The BF and I enjoy hanging out on Main Street in St. Charles for eats, cocktails and live…read moreentertainment. We hang out with acquaintances for date nights. We also enjoying going to various businesses in St. Charles-The Chicken Coup for fried chicken. Sauci Pasta for delicious homemade pastas and salads. Napeoli 3 for their cocktails. Aldi's for groceries. He likes to hit the casino occasionally and I will accompany him for dinner dates in the casino. St. Charles has a plethora of really great spots to accommodate ALL your needs, from home and garden to night life and everyday needs. We often travel across the bridge because of the shopping options.

This review does not attempt to cover all of the City of St Charles but is limiited to the Main…read moreStreet shopping and dining area. This section of St Charles is roughly adjacent to the Katy Trail State Park and the Missouri River is visible across the parking lot and trail area. The Main Street area is a semi-historic area with a lot of dining and shopping opportunties located in mostly historic buildings. It appears that a major effort has been made to preserve the historic nature of the district. My wife and her sister enjoyed some of the shopping sites and the four of us enjoyed a delightful lunch on the patio of one of the restaurants. The Main Street area of St Charles is a great place to spend an afternoon (or evening).

This park is definitely Forest Park's South County cousin and often overlooked as a recreation…read morespace, in my opinion. There are several walking trails all over the park, these vary in length and some include fitness activities along the way. The paths are well marked and paved. Also in the same area is Sylvan Springs park. It has several playground areas, including a splash park. New this year is the Pavilion Fitness Center and Aquatic Area. It's a great addition to the park for swimming and exercising. JB also has an amphitheater for concerts, festivals and carnivals. The whole park sits alongside the Mississippi River on lovely bluffs. There are great scenic views and plenty of picnic tables, covered pavilions and park benches. I haven't even started on all the historical features of this park including a WWII museum, Civil War artifacts and other historical areas. Of course all of this rests alongside the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery which is a place of beauty, sacrifice and inspiration. If you haven't been to Jefferson Barracks, or JB as the locals refer to it, you're missing out on one of St. Louis' true gems.

This is a hilly park. I loathe this park when I'm going uphill, but I like it when I'm going…read moredownhill or flat. Usually. Some sections of the trails are shaded, but mostly it's rather sunny. Look around and you may see a groundhog or other varmint... is a groundhog a varmint? A Taco Bell-sponsored fitness course runs along part of the trail. Yes, we went to Taco Bell after the ride.

Laumeier is a beautiful neighborhood park featuring a wide variety of art installations which are…read moresure to amaze and entertain, some great shaded walking paths with play area for the children. The park also hosts the annual art fair and other pop up events. My favorite thing about this park is that it is not super crowded. While the weekends might boost the number of visitors, the park is usually still fairly peaceful. We've met photographers here before as the sculptures and sceneries do introduce lovely backgrounds for photoshoots. We've also just spent some time strolling with our pup on beautiful days. There is an education center to learn about the park. Aside from beautiful nature scenes and flowers, there is a large eyeball which is quite an entertaining conversational piece, a very tall human piece, a leafy looking piece made of wood, a large moose (I think?) and so much more! If you haven't made the trip, take some time to check this place out on a morning or an afternoon stroll and check out some outdoor arts!

One of our favorite parks in St. Louis county! It's a perfect spot for a quick looped walk mixing…read moreart and nature. There's a woodsy trail that winds along the park with sculptures mixed in. There's also a long cement path that crawls all around the open grassy sculpture park part. It's a dog friendly park which is great because our dogs LOVE this park. It's even better because in the warmer months they offer a lot of weekend events like art fairs or food truck gatherings with live music. Awesome spot One of our favorite parks in St. Louis county! It's a perfect spot for a quick looped walk mixing art and nature. There's a woodsy trail that winds along the park with sculptures mixed in. There's also a long cement path that crawls all around the open grassy sculpture park part. It's a dog friendly park which is great because our dogs LOVE this park. It's even better because in the warmer months they offer a lot of weekend events like art fairs or food truck gatherings with live music. Awesome spot

As I stroll up to the World's Fair Pavilion in ForestPark, just one of my routines before another…read morememorable show at TheMuny! There's just something about those luscious lavender blooms that keep me returning. I mean, who knew a Victorian-era bandstand would be my weekly hit of natural scent in the summer? This spot was built for the 1904 World's Fair and it's still as beautiful as ever! I recommend going prior to a Muny show or it's a nice digestive walk after eating at the Boathouse.

