H eadlines
St. Louis a Vibrant Gateway to the West
1764. French fur traders Pierre
Laclede and Auguste Chouteau
JEFF AND VIRGINIA ORENSTEIN |
founded St. Louis on high land
JE FEATURE
just below the confluence of
the Mississippi and Missouri
Note: We recommend that Rivers.

travelers should follow current
CDC guidelines and check with Before You Go:
each mode of transportation • explorestlouis.com/
and specific venue of interest • riversandroutes.com/
for current information before • stlholocaustmuseum.org/
traveling. Check explorestlouis. • travel.usnews.com/
com/ before you go.

St_Louis_MO/ Things_To_Do/
ST. LOUIS IS KNOWN as
the Gateway to the West. It Getting There:
has earned that title because St. Louis can be easily reached
it is located near the conflu- by highway, air, train or
ence of the Mississippi and riverboat.

Missouri rivers, making it a
natural center of economic • By car, St. Louis is reached
and political activity for the
by Interstate Highways 44,
region, as well as the logical
64, 55 and 70
starting point for the western • By air, St. Louis Lambert
expansion of the United States
International Airport (STL)
beyond the Mississippi.

is 16.8 miles from the
St. Louis served as the
Gateway Arch.

economic and political center • By train, Amtrak’s Gateway
of Spanish Upper Louisiana,
St. Louis Station is 3.3
the starting point for Lewis
miles from the arch. It has
and Clark’s Corps of Discovery
frequent service to Chicago
and the economic and social
and points west and south.

center of what would become • Since St. Louis is on the
the state of Missouri.

Mississippi River, riverboat
It is a large (2.8 million in
cruises are available locally
the greater metropolitan area)
and to distant destinations
but accessible city that fronts
north and south.

on the Mississippi River. Its
most identifiable feature is the Must-Sees and Dos for
630-foot-tall Gateway Arch, a Short Trip:
located downtown. But there • The Gateway Arch National
Park. Take a trip to the top.

is far more to St. Louis than
the arch. The city hosts a lively • Explore Laclede’s Landing.

nightlife, beautiful Forest Park, • Take a local cruise on the
Mississippi. a renowned zoo, an excellent
aquarium and attractions for • Visit St. Louis Forest Park.

• Check out Busch Stadium.

the whole family.

The river is a center of • Visit one of St. Louis’
panoply of museums.

commerce with busy ship
and barge traffic, rail lines,
highways on each side and If You Have Several
industry galore. It is also a Days:
tourist attraction with boat • Visit the National Museum
of Transportation, an
rides and restaurants with a
excellent railroad history
river view. East St. Louis lies in
museum 20 miles from
Illinois, across from St. Louis
downtown. and is a huge industrial center
• Visit the Aquarium at St.

that boasts a casino.

Louis Union Station.

The city was founded by the
French in Spanish territory in • Tour the Busch Brewery.

T RAV EL
12 OCTOBER 28, 2021
The Gateway Arch can be seen for many miles. Here is a view from the Mississippi River. The building with
the green roof is the Museum of Westward Expansion, part of the Gateway Arch National Park.

Photo by Jeff Orenstein
The view from the top of the St. Louis Gateway Arch is impressive. Here we are looking at the immediately
adjacent downtown area:
Photo by Jeff Orenstein
The repurposed St. Louis Union Station is the home of the new St. Louis Aquarium and several restaurants
and shops.
Courtesy of Visit St. Louis
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