After my first visit last month to St. Louis in about three years, I returned home with a new sense of awe at the River City’s architectural beauty, rich history and dynamic economy.

Everywhere I traveled in the 18th largest metro area in the U.S., I saw evidence of masterpiece buildings, preserved history and robust construction. Some 334 years after French explorers first visited this area, the city patterned after New Orleans shows no signs of slowing. In fact, the MSA of 3 million people is experiencing a renaissance and building boom unlike any in its history.

The interior of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown St. Louis reflects the old world charm that is characteristic of the city.

With $4 billion in new construction dotting the downtown landscape, the city is not just a gateway on the road to someplace else; it is a destination in its own right.

If you've ever wanted to walk on the wing of an airplane that's suspended above the ground, your chance awaits at the City Museum in St. Louis.

Everywhere a visitor turns, rebirth awaits. Virtually every warehouse or factory that once turned out everything from shoes to billiards tables is now being used as a museum, restaurant, retail shop, pub, church, school or meeting place. For a city that survived a deadly epidemic and fire in 1849 and killer tornadoes in 1896, the resilience of St. Louis has never been more apparent.

While the America’s Center convention complex, the new $400-million Busch Stadium and the Laclede’s Landing entertainment district garner the headlines, another $3.5 billion in construction quickly rises in the central business district. The $430-million Pinnacle Casino will open this fall, and some 2,600 hotel rooms have been added to the downtown in recent years to accommodate the city’s increased tourism and convention traffic.

Supported by research coming out of St. Louis University, Washington University, University of Missouri at St. Louis and other institutions, a thriving biomedical cluster sprouts and attracts new companies.

Against that backdrop, I wondered: If the people who visited the World’s Fair and the Olympic Games in St. Louis in 1904 were to return to the city on the Mississippi River today, what would they most want to see?

While it’s difficult to compile a short list of the best sites, I put together my own "Top Ten Things to See and Do in St. Louis." I hope you enjoy this list, but more importantly, I hope you experience these places in person in October:

Busch Stadium, home of the World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, is as much a work of art as it is a ballpark.



Busch Stadium: Seeing Josh Hancock pitch in the final game of his short life is something I will never forget. When you see an entire city bleeding Cardinal red, you understand that baseball is more than a game or a pastime for this City of Champions. It is part of the fabric and family of St. Louis. The gleaming new stadium — a throwback to a bygone era in its brick façade design, quirky angles and oversized signs — testifies of this city’s love for its ballteam and its ballplayers, a love that never shined brighter than in the grieving aftermath of Hancock’s tragic death. One visit to Busch, and you will grasp the ties that bind this unique city together.

The Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis showcases beer and a whole lot more, as evidenced by this Dale Earnhardt Jr. racecar.



Jefferson Expansion National Memorial: The 630-foot-tall Gateway Arch, completed in October 1965, beckons travelers westward even as it commemorates Thomas Jefferson’s vision of national expansion through exploration and the Louisiana Purchase. The 45-minute trip to the top of the Arch and back is well worth the view. For a unique vantage point, however, venture to the Top of the Met a few blocks away and look at the Arch from a similarly high perch. You’ll swear you’re looking down on the structure that cost just $13 million to build, but you’re not; you’re actually still looking up at it from the 42nd floor of the Metropolitan Square Building in downtown St. Louis.


Anheuser-Busch Brewery: The flagship St. Louis Brewery at 12th and Lynch Streets offers guided tours to visitors to this historic landmark. You’ll see how Busch brews its beers, but you’ll also see much more including one of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s famed No. 8 Chevrolets used by his NASCAR racing team; the famed Budweiser Clydesdales; and a large gift shop stocked with souvenirs.

From the Top of the Met, the 630-foot Gateway Arch takes on a different look.



Hyatt Regency Union Station: The host hotel for the 2007 Fall Professional Forum of IAMC, this majestic ode to St. Louis history combines striking architecture with a smorgasbord of dining and shopping. This four-diamond property offers towering ceilings, period furnishings and elegant service. It’s also convenient to any downtown destination, including the Arch and Busch Stadium.


Missouri Botanical Garden: Located at 4344 Shaw Blvd. in St. Louis, this colorful oasis was first opened to the public by founder and St. Louis businessman Henry Shaw in 1859. Visit it today, and you’ll feel like you’ve traveled back in time to the mid-19th century. The mission of the garden and accompanying museum is simple: "To discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment, in order to preserve and enrich life."

Ron Starner, executive director of IAMC



Other sites worth seeing in St. Louis include the famed St. Louis Art Museum, the exotic and eclectic City Museum, the highly educational St. Louis Science Center, the Missouri History Museum and the St. Louis Zoo.

Before you leave town, you will also want to sample the city’s fine cuisine. Whether it’s the home-cooked red beans and rice at Soulard’s Restaurant, fine Italian dining at Kemoll’s or Asian-French fusion at Red Moon, you won’t leave St. Louis hungry.

Ron Starner