notre Dame, but it's built from a gazillion tons of concrete. It doesn't offer as many trains as New York's Grand Central Station... yet. But there is one thing that St. Louis' City Museum shares with these famous places: they're all on the same list of "Greatest Public Spaces in the World."

New York-based nonprofit Project for Public Spaces named ten landmarks from around the world that were being added to a collection of humanity's hot spots. City Museum was one of them.

Locations were ranked by criteria such as accessibility, atmosphere and attraction as a social environment.

The organization, which has helped some 1,000 communities in 12 countries improve their public offerings, describes City Museum as "an amusement park in the middle of downtown St. Louis... a fantastically imaginative collection of play spaces, exhibits and sculptures."

So, head to City Museum so you can say you’ve stood, slid, climbed, and created art within one of the world’s best public spots.

Congratulations to St. Louis’ Museum of Transportation on the delivery today of twin 24-inch scale replicas of the famous 1863 C.P. Huntington steam locomotive. The new miniature train locomotives weigh 6,100 pounds each, are four-cylinder, 63 horsepower and can reach a maximum speed of 12 miles per hour.

The two exquisitely detailed black and silver locomotives will pull open-style carriages with a capacity for up to 42 adults on a new one-mile track at the museum that is operated by Saint Louis County Parks. The new attraction will officially open to the public on October 1.

C.P. Huntington was one the famous 19th-century American railroad magnates. The Central Pacific Railroad locomotive that linked the West with the East in 1863 to create the first transcontinental railroad was named the C.P. Huntington in his honor.

Got weekend plans? If you're visiting St. Louis, give these special events a spot on your dance card:

Get an empty suitcase. You're going to need it after you've browsed through more than a million books at the annual YMCA Book Fair. The fair, at 600 Loughborough Avenue, is open from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday and continues from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. A popular tradition for more than 25 year, the sale offers books, records, tapes, CDs, videos and DVDs, sorted into 60 categories and ranging in price from 50 cents. There's a $10 admission fee on Friday night and the event is free on Saturday and Sunday.

After your book hunt, stop by Sauce in the City on Saturday 8/27/2005. The tasty food festival features some of St. Louis' best chefs, plus music, art, food and beverages. You'll find Sauce at Soldier's Memorial Park at 13th & Chestnut in Downtown St. Louis from 3:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Admission tickets are $5 in advance, $7 at the door and children under 10 are free.

The night is still young, so drop in on The Lot: A Music Festival at the Shlafly Tap Room parking lot. The free music festival features local bands, food, drink, jugglers, fire eaters and other sideshow attractions. The Lot opens at 6:30 p.m. and doesn't stop until 1:30 a.m.

Have you ever noticed that big windmill in South St. Louis? That's the historic Bevo Mill and it's your landmark for the 34th annual Bevo Day celebration on Sunday, 8/28/05. This old-style neighborhood street festival features ethnic foods, amusement rides, arts and crafts, a flea market and entertainment on three stages. A parade opens the event at 11:30 and the party continues until 9 p.m.

Want to snuggle up with luxurious linens this fall? Surround yourself with beautiful bed clothes on display at the glorious St. Louis Art Museum’s exhibition, “Sleep in Beauty: Bed Coverings from Around the World.” The gorgeous, antique fabrics featured in this free display would make Martha Stewart swoon. Ten amazing textiles are on view that exemplify the cultural significance and high levels of artistic achievement attained in the production of various types of bed coverings. Highlights include a rare 18th century embroidered Chinese silk and a suzani embroidered silk from the traditional Turkistan culture. The exhibition runs through October 23 in Gallery 100. The beauxs art-style museum which is dedicated to art and free to all is located in historic Forest Park.

You can’t lose when you snooze at any of St. Louis’ great hotels. Following a day of busily exploring St. Louis, perfectly plumped pillows and downy duvets await your tired tourist bones. Click here for a king-sized list of great deals on St. Louis lodging options.

