#1 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Gateway International Raceway
East St. Louis IL
~12.79 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Gateway International Raceway
Gateway International Raceway is a race track in Madison, Illinois, USA, just minutes from Downtown St. Louis, Missouri. It hosts a NASCAR Nationwide Series event and a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on a 1.25 mile (2 kilometer) oval, a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) infield Road Course used by SCCA and various car clubs, and also has a quarter-mile drag strip that hosts an annual National Hot Rod Association event. The facilities are owned by Dover Motorsports, a group that also owns Memphis Motorsports Park, Dover International Speedway and the Nashville Superspeedway among others.
The first major event held at the facility was a CART series held on Saturday May 24, 1997, the day before the Indy Racing League's Indianapolis 500. Rather than scheduling a race directly opposite the Indy 500 (as they had done in 1996 with the U.S. 500), CART scheduled Gateway the day before to serve as their Memorial Day weekend open-wheel alternative without direct conflict. After a couple years, track management grew increasingly dissatisfied with its apparent use, as seen by some, as a political pawn or statement by CART and IRL/USAC and its poor attendance as fans generally chose to travel to the Indy 500 for the weekend instead. For 2000, the race was moved to the fall. In 2001, its was dropped from the CART series schedule, and switched alliances to the Indy Racing League. After mediocre attendance, the event was dropped altogether after 2003.
The 1.25-mile (2.01 km) oval is a favorite of many of the drivers who race there due to the unique shape and different degrees of banking in each corner. Turns 1 & 2 have characteristics similar to New Hampshire Motor Speedway while Turns 3 & 4 are similar to Phoenix International Raceway and the track's egg shape mimics the legendary Darlington Raceway. Several NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams test at GIR in preparation for these events.
There is also a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) infield road course used by sports car clubs and motorcycle organizations through the warmer months. This road course hosted a round of the AMA Superbike Championship in 1995. Canadian Miguel Duhamel won the superbike class in blistering hot conditions.
In late 2006, Lenny Batycki took over as the vice president and general manager of the track. Unlike most of his predecessors, Batycki brought with him extensive marketing and PR knowledge of motorsports, having been a vice president at the North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, NC and a vice president at Richard Childress Racing for a number of years, working with the late Dale Earnhardt for the last years of the seven-time champion's career.
In early January 2008, it was announced that the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers would move their sponsorship from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck race to the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. The July 19 Nationwide Series will now be called the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. At the 2008 event, Carl Edwards became the fourth driver to win two NASCAR Nationwide Series events at GIR.
It was a big year in 2008 for the NHRA at GIR as legendary 14-time Funny Car champion John Force earned his 1,000th career round win against Ron Capps. Making the event doubly special was the fact it happened on his 59th birthday one week after he lost to his daughter, Ashley Force, in the finals at Atlanta for her first career Funny Car win. Another storyline in the day's event was Rod Fuller beating his arch rival Tony Schumacher in the finals. It would be a big win for Fuller as it represented one of the very few times Schumacher would be beat in an historic season for The Sarge, who won 15 races, with seven of them consecutively with 31 round wins in a row, en route to his fifth consecutive Top Fuel title and his sixth overall.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Gateway was sponsored by Camping World, becoming the Camping World 200. Ironically, the race was won by defending Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday, whose #33 Truck fielded by Kevin Harvick Inc. is sponsored by Camping World.
Also at the 2008 Camping World 200, GIR introduced its brand-new victory lane, a throwback to the one used at Rockingham. The project, spearheaded by Batycki, was an immediate hit as Hornaday and the rest of the Truck Series competitors were very complimentary of the new addition.
In 2009, two new events were added to the season schedule: The American Drag Racing League, a sanctioning body headquartered in nearby O'Fallon, Missouri, and the USAC .25 Midget Series, the racing league's new quartermidget tour. The USAC event is in conjunction with the Gold Crown Nationals, a midget race co-sanctioned by USAC and POWRi scheduled to run at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Illinois.
