Weekend in the Gateway City

St. Louis has this way of surprising you. It’s a city that wears its history openly, but with a kind of quiet charm that makes everything feel a little more magical.

🗺 St. Louis is known as the “Gateway to the West” because it became part of the United States through the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. It later became the launch point for the Lewis and Clark expedition, which mapped the American West.

📏 The Gateway Arch is a perfect catenary curve, standing 630 feet tall and 630 feet wide. It’s the tallest arch in the world and the tallest man-made monument in the United States.

🎡 The tram inside the Arch is a quirky engineering gem. It works like an elevator, an escalator, and a Ferris wheel all at once to carry visitors to the top.

🥇 St. Louis was the first American city to host the Olympic Games back in 1904.

🦫 When French settlers arrived, the city became a major hub for fur trading along the Mississippi River. Beaver-pelt hats were all the rage.

👑 The city’s name honors King Louis IX of France, who became king at just 12 years old. The site of St. Louis was chosen by a 13-year-old scout working with the city’s founder.

🍴 Toasted ravioli is a beloved St. Louis classic, born in the Italian-American neighborhood known as “The Hill.” The city also played a role in popularizing peanut butter, ice cream cones, and iced tea.