I arrived around 11am on a Tuesday morning with my teen sons. We were visiting from NC…read more Security is tight! You have to press intercom and talk to guard before you can even get in, which is fair considering it's one of the 12 federal reserve banks. Once inside, They take your ID (over 18) and then metal detector. After security check, you're met at front desk with a worker who explains the process. We engaged in small talk before telling us how it works. There, you can get a map as well. This staff person was very friendly! The guards we interacted with were also friendly. We watched two brief shows before starting. The museum is VERY interactive and informative. It is great for kids and teens to learn how things work. For me, it was good to see how my kids thought about topics and their knowledge which told me what I needed to work on and educate them about. You're able to lift (or try to lift) up a real gold bar! At the end, there is a gift shop. We did the scavenger hunt and received a stress reliever gold bar. They have free mini bags of shredded money too. Overall, I would highly recommend!

This is the Federal Reserve. There is a 400 Troy ounce gold bar to lift inside. Be prepared to…read moreshow your ID, get a background check, and walk through metal detectors. This will take you on a journey through the world of economy, albeit from the perspective that the Federal Reserve is the biggest hero out there. There are a number of approaches about credit, currency, using cash, and more. The first hall has pictures and details but in a random order. The barter section tells of barter, but I saw no real explanation of how people worked prior to or without currency. Paperwork was available for younger homeschoolers but nothing past 2nd grade. Some videos were cool, but others, like the "see inside the vault" were about as exciting and informative as watching a cherry pie in the window. A large plastic penny just around the corner from a $2 million gold brick that you can touch. Coverage of inflation as a good thing, but then not drawing a clear connection to why hyperinflation is bad until it's too bad. My previous paragraph was intentionally disjointed, just to give an idea of what you'll see. There's good information, but it's jumbled in there randomly. It does cover many things about how things work, but it's as random as a pile of books on a table at the library. It's worth checking out, but it could have been so much better.

This should be your very first stop in Forest Park. So much information and the friendliest staff…read morewilling to assist you and answer any and all of our questions. We plotted our park visit there being sure to see all the points of interest to us.

The staff here were so helpful and friendly I had to make a point to leave 5 stars!…read more The park is massive so it's a great starting point to explore and get tips. They recommended a walking path to take to the Museum or Art and knew so much about the history of the area. They asked about my interests and how much time I had to give me additional recommendations and it was such a nice experience. Kudos to the team running the info desk :)

We are happy to have the chance to visit this historical site.It was an informative free tour and…read morethe movie is very interesting .This place has a lot of artifacts,his uniform is one of them and a tour to the house where he spent a bit of time with his family is a site to see.A nice place you visit specially if you have a family member serving in Armed Forces or just wanting to know history about the 18th President of USA.

It truly is a nice and informative place, I can tell you that. Everything is organized well and…read moreit's a humble gem in St. Louis. Or-unless you are a showbiz about U.S. Presidents, I suppose. Other than that, it's a nice place to go to, learn about some of America's history. The best part? Totally free. For the low, low price of $0.00, you can have acess to informative and true history about the U.S. (Or Ulysses S. Grant). The place is also pretty clean, which is a nice addition. It gets pretty busy in the mornings, but it dies down after. I do reccomend going here. Go STL. Whoo.

I learned quite a bit about Missouri's history prior to and during the American Civil War. The…read moredetailed displays, artifacts, and outstanding videos created an emotionally moving experience way beyond my expectations. I liked it so much I signed up to be a member of the Museum. This is an outstanding museum, a must see for Civil War buffs and those interested in American history.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this beautiful museum. She humors me and allows me to…read moreindulge in my passion for history. This museum is located on Jefferson Barracks near the cemetery. We were greeted by the curator's wife who took our picture by the Abraham Lincoln statue in the rear of the museum. The museum is well designed and well documented. A must for every history buff! There are restrooms downstairs which were clean and well maintained. The only thing that concerned us was the basement area seemed a little damp and musty...so we had to watch our time down there as my wife is very sensitive. A great place to visit!

If you know me, you know I'm fascinated by everyday historic landmarks. I prefer the places people…read moredon't always think about - like the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. So, fun facts. Old Chain of Rocks Bridge is part of the even more historic Route 66. It also helps to connect Missouri and Illinois (and yes, you can walk it - or wheel it in my case). Built in 1929, the bridge features a 30-degree turn halfway across the mile-long bridge. While today this area is very passable by ships, in 1929 a "chain of rocks" (a 17-mile shoal) made passage difficult. Originally designed to go straight across, riverboat men protested because the bridge itself would have created an additional obstacle. Essentially, it had to "bend" for the sake of safe passage. The bridge cost twice its original estimate ($2.5 million), but it was built as a "destination" from the beginning. The Missouri side had a park; the Illinois side had 400 elm trees. There was even an amusement park. Also, during World War II the red sections were painted green so it would be less visible from air. The bridge closed in terms of official function in 1968 - a new Chain of Rocks Bridge opened in 1967 and includes Interstate 270. Old Chain of Rocks Bridge was nearly destroyed in 1967. For several years, that seemed likely. In 1980 (another fun fact), John Carpenter used the bridge in Escape From New York). Obviously, the bridge has been restored to some fame. It's now part of the Route 66 Bikeway (as of 1999), and in 2006 was added to the National Register of Historic Places. I'm considering a Route 66 Tenderness Tour (or at least part of the 2,000+ mile highway). This bridge may become part of that, so I'm thrilled I got the chance to check it out. The pathway for biking/wheeling is nicely done, easy to maneuver, and stunning in beauty (though it was an admittedly beautiful day when I was on the bridge). The bridge offers connections to the MCT Confluence Trail, Mississippi River Trail (Isn't it weird? I've been out of school 30+ years and I still sing the Mississippi song when I spell it), and the St. Louis Riverfront Trail. There's free parking on the Illinois side at the bridge entrance and also at North Riverfront Park. The Missouri side has a park with a pavilion, native habitats, an event lawn, and a gated parking lot (the event space opened in 2024). The bridge, no longer used by vehicles, is open daily for bikers/pedestrians (and wheelchairs).