In 2010 Gateway will receive a second NASCAR Nationwide Series race due to the closure of Memphis Motorsports Park. The date will be the former late fall event at Memphis.
|
#2 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Cahokia (Neighborhood)
Saint Louis MO
~14.58 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Cahokia
For 500 years, Cahokia was the major center of a culture that, at its peak, stretched from Red Wing, Minnesota to Key Marco, Florida and across the southeast. Cahokia is the largest prehistoric site in North America, north of Central Mexico. The site is located across the Mississippi River, east of St. Louis, Missouri on a now extinct river channel. The city of Cahokia is the focal point of what is known as the American Bottoms, the broad alluvial valley of the Mississippi River just south of the confluence of the Missouri, Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. This area is considered to be one of the most fertile agricultural zones in North America. The rivers that joined within this area not only furnished the transportation needs (trade) of the city but through seasonal flooding it constrantly replenished the fertility of the soil.
The cultural tradition represented at Cahokia is called Mississippian by archaeologists. Characteristics of a Mississippian site include shell-tempered pottery, triangular projectile points, rectangular-shaped trench houses, pyramid mounds, diagnostic settlement patterns and site plans, and corn-bean-squash agriculture. Another predominant characteristic of Cahokia is the matrix of interaction called the "Cahokia Interaction Sphere." The influence exerted by Cahokia and the interrelationship of sites is far-reaching. Within the Cahokia Interaction Sphere, Cahokia's influence can be demonstrated at Aztalan in south-central Wisconsin, Red Wing in west-central Minnesota, the Spoon River Focus of the Central Illinois River Valley southward throughout the southern Mississippi River Valley.
The city of Cahokia was inhabited from 1300 to 600 BP. At its peak from 900 to 800 BP, the city covered nearly six square miles and had a population of up to 20,000. Houses were arranged in rows and around open plazas. The main agricultural fields lay outside the city. Cahokia was a planned city with elaborate public buildings and perhaps elite residences at its core. The construction of these features required an organized cooperative labor force as well as organized leadership. Astronomical, mathematical and engineering knowledge also appear to be necessary skills in the planning and construction of the site.
The fate of Cahokia is unknown. Depletion of resources probably contributed to the city's decline. A climate change after 800 BP may have affected crop production and the plant and animal resources needed to sustain a large population. A gradual decline in population began sometime after 800 BP, and by 600 BP the site had been abandoned.
The people of Cahokia had "widespread commerce; stratified social, political, and religious organization; specialized and refined crafts; and monumental architecture." (Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site) This architecture consisted mainly of mounds, many of which still exist. There were about 120 mounds at Cahokia. The most famous mound is Monk's Mound, the largest mound in North America. It has a rectangular base of about 15 acres and a flat top that was once the foundation for a chief's house or a religious structure. This mound is about 100 feet tall. The orientation of Monks Mound (major axis running 5 degrees east of north) is repeated not only in the surrounding mounds, houses and eastern stockade, but in surrounding archaeological sites.
Woodhenge, a famous calendrical structure located here, is a circle created by wood posts that served as a calendar, because the poles lined up with the rising sun at specific dates of the year. There may have been five woodhenges at Cahokia. They are located west of Monks Mound and range in diameter from 240 feet to 480 feet. Circle #2 was precisely laid out, with posts at the cardinal points and a total of 48 points even spaced around the circumference.
Another impressive feature of Cahokia is the stockade. It was a 2 mile long wall that surrounded that central portion of Cahokia. It may have acted as a social barrier however, "three things lead most archaeologists to believe that it was primarily a defensive structure: the great height of the wall; the presence of evenly spaced bastions, projections from which archers could shoot arrows; and evidence that portions of the wall were hurriedly built, cutting through residential areas, as if danger was imminent." (Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site)
|
#3 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Wax Museum of St Louis
720 N 2nd St Saint Louis MO - 314-241-1155
~15.01 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Wax Museum of St Louis
Celebrity watchers will have the opportunity to see more than 150 famous people and historical figures depicted in wax at this downtown museum. See the likes of Henry VIII and his wives, Elvis, Michael Jackson and other notables even the Pope. The museum is located in the Laclede's Landing entertainment district, an easy walk to restaurants, clubs and souvenir shops. Receive two free children's tickets with each adult ticket. Winter hours can vary; be sure to call before going.
|
#4 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Laclede's Landing
St. Louis MO
~15.02 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Laclede's Landing
Laclede's Landing is a popular attraction located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States.