Ive been to many events at this large pavilion in Forest Park. Most recently, Veg Fest. Electricity…read morefor live music and/or speaker. Clean, maintained public restrooms. Plenty of spaces outside of pavilion for tents, vendors, etc. Parking throughout the park. Beautiful view over the park and fountain. Love this place!

This small green space is located on the Illinois side of the McKinley Bridge that crosses the…read moreMississippi. Venice is a pretty small town that dates back to the early 1800s when there was a horse ferry here for the river. The park is quite small with only a handful of painted parking spaces but they have a gazebo and the grass/landscaping is in excellent condition. The "Salute to Steel" sculpture is an impressive stricture that serves as a tribute to the steel manufacturing that has historically taken place in the local communities of Granite City, Madison and Venice. Created by artist John Celuch, the steel sculpture's three rings represent the three communities, with the vertical elements representing a steel pour. As Jason V. points out, the park also functions as a trailhead and since I was not hiking or biking today, I don't have any thoughts on that beyond what he's written. [Review 17219 overall - 116 in Illinois - 736 of 2022.]

This little park has been around for more than a decade, but since nobody really sees it that well…read morewhile getting on/off the McKinley Bridge, it is kind of hidden. It is the best place to go if you are biking, or even walking the trails. The park connects to two different trails: one that goes to Missouri, and the other (Confluence Trail) going parallel with the Mississippi River on the Illinois side. What's at this park: - a Salute to Steel sculpture, where 3 rings represent the three industrial towns that shaped the area: Granite City, Madison and Venice. - a Route 66 sign, which notes that the McKinley Bridge was the first Route 66 route to cross over the Mississippi (1926-1930). - a kiosk (under shelter) which has eight pages detailing the history of the steel towns and how they shaped the St. Louis metro-east area. - picnic table - parking lot There is not enough space for kids around, and there is not a playground. But the area has been kept up very well, despite of its surroundings. In fact, when I was there last week there were workers (or volunteers) planting flowers for landscaping.

Granite City has been trying to rehab itself for so long, and even though it is not your typical…read moreRoute 66 stop - they have been wanting to capitalize on their part of the Mother Road. Though it wasn't during the road's heyday (more in its later years....), they want to make sure travelers will stop through their downtown and get a good look at the mill (because without the mill, there would be no Granite City, right?). But as Yelper Steven pointed out, it's a park dedicated to nostalgia and history. I've noticed that a lot of longtime Granite residents love to cling to the past (in a good and bad way) and showing off these old signs and relics is a great start. A mural and large shield are not too far of a walk. You'll find decent parking, be it on the street or at the small lot across the street from the Neon Sign Park. Be sure to check out the few recently installed Muffler Men statues in Granite City, as well as the "Fork in the Road" sculpture!

A park dedicated to nostalgia and history. The park is located at the corner of Delmar and 19th in…read moreGranite City, IL. It's simply a tribute to two things from our past, classic neon signs and the last 100 miles in Illinois of the historic Route 66. If you're driving thru or by Granite City, it is worth the detour to do a couple of selfies in front of the mural. Of course if you can visit the park at night, you'll see the classic neon signs turned on and in all their glory. It's the Centennial of Route 66, so it is the perfect time to go check out, It's Electric.

I recently attended a friend wedding here. This was my first time being inside this place despite…read morewalking around forest park and this place so many times. This place was decorated very nice. The staff were nice. There was quite a few people that come here for the pictures of prom and so on during this time of the year.

I see why the jewel box is a premier wedding location. Although outside was dead due to winter,…read moreinside the greenhouse was still beautiful. The staff does such as wonderful job of maintaining the plants present. It is a great location for a free nature themed photo opp. It is free to enter before noon but otherwise you pay $1 to enter.

Many pass by or stop here without even realizing this is a St. Charles City park right in the busy…read morehistoric district. This pleasant mini-park (less than 1/2 acre) is shaded with mature trees and has benches for rest breaks from strolling Main Street. A gazebo offers more seating. Below it are restrooms--possibly the most-used amenity the park offers. The restrooms are open year round.

This park is beautiful. Many scenic areas and a lot of photo opportunities. Area was very clean and…read moreclear of litter. A nice place to exercise, walk, yoga or just ppl watch. Will make this my zen place for sure.