You’ll make like Rumpelstiltskin at The Westin St. Louis which features the luxury chain’s trademarked Heavenly Bed extra-comfortable mattress system. For those who like a good workout after a deep sleep, Westin now offers WORKOUT rooms that are outfitted with workout equipment, fitness DVDs and books, yoga mats and other fitness items.

Visions of sugarplums are sure to dance in your head while snoozing at The Doubletree Club Hotel – St. Louis Airport which features its Sweet Dreams by Doubletree Bed. The luxurious bed features a plush-top mattress with five jumbo pillows, embroidered pillow shams, down blanket, and elegant high-thread-count linens and coverlets.

Yawn. Clayton on the Park Guests of the Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel are enjoying new Sweet Sleeper Beds that are made up of plush top mattresses, feather-filled pillows and specially made comforters. Yaaaawwwwn. Courtyard by Marriott Downtown offers extra-large body pillows and comforters and the Sheraton St. Louis City Center Hotel & Suites bedrooms are so large they include ultra-comfy sleeper sofas so families can tuck weary tots to bed in the same room.

If you can’t get nod off without your pet pooch curled up beside you, head to Clayton on the Park where Fido is as welcome, if not more so, than any guest. He gets dog treats. Yawwwwwn. Need to feel like your turning in someplace really different? The Cheshire Lodge’s six fantasy suites can transport you to the rainforest, a tree house in Sherwood Forest, an Indian maharaja’s palace or an old-time bordello.

So, pack up the PJs and prepare to relax. You’ll deserve a good night’s rest after a busy day of play in the Gateway City. ‘Nighty, night. ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

RSVP as fast as you can say "hay" to book a fun-filled fall hayride for your group through
St. Louis' gorgeous Forest Park. The classic autumn country-style ride meanders through the 1,300-plus acres of one of the country's largest urban parks.

Tractor-pulled haywagons provide leisurely 45-minute rides on crispy cool Friday and Saturday nights starting Friday, September 30 and run through Saturday, December 10. There are no rides over Thanksgiving weekend.

The wagons depart from Faulkner Drive (at Clayton Road near the Science Center) and return there where a roaring bonfire awaits. BYO-marshmallows or hot dogs for roasting.

Riders can choose from the following dates in 2005: Sept. 30 and Oct. 1; Oct. 7 and 8; Oct. 14 and 15; Oct.21 and 22; Oct. 28 and 29; Nov. 4 and 5, Nov. 11 and 12, Nov. 18 and 19; Dec. 2 and 3; and Dec. 9 and 10.

Wagons leave each evening at 7, 7:05, 7:10, 7:15, 7:20, 8, 8:05, 8:10; 8:15 and 8:20 p.m. These time slots are for group rides with a maximum of 20 people per wagon. Groups of all ages are welcome.

The cost is $100 a wagon with a maximum of 20 people per wagon. Hayrides go on rain or shine; dates are not transferable.

Reservations are required and are taken from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday by the permit section of the St.Louis City Parks Department. Call 314-289-5330 for details.

March to the St. Louis Zoo to see the Gateway City version of summer blockbuster movie birds at the very cool Penguin & Puffin Coast exhibit.

The star quality shines through as about 100 penguins of five different species streak through the frigid waters of the glass encased-exhibit, gaze at you from the icy cliffs and look cuter than any child star that ever graced the silver screen.

You’ll see Humboldt penguins happily cavorting in their outdoor haven at the entry to the habitat. Inside, you’ll be transported to the sub-Antarctic where gentoos, rockhoppers and king penguins reside amidst recreated coastal cliffs and icy waters. You’ll be close enough to get splashed by the playful birds as they dive into the cool depths and zoom through underground tunnels to pop up on the other side of their habitat home. There’s even a baby on board. A mom and pop king penguin pair hatched a chick this April. You can watch as the happy parents care for their fluffy baby.

Meander into the next cave-like dwelling to discover Puffin Bay where horned and tufted puffins entertain with their shrill cries, antic swimming and comical charm.

Penguin and Puffin Coast is a free exhibit within the always-free St. Louis Zoo.

Come down to "Live on the Levee" on the steps under the Gateway Arch for great performances, food and fireworks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, August 19, 20 and 21.