Located just north of the Eads Bridge on the Mississippi Riverfront, the Landing is a multi-block collection of cobblestone streets and vintage brick-and-cast-iron warehouses dating from 1850 through 1900, now converted into shops, restaurants, and bars.
In 1763, a French merchant and former soldier of France named Pierre Laclede, along with his fourteen year old lieutenant Auguste Chouteau and a crew of 30, set out from New Orleans to explore the Illinois Country and establish a fur trading post. In 1764, Laclede chose the first elevated site below the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, along the terraced bluffs that formed the west bank of the Mississippi River, north of the River des Peres and south of the Missouri River. In 1784, the site was cleared and temporary cabins were built under the supervision of Auguste Chouteau. Pierre Laclede named the settlement St. Louis in honor of the patron saint of the king of France.
The village of St. Louis contained three long streets that ran parallel to the Mississippi River: La Grande Rue, now First Street; Rue d'Eglise, now Second Street; and Rue des Granges, now Third Street and numerous short streets that crossed these, perpendicular to the river. Soon the village became the center of commerce with furs as the main source of exchange for goods.
Today, Laclede's Landing, a nine - block industrial area that once housed companies producing coffee, leather goods, mattresses, tobacco, whiskey, candy, and machinery for the barges, features some of the most distinctive restaurants and sidewalk cafes in Saint Louis. Visitors to Laclede's Landing can experience the charm of cobblestone streets and century old brick and cast iron facade buildings as they browse through specialty gift shops.
During the day, the historical district is also home to people who work at the many offices located on the edge of the Mississippi River. At night, horse drawn carriages and live music add to the atmosphere of one of the premier entertainment areas in St. Louis. Nearby, sightseeing excursions and gaming boats offer additional choices for entertainment.
|
#5 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park
St. Louis MO
~15.09 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park
The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is located in St. Louis, Missouri, near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It was designated as a National Memorial by Executive Order 7523, on December 21, 1935, and is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS).
The park was established to commemorate several historical events:
the Louisiana Purchase, and the subsequent westward movement of American explorers and pioneers;
the first civil government west of the Mississippi River;
the debate over slavery raised by the Dred Scott case.
The memorial site consists of a 91-acre (36.8 ha) park along the Mississippi River on the site of the original city of St. Louis; the Old Courthouse, a former state and federal courthouse which saw the origins of the Dred Scott case; the 45,000 sq ft (4,200 m2) Museum of Westward Expansion; and most notably, the Gateway Arch, an inverted steel catenary arch that has become the definitive icon of the city.
Today, the park is host to four million visitors each year,[citation needed] three quarters of whom enter the Arch or the Old Courthouse
|
#6 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Old Cathedral of St. Louis of France
St. Louis MO
~15.10 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Old Cathedral of St. Louis of France
The Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, formerly the Cathedral of Saint Louis, and colloquially the Old Cathedral, was the first cathedral west of the Mississippi River and until 1845 the only parish church in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. It is one of two Catholic basilicas in St. Louis, and it is named for King Louis IX of France, also the namesake for the city of St. Louis.
It is located near the historic riverfront of St. Louis, surrounded by but not a part of the Gateway Arch grounds. Because of the historical significance of the church, it was left intact while all neighboring buildings were demolished to make way for the Gateway Arch. The basilica currently serves as a personal parish church rather than a territorial parish church, and therefore ranks 177th of 196 churches in number of Catholics per church in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. However, because of its historical significance, the basilica remains a popular church for marriage ceremonies in the archdiocese (ranking second of 196 churches) and a popular tourist destination.
|
#7 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Old Courthouse
St. Louis MO
~15.17 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Old Courthouse
The Old Courthouse (officially called the Old St. Louis County Courthouse) was a combination federal and state courthouse in St. Louis, Missouri that was Missouri's tallest habitable building from 1864 to 1894 and now is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.
