Historic Sites in Belleville

"The beautiful Missouri Botanical Garden is also known as the Shaw Garden, after the businessman and botanist Henry Shaw (1800-89) who laid it out in 1859. In the southeast part of the gardens are the richly appointed Tower Grove House, Henry Shaw's "garden house". The gardens themselves comprise a lovely rose garden, the rather unusual Climatron, built in 1960 for tropical plants, a Japanese Garden, an "aqua-tunnel" under a water-lily pool, and a herbarium."

"Thank you to the Missouri Botanical Garden and their Shaw Nature Reserve for helping us to design our Rain Garden, as well as for providing guidance on the best native plants to use in the Rain Garden, River Park, and other outdoor spaces. Learn more about rainscaping and creating your own rain garden here!"

"The Missouri Botanical Garden, founded in 1859, is also known by some as Shaw’s Garden. It has a herbarium featuring an impressive collection of over 6.6 million specimens."

"Like a fairytale castle dedicated to the Christian son of God, the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis is both a stunning piece of craftsmanship as well as a tranquil, sober place of worship. Its green domes shine in the St. Louis sun and match the colour of the lush green trees growing around the church which softly frame the cathedral. Plans for the cathedral began under the Archbishop Peter Ri...Read more"

"Southwest of the Gateway Arch is the Old Cathedral, the Catholic Basilica of St. Louis of France. Built from 1831 to 1834 on the site of the first church of St. Louis (1770), it survived the 1849 fire unscathed. On the west side of the cathedral is the Old Cathedral Museum, covering the history of the city."

"Also known as the Old Cathedral, the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France is the oldest building in the City of St. Louis. It sits in the morning shadow of the Gateway Arch and is an important piece of St. Louis history. The church was built between 1831 and 1834."

"Designated a National Memorial since the 1930s, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park is located by the Mississippi River and covers over ninety acres. Here, you will not only be able to take in the beauty of the park itself but also take in iconic sights such as the Gateway Arch. You will also be able to explore other features such as the Old Courthouse and the Museum of Westward Expansion so you can look forward to a diverse and educational experience when you visit."

"Next up is downtown's Gateway Arch National Park, situated at 11 N. Fourth St. With four stars out of 243 reviews on Yelp, the landmarks, historical building, museum and park has proven to be a local favorite."

"The focus is on the towering Gateway Arch, but the park also features the Old Courthouse, a museum, and walking trails. Read my Guide to the Gateway Arch"

"One of the most historically significant buildings in the U.S. is also one of its most architecturally important. Originally opened in 1828, the structure’s cast-iron dome, designed after the dome on St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, was under construction in 1861 at the same time as the one on the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Inside, the landmark has been restored, with artist Carl Wimar’s murals depicting St. Louis’ history on the soaring ceiling."

"In 1846, the slave Dredd Scott fought for his freedom, and that of his family in a court of law. In 1872, Virginia Minor attempted to be the first woman to vote in a St. Louis election and was sent to court. What do these two incidents have in common?"

"The Old St. Louis County Courthouse was founded through a federal and state courthouse combination in St. Louis dating all the way back in 1816."

"An array of red bricked buildings stands side by side, grim and strong against a backdrop of blue sky and green grass. Sometimes, you’ll see fighter planes soaring up above while soldiers train on the lawns below them. Steeped in history and fascinating facts, stands the Jefferson Barracks Historic Park."

"This historic park is focused on Missouri’s military and civil war history. In addition to a large park with trails 7 picnic shelters, you’ll find museums & military exhibits to explore. This is not an exhaustive list of free things to do in St. Louis."

"Heavy Riff is in the heart of the Dogtown neighborhood of St. Louis and has a whopping 25 taps to choose from. Their Wild Ales are particularly fantastic and they are quite possibly the only brewery I’ve seen to have a Brown Ale with an untappd rating of a 4.2."

"Another requisite destination among St Louis craft breweries is Narrow Gauge Brewing Company, which specializes in hazy, New England-style IPAs. Narrow Gauge produces a number of full-flavored dry-hopped IPAs with strong notes of tropical fruits and the notable lack of any pronounced, piney bitterness. Narrow Gauge brews its beer from the back of an unassuming Italian restaurant called Cuigino’s, where menu highlights include stuffed meatballs and the St. Louis original toasted (i.e. fried) raviolis."

"If you crave the haze, this Florissant brewery should really be your first stop. The brewery focuses primarily on the hoppy stuff, ranging from Hop Water, a dry-hopped session IPA, to “Oast,” a series of rotating American IPAs. That being said, don’t sleep on the black sheep of the menu, the brewery’s Old Town porter."

"Narrow Gauge is located just Northwest of STL in Florissant, Missouri and produces the best New England IPAs in the area. Juicy, hazy, and delicious is the name of the game at Narrow Gauge. Their Imperial Stouts are also fantastic!"

"On top of a draft menu of Belgian-style ales and tasty amber bière de miels, the bottle list is insanity. The brewery often offers cellared bottles for on-site consumption, including Abraxas, its venerable imperial stout made with cinnamon sticks, ancho chilies, vanilla beans, and cacao nibs. Learn MoreSee on Map Get This Beer Delivered Now on Drizly"

"Anyone who’s made a bowl of ramen from scratch has experienced how much work goes into it. Add bean sprouts, pickled mustard greens, a ramen egg and slow-cooked pork belly to the equation and $12 seems like a steal for the O’Miso Spicy ramen at Nudo House. Not only is it the best ramen in town, but it’s served in a massive bowl."

"Tucked away near the Soulard neighborhood, this brewery is commonly associated with its City Wide pale ale and pilsner, which are go-to tallboys for many locals. There’s a lot more to love coming out of this brewery, though, including a peanut butter chocolate milk stout called Absence of Light, and the Divided Sky rye IPA. The taproom also features a kitchen menu of brats, bar snacks, and seafood, courtesy of two award-winning local restaurants."

"The small kitchen in the brewery is operated by the James Beard award-winning chef of Sidney Street Café, Kevin Nashan. The menu is limited, but includes the exceptional house-smoked brisket sandwich that would be worth a visit regardless of the beer. Beyond beer, 4 Hands distills its own gin and vodka under the brand 1220 Artisan Spirits."

"Granted there are oodles and oodles of awesome microbreweries and craft beer bars to choose from in the Gateway to the West, but Urban Chestnut Brewing Co is surely worth a special mention – if only for its colossal beerhall-style interior. Transporting patrons to the kellers and biergartens of Bavaria at both its locations in St. Louis – one on Manchester Avenue, the other on Washington Avenue – Urban Chestnut is responsible for a number of the city’s most acclaimed crafts. There’s the Winged Nut copper-coloured ale with Munich malts and a curious hint of chestnut flavorings."

"St. Louis has a number of fantastic craft breweries, and Urban Chestnut Brewing Company is near the top. The brewery focuses on creating modern American beers like its Winged Nut Ale, in addition to tried-and-true options like the Zwickel Bavarian-Style Lager. Urban Chestnut has three locations in the city, including a German-style bierhall in The Grove and a biergarten in Midtown."