This new, three-day St. Louis celebration brings national headliners to St. Louis’ Mississippi riverfront:

Friday: Macy Gray - R&B songstress with a sultry sound. Local favorite Erin Bode opens the evening.

Saturday: Collective Soul - American traditional rock with a twist. Opening act: Modern Day Zero

Sunday: Blues Traveler - premiere combination of pop, blues and rock. Javier Mendoza opens.

Opening acts start at 7 p.m. and the headliners begin at 8 p.m. A 20-minute fireworks finale caps each performance. For details: www.celebratestlouis.net.

Ticket to Ride

After the concert strap on your helmet and join in the 41st Annual Moonlight Ramble. The world's largest night time bicycle ride begins just after midnight Satuday night (officially 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning). Pre-event activities begin at 10 p.m. at Soldiers' Memorial in downtown St. louis. For details, www.moonlightramble.com.
8/20/2005

See African-American St. Louis

The Missouri History Museum is offering a guided motorcoach tour of African-American historic sites on Saturday, August 20, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The tour will include stops at the Ville neighborhood, the Black World History Museum, the Old Courthouse and more and will include lunch. For more information call: 314-361-9017 or go to www.mohistory.org.

Combine the tour with a stop at the annual Missouri Black Expo Missouri Black Expo at the America's Center convention complex on Saturday or Sunday, August 20-21. Hundreds of African-American businesses will be in attendance along with artists, musicians and more. Call 314-361-5772 for details or visit www.missouriblackexpo.com.

Need an unusual start to the day for your group? Adult groups of 10 or more can nosh on an all-you-can-eat hot breakfast buffet followed by an OMNIMAX film experience at the St. Louis Science Center. This scene-stealing outing is a smash hit especially with senior groups who like the early morning timeframe and the nutritious, delectable breakfast. The OMNIMAX is located in the Science Center’s main building at 5050 Oakland Avenue across from Forest Park.

The meal is served in the Science Center’s festive new Fizz Factory Café located across from the OMNIMAX Theatre. Fluffy scrambled eggs, roasted red potatoes, fresh fruit salad, crisp bacon, sausage, assorted Danish and muffins, Starbucks® coffee, tea and assorted fruit juices fill your tummy before the latest Science Center film fills the massive OMNIMAX dome.

Breakfast is served at 8:30 a.m. with a 10:00 a.m. screening of the latest big screen extravaganza. Current films through September 5 include Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag and Cirque du Soleil Journey of Man.

For reservations and upcoming film schedules, call the group specialists at the St. Louis Science Center at 314-533-8481 or 1-800-456-SLSC ext. 8481. A minimum of 10 people and a one-week advance reservation are required. General admission is free to the St. Louis Science Center’s main building permanent galleries.

No need to work at having fun over Labor Day Weekend. Head to St. Louis where summer’s finale weekend is packed with fun options including festivals with an international flair, air shows, baby showers for Zoo animals and a free blues music extravaganza.

You can make your St. Louis hotel reservations online by clicking here.

Here’s a sample of St. Louis’ special Labor Day weekend events:

St. Louis’ roots music heritage is highlighted along the banks of the Mighty Mississippi when the annual Big Muddy Blues Festival fills Laclede’s Landing with the rhythmic, soulful sound of the blues on Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4 from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The 2005 edition of "Big Muddy" will feature Bo Diddley, Robert “Junior” Lockwood, the incomparable Henry Townsend, Koko Taylor and her Blues Machine, and St. Louis’ top blues talent including the Rich McDonough Band.

Fans of electronic music can tap their feet during the Beat Fest on Washington Avenue on Sunday, September 4. This indoor, electronic music festival showcases international, regional and local electronic music artists. The creative vibe runs from 9:00 p.m. through 3:00 a.m. at the hottest clubs in downtown’s newly remodeled and exciting Washington Avenue Entertainment District.