Land for the courthouse was donated in 1816 by Judge John Baptiste Charles Lucas and St. Louis founder René Auguste Chouteau Lucas and Chouteau required the land be "used forever as the site on which the courthouse of the County of St. Louis should be erected." The Federal style courthouse was completed in 1828.
|
#8 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Edward Jones Dome - Saint Louis Rams
St. Louis MO
~15.17 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Edward Jones Dome - Saint Louis Rams
The $280 million facility opened on November 12, 1995, with an NFL match-up between the newly minted St. Louis Rams and the Carolina Panthers. Since then, the building has hosted major conventions, elaborate trade shows and exhibitions and touring entertainment acts as varied as rock concerts, motocross races and monster truck rallies. And, in combination with the five other America's Center exhibit halls, the Dome has hosted a Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II, which was the largest indoor gathering ever held in the U.S. The facility has also played host to numerous amateur and professional sporting events, including the 2005 NCAA® Men's Final Four
|
#9 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
St Louis Regional Convention
901 N Broadway Saint Louis MO - 314-342-5320
~15.18 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to St Louis Regional Convention
|
#10 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Gateway Arch
St. Louis MO
~15.18 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch, also known as the Gateway to the West, is an integral part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and the iconic image of St. Louis, Missouri. It was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel in 1947. It stands 630 feet (192 m) tall, and is 630 feet (192 m) wide at its base, making it the tallest monument in the United States. Construction of the arch started on February 12, 1963 and was completed on October 28, 1965. The monument opened to the public on July 10, 1967.
The cross-sections of its legs are equilateral triangles, narrowing from 54 feet (16 m) per side at the base to 17 feet (5.2 m) at the top. Each wall consists of a stainless steel skin covering a sandwich of two carbon steel walls with reinforced concrete in the middle from ground level to 300 feet (91 m), with carbon steel and rebar from 300 feet (91 m) to the peak. The interior of the Arch is hollow and contains a unique transport system leading to an observation deck at the top. The interior of the Arch also contains two emergency stairwells of 1076 steps each, in the event of a need to evacuate the Arch or if a problem develops with the tram system.
The base of each leg at ground level had an engineering tolerance of one sixty-fourth of an inch or the two legs would not meet at the top.
During construction, both legs were built up simultaneously. When the time came to connect both legs together at the apex, thermal expansion of the sunward facing south leg prevented it from aligning precisely with the north leg. This alignment problem was solved when the St. Louis Fire Department sprayed the south leg with water from firehoses until it had cooled to the point where it aligned with the north leg.
It is the tallest habitable structure in Missouri, 7 feet higher than the 623 foot spire of One Kansas City Place in Kansas City, and 37 feet higher than the roof of Metropolitan Square in St. Louis, Missouri.
|
#11 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
America’s Center Convention Complex
St. Louis MO
~15.28 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to America’s Center Convention Complex
|
#12 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Downtown St Louis (Neighborhood)
St. Louis MO
~15.36 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Downtown St Louis
|
#13 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum
111 Stadium Plz Saint Louis MO - 314-231-6340
~15.40 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum
As of Saturday, November 8th, 2008, the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum has closed as it enters a transitional period in which the museum staff will work to design a new museum facility which will be constructed in Ballpark Village, across the street from Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum Staff will still be available for general questions and historic inquiries and can be reached by calling the Cardinals Front Office at 314-345-9600.
Please check back for more information about the new Cardinals Museum and we appreciate your patience during this time of transition.
|
#14 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Busch Stadium - St. Louis Cardnials
St. Louis MO
~15.44 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Busch Stadium - St. Louis Cardnials
|
#15 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Columbus Square (Neighborhood)
Saint Louis MO
~15.44 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Columbus Square
Columbus Square is a neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. It is bounded by Cass Avenue to the north, I-70 to the east, Tucker & North 13th Streets to the west, and Cole Street to the south.
