If you know me, you know I'm fascinated by everyday historic landmarks. I prefer the places people…read moredon't always think about - like the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. So, fun facts. Old Chain of Rocks Bridge is part of the even more historic Route 66. It also helps to connect Missouri and Illinois (and yes, you can walk it - or wheel it in my case). Built in 1929, the bridge features a 30-degree turn halfway across the mile-long bridge. While today this area is very passable by ships, in 1929 a "chain of rocks" (a 17-mile shoal) made passage difficult. Originally designed to go straight across, riverboat men protested because the bridge itself would have created an additional obstacle. Essentially, it had to "bend" for the sake of safe passage. The bridge cost twice its original estimate ($2.5 million), but it was built as a "destination" from the beginning. The Missouri side had a park; the Illinois side had 400 elm trees. There was even an amusement park. Also, during World War II the red sections were painted green so it would be less visible from air. The bridge closed in terms of official function in 1968 - a new Chain of Rocks Bridge opened in 1967 and includes Interstate 270. Old Chain of Rocks Bridge was nearly destroyed in 1967. For several years, that seemed likely. In 1980 (another fun fact), John Carpenter used the bridge in Escape From New York). Obviously, the bridge has been restored to some fame. It's now part of the Route 66 Bikeway (as of 1999), and in 2006 was added to the National Register of Historic Places. I'm considering a Route 66 Tenderness Tour (or at least part of the 2,000+ mile highway). This bridge may become part of that, so I'm thrilled I got the chance to check it out. The pathway for biking/wheeling is nicely done, easy to maneuver, and stunning in beauty (though it was an admittedly beautiful day when I was on the bridge). The bridge offers connections to the MCT Confluence Trail, Mississippi River Trail (Isn't it weird? I've been out of school 30+ years and I still sing the Mississippi song when I spell it), and the St. Louis Riverfront Trail. There's free parking on the Illinois side at the bridge entrance and also at North Riverfront Park. The Missouri side has a park with a pavilion, native habitats, an event lawn, and a gated parking lot (the event space opened in 2024). The bridge, no longer used by vehicles, is open daily for bikers/pedestrians (and wheelchairs).

This old bridge is an awesome piece of Americana history. It is about a 1 mile walk to get across…read morethe bridge. There are 2 castle looking buildings in the ole Mississippi that use to be the water source for the city of St Louis. I would recommend parking on the Missouri side as it has be recently redone. Nice parking lot with picnic tables and overhead protection from the sun. No running water but there are 2 porta potties under an awning. The Illinois side is not as pleasant.

The Grand Viaduct in Saint Louis is one of those pieces of city infrastructure that lives invisibly…read moreunder the radar and yet it feels like it has lived several lives. If you spend time around Grand Boulevard, you can feel the history in the way the roadway stretches out over the rail yards, giving a long elevated sweep of skyline, train lines and old industrial bones all at ones. It is the kind of bridge you cross without thinking when you walk or drive it and then suddenly you notice that it is doing a lot more than just getting cars from one side of Midtown to the other. The original Grand Viaduct was built in the early 1900s to solve a very Saint Louis problem. What was then the city's main north-south corridor had to cross a dense and busy rail district. The only way to keep traffic moving was to lift the street up and over the tracks. That early structure served for decades, but by the early 2000s it was functionally obsolete, structurally deteriorated and too narrow for modern traffic. The current viaduct was essentially a full replacement that was completed in 2012. It was designed to modernize the corridor, improve pedestrian access and create a safer and wider crossing that could handle both the vehicle flow and the foot traffic between Saint Louis University, Midtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. Architecturally, the new Grand Viaduct is a contemporary concrete and steel structure with clean lines, side sidewalks and modern lighting. It has an open and airy feel that emphasizes function over ornament, but it still has a sense of presence due to the long span, the elevated vantage point and the way it frames the Lou around it. I walked from the Grand Metrolink station to the nearby Target and back, so I got to experience it as a pedestrian. It felt like the pedestrian section was intentionally designed rather than just tacked on. It has barriers, lighting and clear sightlines that made it comfortable to walk even though it was over a very active rail corridor and next to an active roadway. The Grand Viaduct is worth a slow walk. It's not flashy. Instead, it is one of those pieces of infrastructure that quietly holds the city's rhythm together. [Review 403 of 2026 - 501 in Missouri - 25586 overall]

