One of St. Louis' hidden gems. I say "hidden" because not many people are aware about this…read moreimportant part of St. Louis history, and the location. There are no roads nearby (just a bike trail) and there's no signs on the main roads that lead to it. Plus, it's literally by the Mississippi River. I say "gem" because, well, I can't think of any other word. But it's always fun to explore areas where a whole lot of people aren't aware of. For those that don't know, the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing and Rest Area/Visitor's Center is located off of the Riverfront Trail. It's seemingly out in the middle of nowhere. You're very much surrounded by a levee wall with graffiti and then the river. You can access the Visitors Center as long as you're on the trail, and the closest road is 0.2 miles north of it (East Prairie Avenue). You have to drive through the industrial part of the city to get there, and there is a small parking lot. Another big thing to keep in mind is, access is limited throughout various parts of the year. From November to March, the Visitor's Center is not open. And during April to October, it is only open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. I wish it was five days a week, but then they have to pay those people. Lastly, it is open mostly during daylight hours (don't know exactly when...). If you are lucky to check it out during open hours, by all means do it! There is always an attendant on duty, and you can go inside and sometimes they will sell snacks and cold drinks for trail riders. Public restrooms are available, though they are Johnny toilets. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a museum, but there is lots of historical information on the walls inside, as well as two historical markers. The back deck is a great view of the Mississippi River, though there is not very much to see on the other side. One last thing: every year, there is a gathering at the Freedom Crossing, which is the Mary Meachum Celebration. Usually, it happens once a year in May. They have historical re-enactments and food/crafts/games. I still have yet to check it out!

The Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing and Rest Area is located along the Mississippi River a few miles…read morenorth of Downtown St. Louis on the Riverfront Trail. You can get there by car, but for me, it's more fun to go by bike on the trail. This landmark is a work in progress and consists of murals painted on the levee wall, historic markers, informative signs, and a building which is sporadically open (usually on nice summer weekend days). The building is used for special events, displays and as a rest stop for trail users. A nice deck also overlooks the river on the back side. The area is also used annually for the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration which consists of a historic reenactment, storytelling, music and dance. The real reason to come here though, is to learn a bit about our ugly past. I've become fascinated with the story as I've tried to learn more about what happened, and I'll try to give a brief summary of what I've learned from my visits and read on the internet: This site recognizes the first documented Underground Railroad event in Missouri. In 1855 a group of slaves escaped and tried to cross the river from Missouri into Illinois for freedom. Mary Meachum, who was already a free Africa American woman, assisted and accompanied them in their attempt to escape. Mary was the wife of John Berry Meachum who had bought his own freedom, founded the first free black church in St. Louis, and bought other African Americans out of slavery while teaching them how to read and write. When he died, Mary carried on the movement. She was helping a woman named Ester, her two small children and at least two other people to cross into freedom at this very location. Unfortunately, a police officer was waiting on the Illinois side for them and Mary Meachum was arrested and thrown in jail. Ester was "owned" by Henry Shaw who was a very prominent St. Louisan and best known for founding the Missouri Botanical Garden and being a generous philanthropist. Since Shaw was such a well known business man, the local newspapers covered the story in detail and documented what would have otherwise been a forgotten historic event. Ester was returned to Shaw who in turn sold her to a plantation in Mississippi for $350 minus a $161.62 reward to the bounty hunter. Her children were not sold and probably remained behind. While the newspapers documented the story well, I'm still curious to know what happened to Mary Meachum and Ester and her two children.

you need rest? this is the place for it. it's a center island which is really about all the…read moreexcitement I can handle. no bothersome vending machines or running water or tourist information, just some trash receptacles, shelters with tables/benches and trees (shade available in season) so just pull on over and park and rest a bit then get back on your way... just remember you start and finish in the go-fast lane

Heading south/west on I-44 out of Saint Louis, I made it this far before I decided that I didn't…read morewant to roll the dice with the deer. Yes, I had seen one or two standing on the side of the road and I had seen five or six lying on the side of the road. I don't want that, so I'm here for the night. Not the quietest rest area but it was good enough when I arrived at 8:30 pm and I was asleep by 9 after visiting the restroom and brushing my teeth. I took the last "car" space that is close to the trees so that I had at least some buffer from the noise. Note that there is an Eastbound and a Westbound rest area. They're the same. [Review 623 of 2024 - 318 in Missouri - 21654 overall]

As gas stations go.. the Love brand is one to trust…read more Most stations, including this one, are pretty clean and so are the restrooms. Well lit and have showers if needed.