Columbus Square was settled by successive waves of immigrants. The first wave, a group of German Catholics, settled in the vicinity of 11th and Biddle Streets. Later, the first Irish immigrants colonized the land around 6th and Biddle, an area that subsequently became St. Patrick's parish. After 1840, the area from the river west to 12th Street was built up with high-density tenement quarters, row houses of two and three stories high, for the newly arriving immigrant laborers. Many of these structures fell before the wave of commercial and industrial development that began after the Civil War. Regardless, of those that remained, most had deteriorated into decrepit, overcrowded slums as early as 1870.[1]
These tenement communities tightly built around roads and alleyways became known for their poor living conditions and crime, with nicknames such as "Castle Thunder," "Crabber Alley," and "Wild Cat Chute." An Italian community began to emerge near 7th and Carr Streets after the turn of the century. By 1920 the whole area north and west of downtown assumed a polyglot character of mixed nationalities, including immigrants from Russia and the Balkan countries. During the same period, in the portion that we now call Columbus Square, truck terminals and industries replaced many of these tenement homes. Housing staged a comeback in the area with the erection of the Neighborhood Gardens apartments in 1936 and Cochran Gardens public housing in 1952. Later projects included the Columbus Square Townhomes and the Castles. Both projects were constructed between 1985-1987.
With the renaissance of downtown St. Louis in full swing, the future of Columbus Square is brighter than ever. The restoration of the historic Shrine of St. Joseph has created a renewed awareness of the neighborhood's centerpiece. Additionally, as one of the most anticipated projects in the entire St. Louis region, the Bottle District is poised to redefine the future of Columbus Square.
|
#16 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Kosciusko (Neighborhood)
Saint Louis MO
~15.58 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Kosciusko
Kosciusko is a non-residential neighborhood located in St. Louis, Missouri. Within its limits are several industrial companies, including the Monsanto Company Queeny Plant Technology Center and the Nooter Corporation.
|
#17 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Soulard Farmer's Market
St. Louis MO
~15.67 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Soulard Farmer's Market
The Soulard Farmer's Market is the last survivor of once numerous public markets in St. Louis. A combination of good location, grit, and city subsidies kept this market viable long after the others had ceased. But before discussing the particular history of Soulard Market, it would help to place the phenomenon of public marketing in the context of human history.
Origin of Public Markets
At one time in human history, each individual was responsible for hunting and gathering his own food. Later, early efforts at farming developed: purposely planting crops and raising animals in close by, accessible places, rather than foraging near and far. Later still, humans developed specialization in their food-raising tasks, and some areas were better suited for growing certain grains, or for raising certain animals, than other spots. This specialization created the necessity for the owners of various foodstuffs to barter for the foods they didn't have.
As towns developed, situated near key water and food sources, some people forsook raising their own food entirely, instead depending on trade for their daily bread. As towns grew larger, a spot was customarily set aside in the center of the settlement as the trading and bartering location for everyone. Over the generations, these trading spots grew more established and structures were even specifically built for the trading of goods. The Greeks and the Romans provided space in their town and city plans for market spaces, often in a central square. This pattern has persisted through the centuries in human societies until the very recent phenomenon of suburban-style planning.
|
#18 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Downtown (Neighborhood)
Saint Louis MO
~15.70 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Downtown
Downtown St. Louis is the central business district of St. Louis, Missouri, the hub of tourism and entertainment and the anchor of the St. Louis Metropolitan area. The downtown is bounded by Interstate 64 to the south, Jefferson Ave. to the west, the river front to the east, and Cole St. to the north. The downtown is the site of many corporate headquarters including Wachovia Securities, Stifel Nicolaus, HOK, and a host of other companies.
|
#19 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Granite City (Neighborhood)
Saint Louis MO
~15.72 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Granite City
|
#20 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Madison (Neighborhood)
Saint Louis MO
~15.72 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Madison
Madison is a city in Monroe County, Missouri, United States. The population was 586 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.2 km²), all of it land. Madison was always a small town, but due to a fire set by a lumber company, it burned much of the town down. After this, many moved out. Today, a Caseys General Store rests where the lumber company once did. Madison used to carry a pizza place, a bowling alley, a drug store, a jail, and much more. In the mid to late 1800s a man that went by the name Aterbury, who was a banker, built three large houses on the north end of town. One for him, and the other two for his relatives. Sadly, one burnt to the ground. Two still remain, including the one that Mr. Aterbury lived in himself, which is located on North Street; it is the biggest house in Madison.