Carrying nine lanes of Interstate 55 and Interstate 64 and US 40 across the Mississippi River…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz/mississippi-river-saint-louis?hrid=Il9iAmGAowEzkkTU9eEcdQ, the Poplar Street Bridge is officially the Congressman William L. Clay Sr. Bridge. It joins the communities of Saint Louis, Missouri with East Saint Louis, Illinois. William "Bill" Clay represented Saint Louis in the US House of Representatives from 1969 to 2001. The bridge was completed in 1967 and is a 647 foot long deck girder bridge. The bridge is heavily utilized, carrying approximately 100,000 vehicles daily. It is the second-most heavily used bridge on the river, after the I-94 Dartmouth Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Today's crossing was easy enough as there was very light traffic on a Sunday afternoon. There is no toll to cross the bridge in either direction. [Review 17252 overall - 157 in Missouri - 769 of 2022.]

Commonly known as the Poplar Street Bridge the 2165-foot Bill Clay Bridge has carried I-55/64…read moreacross the Mississippi River between Illinois and Missouri since its completion in 1967. It is rumored to have been in a constant state of disrepair ever since. Until I-70 was shifted with the opening of the Stan Musial bridge in 2014 PSB had the distinction of being the onliest river bridge in the United States to carry three interstate highways (I-55, -64, and -70) Ongoing realignment projects have greatly improved the west end, reducing the cluster-something of ramps and interchanges considerably since the late 20th century, a feat that many people thought could only be achieved by plate tectonics.

It would be easy to walk past this building and miss the history so stop by and enjoy the early…read more1900's architecture. There's even a plaque! The plaque reads, "Cadillac-Chrysler Building. Built in 1919. This building, designed by Wm. A. Balsch, Architects, was built by Cadillac Automobile Company of Saint Louis when it outgrew its building at 2920-22 Locust Street. The dealership became Oliver Cadillac in 1927, and remained here through 1930." "During the time this building was a Cadillac dealership, Cadillac entered the "Classic Car" era and Cadillac sales doubled as its wheelbases grew, up to 152 inches in length on some models. Syncromesh transmissions and four wheel, vacuum assisted brakes were introduced and its V-8 motor grew to 353 cubic inches with 96 horsepower. By 1920, an optional, 452 cubic inch V-16 motor, producing 185 horsepower was available." "In 1927, Cadillac introduced the LaSalle, promoted as a "Companion Car to Cadillac". With Cadillac like quality, but slightly smaller , on a 125 inch wheelbase and with a smaller V-8 motor, the LaSalle was sold in Cadillac showrooms, until it was replaced by the Cadillac Model 61, in 1941." "From 1932 through 1948, this building houses the L.M. Stewart, Inc. Chrysler-Plymouth dealership. Chryslers ranged from upper middle price cars, to its Imperial model, which were direct competitors of Cadillac. In 1934, Chrysler introduced the Airflow, a marketing disappointment despite its revolutionary design and construction improvements, including the first American car with unitized construction." "This Plaque Dedicated By The Horseless Carriage Club of Missouri and Hilliker Corporation." [Review 14441 overall, 1767 of 2020, number 75 in Missouri.]

WOW! The Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower has been closed for over 18 months to do a remodel and it…read moreis impressive. They've totally redone the lobby of the tower with new educational boards. They now teach about, York, Sacagawea, Seaman and the Crew. Plus, Lewis and Clark. In addition to the lobby boards, they expanded and updated the ones on each of the platforms, too. Besides the improves within The Tower itself, there are vast improvements in the surrounding grounds. The courtyard has been brought back to life with murals on the walls and water fountain is back to spraying the area like a mini Ole Faithful. There's also new picnic areas for guest to enjoy. Best of all there's a new playground for the little people to enjoy. It's got a zip line, slides and jungle nets for climbing. The playground has benches for parents and grandparents to sit and observe the little ones play and frolic. The views from the platforms are still amazing and best on a clear day. When on the third level which is 150 feet in the air you can see, where the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers merge together. In addition to The Confluence, you can see The Arch, Barnes Medical Center, Downtown Clayton and even St. Charles. Even if you are not into the history of L&C or The Confluence, going up the tower is still worth the view.