This old bridge is an awesome piece of Americana history. It is about a 1 mile walk to get across…read morethe bridge. There are 2 castle looking buildings in the ole Mississippi that use to be the water source for the city of St Louis. I would recommend parking on the Missouri side as it has be recently redone. Nice parking lot with picnic tables and overhead protection from the sun. No running water but there are 2 porta potties under an awning. The Illinois side is not as pleasant.

An iconic site for any St Louis visitor No visit to St…read more Louis would really be complete without taking the tram ride to the top of the Gateway Arch. We purchased a package deal that included tickets for the tram ride to the top. This begins at the base of the Arch next to the museum exit inside the Gateway Arch Visitor Center. When purchasing your tickets, you'll choose whether to depart from the north or south tram. Both reach the same observation area, but each serves one half of the top, so you'll only have access to the viewing windows on your assigned side. Before boarding, visitors walk through an interesting preshow area along the concrete walls of the Arch, where displays explain its construction and history. When your departure time arrives, attendants organize everyone into groups of five before leading you to the small tram cars. The ride to the top takes about four minutes in a compact capsule that seats five people. The cars are clean and fascinating from an engineering standpoint, but they are definitely small. Anyone who is claustrophobic, uncomfortable in tight spaces, or particularly tall or large should keep this in mind before purchasing tickets. Once at the top, you'll find an observation area with a sloping floor that follows the curve of the Arch. The unique windows provide beautiful views of downtown St. Louis on one side and the Muddy Mississippi River and Illinois on the other. After spending time enjoying the scenery and taking photographs, you simply board the tram for the ride back down. Overall, this was a very unique experience and one that I would recommend to fellow travelers visiting St. Louis. It offers great views, interesting engineering, and the opportunity to stand inside one of America's most famous monuments that has really withstood the test of time well. Enjoy!

Eads Bridge is a National Historic Landmark. It was designed by James B. Eads to cross the…read moreMississippi River in 1874. Eads connects railroads across Illinois & Missouri. It was a pioneering engineering feat, the first steel arch bridge, and it remains the oldest bridge on the Mississippi River

Completed in 1874, the Eads Bridge is the oldest surviving bridge across the Mississippi River…read more To scale the mighty Mississippi, the construction of the Eads Bridge required novel engineering feats. It was the one of the first bridges to employ steel as opposed to wrought iron. It's foundation was 100 feet below water level a big challenge in the late 1800s. The 520 foot center arch was the longest span at the time of construction using a cantilever suspension to build, a method which would later be used in the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge had to be elevated to accommodate the steamboat captains who wanted to keep residents dependent on their services. They thought that it would not be possible to build such a lofty bridge. The City of St. Louis, however, wanted to capture more railroad traffic which necessitated construction of a bridge. Eads earned multiple patents for his innovations during construction. The bridge was dedicated by President Ulysses S. Grant. Testing of safety was done by locomotives. An elephant even walked across the bridge to guarantee pedestrian safety. That must have been a sight to see. The bridge cost $10 million to build. Unfortunately many of the railroads boycotted using it due to the tolls. It was then sold for 20 cents on the dollar. This led to the collapse of the Bank of Missouri. Many were indicted following the largest bank failure in the U.S. at that time. Today, the Eads Bridge is still considered an engineering pioneering landmark. While being constructed The NY Times called it the World's Eighth Wonder. It is quite a remarkable and beautiful historic bridge that still helps people cross the mighty Mississippi River.

Visited on weekend celebrating the beginning of the expedition. The museum has a vast amount of…read moreinformation about the trip, supplies, people involved, readying for journey. This weekend had reenactors outside showing early 19th century crafts. Fun for all and great learning experience.

We stopped by on a whim when visiting the in-laws. It happened to be the anniversary & there were…read moreperiod actors interacting that were set up throughout, with assorted stations. This was both cool & informative. There was no entry fee, always a plus. The info desk had a guest book. It appeared most visitors who signed were from Illinois. The movie wasn't playing during our visit, I'm not sure if there was a mechanical issue or if it was because of the special celebration. So, I can't speak on it. It's smaller than I expected, yet very interesting & I did learn a few new details. We walked out to the cabins/fort & they were all locked with some of them having the roofs/walls collapsed. Perhaps an entry fee is in order for maintenance/upkeep. Overall, worth a stop, especially for those interested in the expedition.