Several of St. Louis’ vibrant ethnic cultures will be on display during the Labor Day weekend. The 29th Annual Japanese Festival takes over the grounds of the Missouri Botanical Garden from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4 and from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Monday, September 5. This year, the festivities include a demonstration of sumo, the official sport of Japan and screenings of a Japanese cartoon animal or anime film. Visitors also can tour the nation’s largest traditional Japanese garden, browse an arts and crafts marketplace, sample exotic foods, hear traditional taiko drum performances, experience tea ceremonies and much more.

Nearby, in the charming Central West End neighborhood, nothing says Labor Day in St. Louis like the Greek Festival filled with authentic food and music at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. The festival opens at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 3, Sunday, September 4 and Monday, September 5 and closes at 9 p.m. on the weekend and 8 p.m. on Monday. There’s a special Hispanic Celebration and Mass on Sunday, September 4 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in nearby Belleville, Illinois. Events include a Eucharistic celebration in Spanish, a Mexican buffet, procession and piñatas.

The lovely Central West End neighborhood near St. Louis’ historic Forest Park is staging its Central West End Craft Festival on Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4. Unique handmade gifts, jewelry, art and other must have wares will be on display from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. each day. The festival is held along the pretty, café-lined streets at the intersection of Maryland and Euclid avenues.

While in the Central West End for the Greek Festival or craft shopping, head west for a few blocks into Forest Park to celebrate Elephant Labor Days at the famed Saint Louis Zoo. Saturday, September 3 through Monday, September 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the Zoo will honor expectant Asian elephants Sri and Ellie. Visitors can make “baby shower” gifts for the expectant moms, participate in keeper and veterinary chats, learn about babyproofing the habitat and the Zoo’s volunteer “midwife” team. Admission to the Saint Louis Zoo and Elephant Labor Days activities are free. You can do the “Elephant Walk” or any dance you choose while enjoying the Zoo’s “Jungle Boogie” free concert on Friday, September 2. The concert starts at 5:00 p.m. and runs until the Zoo closes at 7:00 p.m.

The St. Louis County Fair and Air Show begins Friday, September 2 and continues through Monday, September 5 at Spirit of St. Louis Airport. The event includes breathtaking air shows, world-class carnival rides, an aircraft display and much more. Fireworks follow concerts on Saturday and Sunday nights with headliners Hootie and the Blowfish and American Idol’s Kimberley Locke. Free Segway motorized scooter rides, Zoppe’s Circus, a Dale Jr. NASCAR driving experience for kids and more make this an event the entire family can enjoy.

You also can say “thank you” to the working families of America and remember the real reason for the holiday weekend at St. Louis’ annual Labor Day Parade. The parade begins at 9 a.m. at Broadway and Market streets in downtown St. Louis and ends at 15th street near St. Louis Union Station.

While you’re at play on Labor Day, top athletes are busily working. The National League Champion St. Louis Cardinals meet their historic rivals, the Chicago Cubs for a 1:15 p.m. first pitch during the first game of the last Cards/Cubs series in Busch Stadium. Construction crews are laboring on the new Busch Stadium that opens next season, next door. On Friday, September 2, the NFL’s St. Louis Rams get to work in a pre-season match with cross-state rivals the Kansas City Chiefs. Coin flip is at 7:00 p.m. at the Edward Jones Dome. Pro-am cyclists compete for cash, medals and glory during the Gateway Cup, a series of four races – one each day from Friday, September 2 through Monday, September 5. It’s free to watch the thrills and spills through St. Louis’ Lafayette Square, Kirkwood, The Hill and Loop neighborhoods.

It was announced today that St. Louis’ spectacular Missouri Botanical Garden will present "Glass in the Garden: Chihuly at the Missouri Botanical Garden" in 2006, a custom-designed, stunning show of glass sculptures by Chihuly. The sculpture installations will be on display throughout the Garden from April 30 through October 31, 2006.

Chihuly's style is immediately identifiable by monumental abstract sculptures of intensely vibrant colors, fluid and organic forms, and complex groupings of many pieces.
The exhibit places dramatic fine art pieces within the lush landscapes of the 79-acre, landmark Missouri Botanical Garden and its signature Climatron conservatory.

The Garden will host "Chihuly Nights" every Thursday, which will offer visitors unique, dramatically lit views of the exhibit in the glow of evening.