A family member had heard about this spot and wanted to go see it, so we made a trip. We thought it…read morewas going to be really cool and have stuff to do... but really it is simply a lookout with short walking trails around it. You pay to go up the lookout. It is 3 stories up and you can see the confluence of the rivers. It's literally about a 5 minute event... then it's over. We asked a few questions of our "guide" but unfortunately he shared that he was new and literally had no answers. It is required that a "guide" goes up the tower with you so I would expect that they would give you an overview or a cool fact or something... They have a cool courtyard area with seating that looks like it would host concerts or something... If they offered an event like that here I would recommend going. If not, I wouldn't make the drive (we drove 45 minutes), but might go if I was in the area.

An iconic site for any St Louis visitor No visit to St…read more Louis would really be complete without taking the tram ride to the top of the Gateway Arch. We purchased a package deal that included tickets for the tram ride to the top. This begins at the base of the Arch next to the museum exit inside the Gateway Arch Visitor Center. When purchasing your tickets, you'll choose whether to depart from the north or south tram. Both reach the same observation area, but each serves one half of the top, so you'll only have access to the viewing windows on your assigned side. Before boarding, visitors walk through an interesting preshow area along the concrete walls of the Arch, where displays explain its construction and history. When your departure time arrives, attendants organize everyone into groups of five before leading you to the small tram cars. The ride to the top takes about four minutes in a compact capsule that seats five people. The cars are clean and fascinating from an engineering standpoint, but they are definitely small. Anyone who is claustrophobic, uncomfortable in tight spaces, or particularly tall or large should keep this in mind before purchasing tickets. Once at the top, you'll find an observation area with a sloping floor that follows the curve of the Arch. The unique windows provide beautiful views of downtown St. Louis on one side and the Muddy Mississippi River and Illinois on the other. After spending time enjoying the scenery and taking photographs, you simply board the tram for the ride back down. Overall, this was a very unique experience and one that I would recommend to fellow travelers visiting St. Louis. It offers great views, interesting engineering, and the opportunity to stand inside one of America's most famous monuments that has really withstood the test of time well. Enjoy!

I will come here again - come Hill or high Water Tower…read more I was hoping they'd cover the cost of this review, and luckily, they Compt me. This beautiful water tower dominates a gorgeous neighbourhood and makes me very happy in some ways. It's been here for a long time and is part of the charm and mystique of this popular and leafy neighbourhood of St Louis close to the centre. I'll always love it here and the way it looks and feels. I've been here so many times now and I think it's an excellent tower in a nice park - that could be kept a bit cleaner. It's a landmark for the whole neighbourhood and deserves the five stars I'm giving it, aesthetically and sentimentally It's in a beautiful park in the heart of German St Louis, and is a beautiful water tower that dominates the neighbourhood, and it's gorgeous. If they kept the park a little bit better and a little cleaner and safer at night, I would probably give it the extra star. But it is one of my preferred places to visit when I'm in St. Louis. And what's more, the tower can be seen from far around and I absolutely love it, and the feeling it gives this part of the STL.

Today was my first time at this park, and I liked it. It is spacious enough to walk your dog for…read moretheir potty break, and there is a playground, dog park, and tennis court. It is a well-maintained park, and I recommend it to those with pets!

Located on the East Saint Louis side of the river next to the Eads Bridge and underneath the East…read moreRiverfront Metro Station, this small spot has a stone garden and some signs pointing out the camp site of the famous explorers. The first marker reads, "Lewis and Clark in Illinois. On December 10, 1803 Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and their party camped at this place opposite Saint Louis. The next morning, Clark left Lewis in Saint Louis before beading upstream towards a winter campsite. They would spend five months in Illinois before heading west on their famous expedition. Erected 2003 by the State of Illinois and the Illinois Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission." The second marker reads, "Lewis & Clark Expedition, 1803-1806". York, as Clark's Body Slave, was an active voting emmber of the expedition. Described as big, very dark, strong, agile, athletic and playful, York was known as "Big Medison" to Native Americans. From near this site he often paddled Lewis and Clark by canoe to Saint Louis for meetings and supplies. York was a hunter, nurse, poled the keelboat, made fires and put his life at risk for the safety of Clark. He may have been freed by Clark between 1811 & 1815." [Review 17221 overall - 117 in Illinois - 738 of 2022.]