Architecture
See St. Louis from a Different Angle
From the Gateway Arch to the City Museum to the “Painted Ladies,” St. Louis architecture reflects the rich history, continuous innovation and endless creativity of the region.
Architecture buffs, start in Soulard. The neighborhood is one of the only places in the world where you can see flounder houses. The rare and unique style originated in St. Louis in the 19th century and gets its name from the profile of the building when observed from the street or alley.
Ready to explore? From historic neighborhoods to contemporary designs, discover the architecturally stunning places that make St. Louis unique.
Anheuser-Busch Brewery
The Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis is the company’s flagship. The elaborate, red-brick buildings exemplify German Romanesque architecture, with rounded arches, embellished cornices and castellated rooflines. The interiors of the buildings feature equally beautiful details, and guests can tour the innovative space before taking a seat in the Anheuser-Busch Biergarten and enjoying a cold one – on the house.
Blueberry Hill
Blueberry Hill opened in the Delmar Loop in 1972, as a welcoming hangout with music, food and pop culture memorabilia, including collections of vintage Pez dispensers, Wurlitzer jukeboxes and Chuck Berry artifacts. Chuck Berry, the first person inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, was a good friend of owner Joe Edwards, and after Berry inaugurated the Duck Room – the legendary live music club that opened inside Blueberry Hill in 1997 – he also played here once a month in an unforgettable concert series. Time your visit to coincide with a show that excites you.
Busch Stadium
On April 10, 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals opened their new ballpark in downtown. The retro-style stadium has 46,000 seats, and it became a good luck charm for the home team – the Cardinals became the first team in almost 100 years to win the World Series in the inaugural season of a new ballpark. While you’re here, snap a photo with the bronze statue of Cardinals legend Stan “The Man” Musial, which stands outside the Gate 3 entrance.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
Nestled in the Central West End neighborhood, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is not just a Roman Catholic Church; it’s a distinguished work of art. With its lofty vaults and radiant mosaics, the sheer scale of the building’s beauty is awe-inspiring. In its creation, more than a dozen architects’ and artisans’ concepts coalesced into a magnificently well-integrated and harmonious whole.
Central Library
The flagship of the St. Louis Public Library, the Central Library is a monument to the past and a cultural beacon for the future. The historic structure, which occupies a full city block, boasts some of the finest examples of Beaux Arts and Neoclassical architecture in the U.S. To explore its history, design and interiors in greater depth, join a free architectural tour offered on Mondays and Saturdays.
City Museum
St. Louis’ City Museum invites visitors to explore the unexpected. A city within a city, the museum’s exhibits consist largely of repurposed architectural and industrial objects, housed in a 10-story, 600,000-square-foot former shoe company warehouse. A remarkable example of adaptive reuse, City Museum’s industrial roots remain visible, while towering sculptures, hidden passageways and countless slides create a uniquely playful environment with creativity and sustainability at its core.
The Fabulous Fox
St. Louis audiences flock to The Fabulous Fox to see Broadway shows, Vegas performers, top acts in pop, rock and comedy and classic movies. Located in the Grand Center Arts District, the theater is reminiscent of an opulent palace. The grand lobby was designed in the “Siamese-Byzantine” style, with rows of flanking columns that you would expect to find in rock-cut Buddhist monastery halls. The architecture of the auditorium is equally spectacular, with jewel-studded plasterwork, hand-stenciled walls, gilt paint, intricate cast brass, vibrant fabrics and velvet chairs.
Field House Museum
In 2007, the Field House Museum was designated a National Historic Landmark; it’s also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been named a St. Louis Landmark. Built in 1850, the red-brick row house was the childhood home of Eugene Field, an American writer best known for his children’s poetry and humorous essays.
Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park
Frank Lloyd Wright believed great architecture shouldn’t be reserved for the wealthy. At the Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park, his democratic vision takes shape in a 1,900-square-foot Usonian home built for Russell and Ruth Kraus in the 1950s. Set amid grassy fields and a grove of persimmon trees in Kirkwood, the home pairs Wright’s signature ingenuity with an intimate, distinctly mid-century feel. Geometry rules here: The home’s intricate floor plan is built on intersecting parallelograms, a motif that carries from the architecture to the furniture. Inside, warm red cypress lines the walls and ceilings, red-tinted concrete floors ground the space and stained-glass windows designed by Russell Kraus add a personal touch. Even the beds follow the home’s playful angular theme. It’s a wonderfully offbeat glimpse into Wright’s vision of affordable, artful living. Tours are offered year-round, and advance reservations are recommended.
Gateway Arch
Completed in 1965, the Gateway Arch is the tallest arch in the world, reaching 630 feet high. A stunning example of mid-century modern design, the iconic monument honors the country’s pioneering spirit, and today, up to 6,700 visitors a day can take the tram ride to the top. Designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, the Gateway Arch’s elegant curve is an inverted catenary, and beneath its gleaming exterior, a sophisticated steel structure supports the landmark’s immense weight.