The Explore St. Louis web site will soon contain details about special Chihuly hotel packages and other events taking place in St. Louis during the run of this sparkling exhibit.

Bring along a hearty appetite when you visit St. Louis the week of August 22. That’s when select Downtown St. Louis eateries will really be cooking during Restaurant Week 2005.

Twenty of St. Louis’ yummy downtown dining establishments will offer taste-tempting, three-course evening meals for $25 per person (plus tax and tip) from Monday, August 22 through Saturday, August 27. Click here for a complete list of participating restaurants which include traditional favorites like Anthony’s Bar, Harry’s, Charlie Gitto’s and Mike Shannon’s to new hot spots such as Mosaic, Carmine’s Steak House, Red Moon, An American Place, Wasabi (pictured) and more.

Your tastebuds will thank you.

If you’re seeking great live music, a monumental setting, plenty of refreshments and a sky illuminated with fireworks, St. Louis is the place to be on August 19, 20 and 21. That’s when Celebrate St. Louis… LIVE on the Levee serves up free musical entertainment from nationally known acts on the Riverfront Overlook Stage beneath the Gateway Arch.

This new, three-day St. Louis celebration is bringing these headliners to St. Louis’ Mississippi riverfront:
Friday: Macy Gray - R&B songstress with a sultry sound
Saturday: Collective Soul - American traditional rock with a twist
Sunday: Blues Traveler - premiere combination of pop, blues and rock

While this year’s event will take place over three days, plans call for Celebrate St. Louis… LIVE on the Levee to become a multi-week celebration in summer 2006 and beyond. That way, St. Louisians and visitors alike can mark their calendars and plan to be live on the levee year after year.

There’s an old saying describing St. Louis that goes like this: First in shoes, first in booze and last in the American League. It harkens back to the days when St. Louis was the leading manufacturer of shoes in the nation, renowned (and remains so) for beer production and home to the colorful, but not always winning, St. Louis Browns American League baseball team. The Gateway City has always sparked innovation. Did you know the following St. Louis “firsts”?

The Eads Bridge, completed in 1874 over the Mississippi River, was the first arched steel truss bridge in the world. When it was first proposed, it was scoffed at as impossible to build. It’s still in use today by cyclists, pedestrians, automobiles and the MetroLink light rail transit system.

America’s first steel frame skyscraper still stands in downtown St. Louis. The Wainwright Building, at Seventh and Chestnut, was designed by Louis Sullivan. Built between 1890 and 1891, the structure has been called “the most significant building of modern architecture’s early years.”

The 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis popularized a number of new foods and was the first time many of these All-American favorites were introduced: The hot dog... the hamburger... the ice cream cone... and iced tea. Turnstiles, now a fixture at venues and special events, were used for the first time at the Fair.

During the 1904 Fair, the first Olympic Games held in the U.S. took place in St. Louis at Washington University’s Francis Field. Francis Field remains an active facility on campus.

The Climatron at the Missouri Botanical Garden houses a recreated rain forest filled with plants. The Climatron, built in 1960, was the world's first climate-controlled geodesic dome designed as a greenhouse. The Garden also is the site of the largest Japanese Garden in North America and is considered one of the Top Three public gardens in the world.

St. Louis' McDonnell Douglas Corporation, now Boeing, designed and built the space capsule that carried the first astronauts into space in the 1960's when the company was known as McDonnell Aircraft. See some on display at the St. Louis Science Center.

The first cathedral west of the Mississippi River was built on the St. Louis riverfront. The Old Cathedral remains a working parish church of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Noted St. Louis surgeon Dr. Evarts Graham performed the first lung cancer operation in
St. Louis in 1933.

The first case of post-prohibition Budweiser was delivered to Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the White House via the Budweiser eight-horse Clydesdale hitch. It was the first major appearance by the now famous draft horses and signature red wagon. You can tour the famous brewery’s headquarters in St. Louis throughout the year. The complimentary Anheuser-Busch brewery tour includes a stop at the elegant Clydesdale stables.