As of the census of 2000, there were 586 people, 258 households, and 176 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,314.3 people per square mile (502.8/km²). There were 292 housing units at an average density of 654.9/sq mi (250.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.15% White, 0.17% Native American, 0.34% from other races, and 0.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.37% of the population.
There were 258 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,125, and the median income for a family was $35,875. Males had a median income of $29,375 versus $19,327 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,128. About 10.6% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 18.8% of those age 65 or over.
|
#21 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
St Louis (Neighborhood)
Saint Louis MO
~15.72 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to St Louis
St. Louis (pronounced in French: Saint-Louis or St-Louis), is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. The city itself has an estimated population of 354,361 and is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,879,934, the largest urban area in Missouri and 16th-largest in the United States.
The city was founded in 1764 just south of the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers by colonial French traders Pierre Laclède and René Auguste Chouteau, who named the settlement after King Louis IX of France. The city, as well as the future state of Missouri, became part of the Spanish Empire after the French were defeated in the Seven Years' War. In 1800, the land was secretly transferred back to France, whose leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, sold it to the United States in 1803. Nicknamed the "Gateway to the West" for its role in the westward expansion of the United States, the city gave the moniker in 1965 to the new Gateway Arch built as part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial; the Arch has become the iconic image of St. Louis.
Once the 4th-largest U.S. city, St. Louis proper has seen its population slip to 52nd. At the peak of the city's influence, St. Louis hosted the 1904 World's Fair and 1904 Olympic Games, both the first of their kind held in the Western Hemisphere.
In the 19th century, immigration from Italy, Germany, Bohemia, and Ireland flooded St. Louis, coloring the cuisine and architecture of the city. Many African-Americans moved north to the city during the Great Migration.
St. Louis has been at the forefront of the 21st-century wave of urban revitalization, receiving the World Leadership Award for urban renewal in 2006.[10] In 2008, the U. S. Census Bureau reported St. Louis had a net population gain of 6,172 from the 2000 Census, to 354,361, the first gain the city has had since 1950.
The city contributed to the musical styles of blues, ragtime, and jazz. The St. Louis Cardinals, one of the most successful Major League Baseball teams, make their home at Busch Stadium. Other professional teams include the St. Louis Rams (football), St. Louis Blues (hockey) and AC St. Louis (soccer). A diversity of successful sports franchises has led to St. Louis being called "North America's Best Sports City." The city's many 19th-century breweries shaped beer in the United States, most notably Anheuser-Busch, Falstaff Brewing Corporation, and Lemp Brewery. The vestiges of French and Spanish colonization make St. Louis one of the largest centers of Roman Catholicism in the United States.
St. Louis lies at the heart of Greater St. Louis, a metropolitan area of nearly three million people in Missouri and Illinois. The Illinois portion is commonly known as the Metro-East. The region is known as an academic and corporate center for the biomedical sciences and is home to some of the country's largest privately held corporations, including Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Graybar, Scottrade, Edward Jones, and is also home to some of the largest public corporations and corporate divisions, including Emerson, Energizer, Anheuser-Busch InBev (North American Headquarters), Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, Purina, Express Scripts, Charter Communications, Monsanto Company, and Wells Fargo Advisers.
|
#22 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Venice (Neighborhood)
Saint Louis MO
~15.72 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Venice
|
#23 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Lasalle (Neighborhood)
Saint Louis MO
~15.73 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Lasalle
|
#24 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Soldiers Memorial Museum
St. Louis MO
~15.81 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Soldiers Memorial Museum
1315 Chestnut St, St. Louis, MO
Tel: (314) 622-4550
This museum preserves a wide range of military artifacts in memory of fallen soldiers who served in the United States military. Featuring artifacts of all branches of the military, it serves as a constant reminder of what these men and women sacrificed for their country. This memorial museum has space to accommodate school tours and veteran and groups, and is open to the general public a well. It also offers programs to assist and raise money for homeless veterans.
