Make the Drive to These Top 3 Tourist Attractions in St. Louis, MO

Thanks to its strategic location next to the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, St. Louis, MO has hosted people from various cultures and backgrounds. This has led the city to develop its own unique culture and a thriving economy. It’s no surprise, then, that you’ll find an amazing number of tourist attractions while you’re in town. Here a just a few must-see places if you need to narrow down your list!

1. The Museum at the Gateway Arch

Everyone knows about the Gateway Arch, but don’t forget to visit this fascinating museum, also known as the Museum of Westward Expansion, just below it with its entrance on 11 N. 4th Street. Completed in 2018, it houses exhibits that illustrate the construction St. Louis’ famous monument and how the city was used as a staging ground for explorers before embarking on their journeys into the untamed American West.

With the help of interactive maps, the Manifest Destiny exhibit chronicles the interactions between the Native Americans, Europeans, and American settlers as they cooperated with or competed against each other before and during US expansion towards the Pacific. Another popular exhibit shows what could have been, with displays showing alternative designs to the Arch.

2. Saint Louis Zoo

Located within Forest Park on 1 Government Drive, Saint Louis Zoo is home to over 16,000 animals from hundreds of species. It’s divided into several zones that represent biomes from all over the world. While big cats like lions and tigers can be found in the Red Rocks zone, you can view all kinds of aquatic animals, including sea lions and stingrays, at the Lakeside Crossing.

If you have any bug enthusiasts in your group, be sure to visit the Bayer Insectarium in the Discovery Corner. Here, guests will be dazzled by the vibrant colors of this section’s butterflies and captivated by the size of some of the world’s most exotic spiders and beetles.

3. Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France

This marvelous early 19th-century cathedral on 209 Walnut Street is part of the reason why St. Louis was given the nickname “the Rome of the West.” It is the first Roman Catholic cathedral to have been built west of the Mississippi River, sitting on land that was set aside for its construction by the city’s French founders in 1764. Its construction is a fine example of the Greek Revival style, featuring impressive stone columns and the use of marble for the altar.

Visitors can grab a brochure at the entrance and go on a self-guided tour of the church. Guided group tours are available by reservation, and free guided tours are provided to the public on the first Sunday of every month after the noon Mass.

With the available Drive Connect feature accessible through the Toyota Sequoia’s advanced infotainment system, you can discover other interesting attractions in St. Louis. Check out this technology and more by visiting Seeger Toyota St. Louis today!

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