The first United States kindergarten was started in 1873 by Susan Blow in St. Louis. You can visit Miss Blow’s original kindergarten classroom that is operated by the Carondelet Historical Society in South St. Louis.

In 1818, Saint Louis University was the first university founded west of the Mississippi River.
The University’s beautiful Museum of Art is open free to the public.

The Old Courthouse in St. Louis features the first cast iron dome ever built. The historic building was the scene of Dred Scott's 1847 historic freedom trial, which focused national attention on the slavery issue. National Park Service rangers provide free tours.

The first successful parachute jump from an airplane took place at St. Louis’ Jefferson Barracks in 1912. You can visit the historic U.S. Army post where the U.S. Cavalry was formed and where U.S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, William Pershing and other famous soldiers served. A military museum traces the Barracks' history in U.S. conflicts from the time of the Black Hawk Wars to the end of World War II.

If you’ve never visited St. Louis, make your first trip soon to explore a fascinating and fun city that we hope will become number one on your list of favorite destinations.

Want to feel like the leader of the free world? Cast your vote for a trip to St. Louis where you’ll be humming “Hail to the Chief” during a Presidential getaway.

An acclaimed Smithsonian Institution exhibition, The American Presidency, fills the special exhibit gallery at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis from now through January 8, 2006. Other “presidential” St. Louis sites include two homes of 18th President U.S. Grant and the national monument to Thomas Jefferson’s dream of a continental United States – the Gateway Arch.

The American Presidency exhibition explores the office, the men who occupied it and their dynamic relationships with the public. Highlights of the exhibit include a dispatch case used by George Washington during the Revolutionary War, a microphone used by Franklin D. Roosevelt in his "fireside chats," and a formal gown worn by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Video stations examine life in the White House, the various roles of the president, the assassination and mourning of fallen chief executives, the presidency in the popular imagination, and life after the presidency. Photographs and graphics trace the history of the presidency from the creation of the office to the present day. The American Presidency offers captivating new perspectives on the job that is arguably the most powerful in the world.

Throughout St. Louis’ history, the office of the president of the United States has impacted St. Louis and St. Louis has influenced that office. Visitors to St. Louis can discover the city’s presidential connections by touring several free, historic attractions. The following highlights these great places to visit and offers some historical and fun facts about St. Louis’ relationship with those who have held the nation’s top job:

President Thomas Jefferson’s dream of a continental United States became closer to reality when he purchased the Louisiana Territory, which included St. Louis, from France for $15 million in 1803. Today, Jefferson’s vision is commemorated on St. Louis’ Mississippi River bank with a gleaming, 630-foot stainless steel sculpture known as the Gateway Arch. The Arch, now the internationally recognized symbol of St. Louis, is part of the 97-acre Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, a national park dedicated to America’s westward expansion and the movement that made St. Louis the Gateway to the West. More than 4 million annual visitors explore the Arch grounds which also include the Museum of Westward Expansion located beneath the sculpture, St. Louis’ Old Courthouse and Luther Ely Smith Square.

In 1843, young Second Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant, fresh from West Point, was assigned to
St. Louis’ Jefferson Barracks. Grant was a frequent visitor to the home of his academy roommate Frederick Dent who lived on his family’s St. Louis County farm, White Haven.

There he met and fell in love with Dent’s sister Julia. Five years later, upon “Sam” Grant’s return from the Mexican-American War, the couple married on August 22 at the Dent’s St. Louis city home at Fourth and Cerre Streets. The young couple lived at White Haven until Grant’s military assignments separated him from his wife and young family. Grant dreaded the separation from Julia and the children so much that he resigned his commission and returned to them in St. Louis. Grant built a log cabin home on a 100-acre tract on the White Haven farm given to him and his wife by his father-in-law. He and his family lived there for three months until his mother-in-law Ellen Dent’s death after which the Grant’s moved back to the main family house.

Located 15-minutes from downtown St. Louis and open free-of-charge, White Haven is operated as the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. Visitors can tour the Victorian-style house and grounds and learn more about the Dent and Grant families’ lives at the interpretive center operated by the National Parks Service.