One of the cleanest Loves that I have ever been to. And maybe there is something in the water, but…read morethe customers in the store were just as nice as the employees. Keep up the great work, this stop was a pleasure.

My boyfriend and I stopped at this rest area while we were on one of our road trips. The outside…read morearea is beautiful with trees and easy parking. The building itself was not so great. The bathrooms were really gross. There was water everywhere on the ground and multiple toilets were either clogged or hadn't been cleaned. Luckily it was a quick stop for us.

Getting ready to drive into Saint Louis, this was a great spot for a last minute stop to stretch my…read morelegs, rest my arms and psych myself up for dealing with big city traffic (there's some construction on I-64 in East Saint Louis). I like that this rest area has a wide turn before pulling into the area where the cars are located which should help to slow down some of these crazy highway drivers. Good shade for a little last morning nap and then the restrooms which were clean. No RV sanitary dump here which would be ideal. [Review 579 of 2024 - 195 in Illinois - 21610 overall]

I always manage to find a spot on the gift shop side entrance, even when it's busy…read more Because folks were there for the food area. LOL. The employees were making batch after batch of the different entrees, and cleaning well between each. So, I did wait a few minutes for the sliced brisket to be on deck. BUT once the meat started going on the bun, a staff member spotted me and asked how many I needed. Just the one. He had it wrapped up and in my hand in no time. The food was good. Everything looked clean. The iced coffee bar hit the spot.

We love Wally's! We make sure to save time anytime we find ourselves out in Fenton on 44 to stop by…read moreand enjoy the fun at Wally's. This gas station is enormous and seriously has something for everyone in tow. Even our grumpy pre teen found something that he enjoyed here and when leaving admitted it was cool and glad we stopped! If you haven't tried the pizza here, definitely consider it as they have by the slice and whole pizza options and the pizzas are HUGE! We left with a 3 meat one and had to break it down to get it to fit in our fridge at home. Staff is extra friendly and ready to help, and the place is nice n clean and plenty of restrooms too ;)

A very nice and clean rest area that is easy to access…read more While traveling, we decided to stop at the Coalfield Rest Area for a break and found it to be a very nice place to stop. It was easy to get off the interstate and equally easy to get back on when we were ready to continue our trip. The parking is laid out well, with the truck parking located closer to the interstate and farther away from the building, while the car parking is located much closer to the rest area building. This makes it easy to park and get inside without having to walk through the truck parking area. The building itself is a nice-looking red brick structure with a metal roof and several large concrete planters in front. Once inside, I was impressed with how clean and well maintained everything was. The building has terrazzo floors that give it a very nice appearance, along with some limited seating, vending machines, and the restrooms you would expect to find at a highway rest area. Everything we saw was clean and in good condition during our visit. There was plenty of parking available, and the separation between the cars and trucks made the entire area seem well organized. Overall, this was a very nice, clean, and functional rest area that provided exactly what we needed for a break during our travels. If you are traveling through the area and need a place to use the restroom, stretch your legs, or just take a short break from driving, I would definitely recommend the Coalfield Rest Area to my fellow travelers. Enjoy!

Nice, convenient rest stop. Vending machines were functional and stocked. I liked the computer…read morescreen with the weather radar on it - that's pretty handy. Bathrooms could have been cleaner, but overall it was decent.

Easy on and off the highway. Clean and modern with a nice picnic area.this is one of our go-to…read morestops on I55.

As an employee of the rest area I know we work hard and aim high at making this place a clean and…read moresafe environment as well as accommodating your traveling needs with snack and drink machines. Please keep in mind that we aren't scheduled to work through the overnight hours so if anyone messes up the bathrooms or litters we are quick to clean it up as soon as we get to work. I love my job and hope everyone continues to stop in while traveling through.

One of the nicer rest areas that has age on it, but incredibly well maintained…read more The grounds are beautiful with lots of shelters. The restrooms spic and span. I saw staff on duty working. Vending is indoors. Don't miss this gem.

Great area. Bathrooms are clean. Dog area. No smakes, green grass ..........will be back for sureread more

The hot breakfast included delicious, perfectly cooked bacon, and I'd give 5 stars for that reason…read morealone. It's been quite a while since I stayed at another HIE, or anywhere, with bacon on the breakfast buffet. I also enjoyed the high-flow hot shower. Living in an area where only low-flow shower heads are legal, I do not take a great shower for granted! All other aspects of the stay were good. This is a good hotel.

Very clean, updated room. Super friendly staff, great breakfast. When we asked about the breakfast…read moreas we checked in late at night, Brian at the desk made a special shopping trip early that morning to get me some gluten free muffins so I would have allergy safe food to enjoy. What kind and thoughtful service!