|
#25 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Old North Saint Louis (Neighborhood)
Saint Louis MO
~15.83 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Old North Saint Louis
Old North St. Louis is a neighborhood just north and very slightly west of the downtown area of St. Louis, Missouri. Known for the landmark Crown Candy Kitchen, historic 19th century brick homes, and its award-winning community gardens, Old North St. Louis is home to a diverse and active community. The neighborhood now known as Old North St. Louis was established as the independent village of North St. Louis in 1816 and was annexed by the City of St. Louis in 1841. After many generations as a very densely populated neighborhood, Old North St. Louis experienced several decades of population losses and deterioration of the community's housing stock. Over the past several years, however, the community has started to experience a dramatic revitalization led by the community-based Old North St. Louis Restoration Group[1], a non-profit organization. ONSLRG pursues a mission of revitalizing the physical and social dimensions of the Old North St. Louis neighborhood in a manner that respects the neighborhood's historic, cultural and urban character.
Three separate National Register Historic Districts are located within the boundaries of Old North St. Louis. In the portion of the neighborhood north of St. Louis Avenue, dozens of homes have been rehabbed by individuals and families over the past 25 years. Along North Market Street and one block to the south along Monroe Avenue, new homes have been built and large, formerly crumbling historic buildings have been rehabbed as affordable apartments. In this area, the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group and its development partner, the Regional Housing & Community Development Alliance (RHCDA)[2], have been coordinating a 30-acre redevelopment that eventually will include more than 100 new, historically sensitive homes, alongside dozens of rehabilitated historic buildings[3]. A few blocks to the north, the same partnership of ONSLRG and RHCDA is completing a 27 building, $35 million redevelopment of the former 14th Street pedestrian mall. This project, known as Crown Square, is bringing a mix of commercial and residential uses back to what recently was a large swath of abandoned and deteriorating buildings near the intersection of St. Louis Avenue and N. 14th Street[4].
The neighborhood is also home to several churches, such as Saints Cyril & Methodius Polish National Catholic Church, Fourth Baptist Church, Greater Leonard Missionary Baptist, True Gospel Temple, Revival Center Church of God in Christ, and Parrish Temple CME; and schools, including Ames Visual and Performing Arts magnet school, and Confluence Academy charter school; non-profit agencies such as the 100+ year old Grace Hill Settlement House[5], The Haven of Grace, the Urban Studio[6], Places for People, and Stepping Into the Light; and a variety of businesses, including the 130-year-old Marx Hardware, one of the oldest family-owned hardware stores in the U.S.
Among the neighborhood's landmark structures is the "Mullanphy Emigrant Home" building, constructed in 1867 to provide temporary shelter and supportive services to the thousands of immigrants who settled in St. Louis during the years following the Civil War. In the late 19th/early 20th centuries, part of Old North St. Louis was predominantly Irish in population; that section was known as "Kerry Patch". For most of its history, the neighborhood has been home to a diverse mix of ethnicities and nationalities, including Polish, German, Italian, and African-American.
|
#26 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
City Museum
St. Louis MO
~15.86 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to City Museum
Welcome to CITY MUSEUM, where the imagination runs wild!
Housed in the 600,000 square-foot former International Shoe Company, the museum is an eclectic mixture of children's playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel made out of unique, found objects. The brainchild of internationally acclaimed artist Bob Cassilly, a classically trained sculptor and serial entrepreneur, the museum opened for visitors in 1997 to the riotous approval of young and old alike.
Cassilly and his longtime crew of 20 artisans have constructed the museum from the very stuff of the city; and, as a result, it has urban roots deeper than any other institutions'. Reaching no farther than municipal borders for its reclaimed building materials, CITY MUSEUM boasts features such as old chimneys, salvaged bridges, construction cranes, miles of tile, and even two abandoned planes!