Hardscrabble, the log cabin home hand-built by U.S. Grant, can be seen from April through October at Grant’s Farm, a 281-acre animal preserve operated by St. Louis’ Anheuser-Busch, Inc. The free attraction also features a Clydesdale horse breeding farm, a petting zoo and animal conservation and skill shows. Incidentally, Grant’s cabin was moved from its original setting near what is now St. Paul’s Churchyard Cemetery to be placed on view as a major attraction at St. Louis’ fabled 1904 World’s Fair.

U.S. Grant sold cordwood harvested from his Hardscrabble farm at St. Louis’ Soulard Farmer’s Market. Produce, fresh meats, spices and flowers are available to modern day shoppers Wednesday through Saturday. In operation since 1779, Soulard is the nation’s oldest farmers’ market and a cornerstone of Soulard, St. Louis’ oldest neighborhood. Only minutes south of downtown St. Louis, Soulard is known for its brick row houses, blues music clubs, corner taverns and as home to the world headquarters of Anheuser-Busch, Inc., the world’s largest brewer. Soulard celebrates its French heritage each year by hosting one of the nation’s biggest Mardi Gras celebrations and spirited events to commemorate Bastille Day.

In 1861, U.S. Grant legally freed his only slave at St. Louis’ Old Courthouse, the building that was the scene of Dred and Harriet Scott’s historic freedom trial. The famous case, which started in 1847 at the Old Courthouse, focused national attention on the slavery issue. Scott won his case in St. Louis only to have the Supreme Court overturn the lower court’s ruling, denying Scott and his wife Harriet their freedom on the grounds that they were not U.S. citizens and, therefore, not entitled to sue. Visitors can tour the historic courtroom and St. Louis history galleries and participate in National Park Service ranger-led reenactments of the famed Dred Scott trial.

Thanks to President Theodore Roosevelt, the “lights were shining” in St. Louis on April 30, 1904. That day, through the magic of turn-of-the-century public relations, from the East Room of the White House, T.R. “turned the key” which officially opened the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. Roosevelt visited the St. Louis fair on November 26, 1904 to be greeted by more than 200,000 cheering fairgoers. An on-going, free exhibit about the 1904 World’s Fair is on view at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. An avid outdoorsman, Roosevelt was most pleased that the first Olympic Games ever staged in the United States were taking place in St. Louis in conjunction with the fair. The games were held at Washington University stadium which is now known as Francis Field in honor of David R. Francis, the St. Louis civic leader who was the president and director of the famous fair. You can see the historic field, which is still in use, at Skinker Avenue and Big Bend Boulevard, just west of Forest Park.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the recipient of a true St. Louis-style gift in 1934. The first case of post-prohibition Budweiser was delivered to FDR at the White House via the Budweiser eight-horse hitch. The now famous draft horses and signature red wagon were presented to the St. Louis-based brewery’s owner by his son August A. Busch Jr. Since that day, the Clydesdales have become synonymous with Anheuser-Busch and St. Louis, appearing in commercials and at major events and parades throughout the country. Visitors can tour the famous brewery’s headquarters in St. Louis throughout the year. The complimentary Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour includes a stop at the Clydesdale stables.

“This is one for the books.” So said Missouri’s-own President Harry S Truman when presented with the infamous newspaper bearing the headline, “Dewey Defeats Truman.” The celebrated
photograph of a victorious Truman raising the erroneous Chicago Daily Tribune was taken on the back of a train car at St. Louis Union Station on November 3, 1948. Once the world’s busiest passenger train station, St. Louis Union Station has found new life as a festival marketplace of shops, restaurants, nightclubs, a man-made lake complete with paddleboats and the luxurious Hyatt Regency St. Louis hotel. The image of Harry Truman casts a glow from a neon sculpture along a building front in downtown St. Louis on Olive Street between 9th and 10th streets.

Gasoline prices got you down? Perk up with a visit to St. Louis where your car can take a vacation, too. Once you arrive in the Gateway City you can lock it and pocket the key then hop, scoot and zip around to great attractions all over town. Alternative transportation options include ultra-modern Segway scooters, traditional shuttles, bicycles and festive double-decker, open-top buses.