Grant’s Farm
In addition to more than 900 animals, Grant’s Farm boasts storied architecture, from Ulysses S. Grant’s humble log cabin to the Busch Family Estate, often referred to as the “Big House,” to the German-style stables and Bauernhof, where guests 21 and older are invited to grab a free beer. Everyone can then meet the famous Clydesdales, feed the goats and enjoy the grounds.
Lafayette Square
With a history as colorful as its trademark homes, Lafayette Square is an interesting intersection of past and present in St. Louis city. The 184-year-old neighborhood features tree-lined streets, a picturesque park and numerous eateries and social establishments. Take a leisurely stroll around the area to fully appreciate the “Painted Ladies,” meticulously restored 150-year-old Victorian mansions doused in vibrant hues of yellow, salmon, green, blue and purple.
Laumeier Sculpture Park
At Laumeier Sculpture Park, you can enjoy more than 60 sculptures al fresco. Meandering along the walking trail through the 105-acre, open-air museum, you get a close-up view of a huge eyeball, a larger-than-life deer and a pile of massive, crumpled cylinders. The sculpture park’s artistic spirit extends indoors at the Adam Aronson Fine Arts Center, designed by St. Louis firm Trivers. Completed in 2015, the 7,500-square-foot building features a dramatic, barn-inspired shape and a sweeping roofline that nod to the site’s agricultural past, while its gallery provides a year-round home for exhibitions and events.
Missouri Botanical Garden
Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden pairs 79 acres of lush landscapes and historic structures with some remarkable feats of architecture. Its crown jewel, the Climatron, opened in 1960 as the world’s first geodesic dome designed as a conservatory. Inspired by the innovative principles of R. Buckminster Fuller, the 70-foot-high dome shelters a thriving tropical rainforest, where exotic plants sprout from rocky outcroppings and leafy vines climb toward the glass ceiling. The Garden’s architectural story continues at the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center, where biophilic design blurs the line between inside and out. Natural light, garden views and details inspired by tree canopies and forest floors make the building feel like a natural extension of the landscape.
Missouri History Museum
Discover the story of St. Louis, from its founding in 1764 to the present day, at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. Housed in the 1913 Jefferson Memorial Building, the museum expanded in 2000 with the addition of the Emerson Center, a striking contemporary wing distinguished by its soaring glass façade. The contrast between the historic building and the modern addition makes the museum an architectural attraction in its own right, while the expansion’s environmentally conscious design earned recognition from the American Institute of Architects. Step inside to explore the people, places and events that shaped St. Louis – and the buildings that tell its story.
Saint Louis Art Museum
Perched atop Art Hill in Forest Park, the Saint Louis Art Museum makes a grand impression with its stately Beaux Arts architecture, designed by Cass Gilbert for the 1904 World’s Fair. Inside, an encyclopedic collection spans centuries and cultures, with works by Max Beckmann, Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe and Kehinde Wiley alongside ever-changing special exhibitions. Outside, look for the Apotheosis of St. Louis, a statue of King Louis IX of France, the city’s namesake, whose commanding presence adds another historic flourish to the museum’s setting.
Saint Louis Science Center’s Planetarium
For more than 60 years, the James S. McDonnell Planetarium has dazzled astrophiles from near and far. Connected to the Saint Louis Science Center via the Skybridge over Interstate 64, the planetarium, designed by Gyo Obata, has a hyperbolic, thin-shell concrete roof, which flares out at its base to cover a glass-enclosed exhibition area and perimeter porch. Inside, visitors can relax under the largest artificial sky in the Western Hemisphere, see genuine space capsules and have their questions about the universe answered.
Soldiers Memorial Military Museum
Located in downtown St. Louis, this state-of-the-art museum honors local military service members, veterans and their families. The Missouri Historical Society assumed operations of the museum in November 2015 and began a $30 million revitalization of the site in 2016. Thanks to the renovation, the site now has more than double the amount of exhibit space, the four iconic Walker Hancock sculptures framing the entrance are free of coal dust and embedded dirt, the building is LEED-certified to the Gold level and it meets ADA compliance for the first time in the building’s history.
St. Louis Union Station
Once one of the largest and busiest passenger rail terminals in the world, Union Station is now home to the St. Louis Aquarium, the St. Louis Wheel, a 3D light show in the Grand Hall and more. While you’re here, look for green-glazed terracotta bricks, intricate woodwork and the handcrafted Tiffany stained glass of the Allegorical Window, among other carefully restored details of the 19th-century train station.
Wainwright Building
Often hailed as a landmark in the evolution of the modern skyscraper, the Wainwright Building was designed by architect Louis Sullivan and engineer Dankmar Adler. Completed in 1891, its steel-frame construction allowed for a taller structure with expansive windows, while Sullivan’s striking terra-cotta façade reimagined the classical column in three parts: a grounded base, a soaring shaft and an ornate crown. Standing 135 feet tall at 709 Chestnut Street in downtown St. Louis, the building embodies Sullivan’s influential design philosophy that “form follows function,” helping establish a new architectural language for the modern city.