"CITY MUSEUM makes you want to know," says Cassilly. "The point is not to learn every fact, but to say, 'Wow, that's wonderful.' And if it's wonderful, it's worth preserving."
|
#27 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
St. Louis Children's Aquarium/World Aquarium
St. Louis MO
~15.86 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to St. Louis Children's Aquarium/World Aquarium
Located in the City Museum in downtown St. Louis, this aquarium has adopted the animals from the Children's aquarium including the small sharks, piranhas, catfish, crabs, alligators and turtles. The staff offers an incredible hands-on learning experience. See the website for group admission prices and combined group tour rates.
|
#28 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
St Louis Children's Aquarium
701 North 15th Street St Louis MO
~15.87 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to St Louis Children's Aquarium
The St. Louis Children’s Aquarium is a museum in which children and adults can learn about eco-systems, particularly those associated with the Mississippi River, the Amazon River, and the connecting oceans.
Commitments to Excellence
-To give their visitors personalized, friendly service to ensure the best possible visit and learning experience.
-To meet the educational needs of all children as identified by teachers, parents, and students.
-To study the ecosystems of the Mississippi River, the Amazon River, and the oceans beyond.
-To encourage children to have fun while learning about nature.
http://www.worldaquarium.net/
|
#29 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Scottrade Center - St. Louis Blues
St. Louis MO
~15.88 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Scottrade Center - St. Louis Blues
Scottrade Center (formerly Kiel Center and Savvis Center) is a 19,150 seat arena located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, opened in 1994. It is the home of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League.
Scottrade Center is respected as one of the louder NHL arenas due to several factors including the 9-second foghorn blast after every Blues' goal followed by an organ rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In".
Besides ice hockey, the arena features a range of arena programming, including professional wrestling, concerts, ice shows, family shows, and other sporting events. It hosts approximately 175 events per year, drawing nearly two million guests annually. For the first quarter 2006, Scottrade Center ranked second among arenas in the United States and fourth worldwide in tickets sold. Industry trade publication Pollstar ranks Scottrade Center among the top ten arenas worldwide in tickets sold to non-team events.
The most people to ever attend an event at the Scottrade Center was 22,612, which happened twice during the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, known as Arch Madness.
The arena is frequently selected by the NCAA for championship events, and played host to the NCAA Frozen Four Hockey Championships in April 2007, and will host the NCAA Wrestling Championships in 2008 and 2009 and the NCAA Women’s Final Four Basketball Championships in 2009.
The building is operated by Sports Capital Partners, owner of the St. Louis Blues, under its chairman, Dave Checketts.
|
#30 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
Soulard (Neighborhood)
Saint Louis MO
~15.93 miles from O'Fallon city center
Hotels Close to Soulard
Soulard (soo-lard) is a historic French neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri. It is named after Antoine Soulard, who first began to develop the land. Soulard was a surveyor for the Spanish government and a refugee from the French Revolution in the 1790s.
It is a picturesque residential neighborhood filled with restaurants, bars, and pubs, among other businesses and is one of the oldest communities in the city. The neighborhood of Soulard hosts many events throughout the year, including Mardi Gras, a car show, Oktoberfest, and Bastille Day. It is also known as a neighborhood with a high density of bars, many of which play host to a variety of live music; especially the blues and jazz bands which the city is known for. The district is also host to regular pub crawls which are popular among locals and visitors alike. Coincidentally, the name soûlard itself is the French word for drunkard, though there are many other aspects to the neighborhood than just drinking. Many of the homes there date back to the mid to late 1800s. Soulard is a thriving, eclectic area, and is home to the largest Mardi Gras celebration in the Midwestern United States. It is also home to a large popular Farmers' market, several historic churches,[citation needed] and the North American headquarters of Anheuser-Busch.
|
|
|
#1 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#2 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#3 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#4 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#5 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#6 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#7 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#8 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#9 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#10 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#11 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#12 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#13 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#14 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#15 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#16 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#17 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#18 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#19 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#20 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#21 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#22 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#23 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#24 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#25 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#26 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#27 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#28 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#29 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon
#30 of 30 Things To Do in O'Fallon