Hopping around St. Louis has never been more colorful thanks to the addition of the authentic London double-decker, open-top buses of City Sightseeing to the touring scene. Tours circulate through downtown St. Louis and nearby attractions or take in the top spots in Forest Park and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Tickets are good for two days with hop-on, hop-off privileges at 33 stops including the Gateway Arch, City Museum, St. Louis Union Station, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour Center, the fun-filled Loop neighborhood, the Cathedral Basilica, the Saint Louis Zoo and more. Kids under 16 years of age ride free with an accompanying adult.

Use the latest technology to tour the attractions within St. Louis’ historic Forest Park via a that Segway motorized standing, two-wheel “scooter.” The Saint Louis Science Center operates the tours from its McDonnell Planetarium site within Forest Park. A dozen Segways are available for three-hour, guided “Park ‘n’ Ride” tours through the park highlight the architecture, nature and attractions within the 1,300-plus acre greenspace including the Grand Basin fountains, the Jewel Box greenhouse, the Missouri History Museum, the Saint Louis Art Museum and the World’s Fair Pavilion. The “Wheels ‘n’ Meals” tour includes a box lunch meal. Riders must be 16 years old and weigh between 100 and 260 pounds and complete a 30-minute Segway training session offered before each tour.

Segway tours run through Labor Day. During June, the Segway program is scheduled on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. The tour schedule will expand in July to Wednesday through Sunday. Visitors can make credit card reservations by calling the Saint Louis Science Center Box Office at 314-289-4424. Prices are $5 for Segway pre-tour training, $80 for the “Wheels ‘n’ Meals” tour and $60 for the “Park ‘n’ Ride” option. Segway 101, a more detailed training course, is available for $10.

Another great way to experience the wonders of Forest Park is with the Zip2 Forest Park Shuttle. The shuttle operates from the Forest Park/DeBaliviere MetroLink light rail station and zips to the park’s most popular attractions including The Boathouse, Forest Park Visitor Center, Missouri History Museum, the Jewel Box greenhouse, The Muny Opera, Saint Louis Art Museum, Science Center and Zoo. Forest Park Shuttle tickets can be purchased on board the Forest Park Shuttle, for $1.50 (or $.75 for Senior Citizens, Disabled Passengers, and Children ages 5-12).

Forest Park visitors also can take leisurely, guided bike rides around the roads and paths with City Cycling Tours. Daily 2.5 to 3-hour-long programs cover a 12-mile route with 20 stops that describe the history of the park, architectural and natural features and background on the cultural institutions that call the park home. Helmets are provided and there are a wide range of
comfortable bike frame sizes available. Start times are flexible and group rates are available.
Call 314-616-5724 for reservations. For those who wish to explore the park or surrounding neighborhoods on their own, bike rentals are available at Big Shark Bicycle Company. Located a short bike ride from Forest Park at 6178 Delmar in The Loop neighborhood. Big Shark offers a variety of bike styles and helmets. Call 314-862-1188 or visit Big Shark's web site for details.

Visitors can use their own pedal power to explore even more of St. Louis. Single bikes, tandems, trailers and tag-a-longs are available from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. daily from the kiosk operated by the Gateway Arch Riverfront. With their rental, visitors can get maps of the surrounding trail system. Cyclists also can follow new Bike St. Louis markers scattered throughout downtown St. Louis and several historic neighborhoods. The 20-mile path allows bikers to take a self-paced tour of top attractions and St. Louis’ noted architecture and links riders with a variety of regional trails.

If you’re such a fan of gasoline-consuming personal transportation that you can’t part with your vehicle, be sure to drive to the new automobile gallery at the Museum of Transportation. That’s where 17 vintage automobiles are housed in a glass-enclosed gallery designed to resemble a new car showroom.

At the end of the day, you can get your kicks along the St. Louis stretch of fabled Route 66 with a refreshment break at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, an iconic “Mother Road” refreshment stand known for serving “concretes” – milkshakes so thick they serve them to you upside down.