St. Louis is famous for the Gateway Arch, the 1904 World's Fair (which invented the ice cream…read morecone), its significant history as the "Gateway to the West," the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, Forest Park's many institutions, and its contributions to American music and culture, including the Blues music scene and its role in the Great Migration. John Goodman, Andy Cohen, Nelly, Jenna Fischer, Sterling Brown, Chuck Berry, Jon Hamm, Maya Angelou, Vincent Price, Yogi Berra, Tina Turner ... are from St Louis. St. Louis is known for unique comfort foods like juicy smoked St. Louis ribs, toasted ravioli, a dish of breaded and fried ravioli, and gooey butter cake, a dense, buttery dessert. Provel cheese is used in signature thin-crust pizza, an open-faced Gerber sandwich & breakfast dish known as the Slinger.

Saint Louis is a city that blends grandeur with grit, history with reinvention. Anchored by the…read moreiconic Gateway Arch, an elegant steel curve that nods to westward expansion, it is the largest city on the Mississippi River and wears that title with quiet confidence. The Arch itself is worth a quick visit, especially for the view from the top, but Saint Louis does not rely on a single landmark to define its character. If you're not into claustrophobia or acrophobia, simply putting your hands on it at ground level is plenty. One of the city's most practical charms is its MetroLink system, which connects the airport to downtown with ease. For travelers, that is a rare and welcome convenience. No pricey rideshares or confusing transfers, just a straight shot into the heart of the city. And once you are there, you will find that Saint Louis is refreshingly affordable. Whether you are grabbing a bite in Soulard, catching a show in Grand Center or enjoying ribs on Delmar Loop, your wallet will not feel ambushed. Culture thrives here, especially in its museums, many of which are free. The Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park offers everything from ancient artifacts to contemporary installations. The Missouri History Museum dives deep into local stories, from riverboats to civil rights. And the City Museum, a surreal playground of repurposed architecture and whimsy, defies categorization. It is part sculpture, part jungle gym, and wholly unforgettable. Food and drink are part of the city's soul. Saint Louis is famously home to Budweiser, and the Anheuser-Busch brewery still looms large in both skyline and culture. But the city is far more than macro beers. A vibrant craft brewing scene has taken root, with local favorites like Urban Chestnut, 4 Hands, and Perennial Artisan Ales offering everything from crisp lagers to barrel-aged stouts. The food scene is equally diverse, from toasted ravioli and gooey butter cake to inventive takes on barbecue and global street food. If sports are your thing, Saint Louis delivers. Baseball fans flock to Busch Stadium to cheer on the Cardinals, while hockey enthusiasts rally behind the Blues at Enterprise Center. There is even a growing buzz around the city's new Major League Soccer team, St. Louis City SC at Energizer Park. In short, Saint Louis is a city that does not shout. It invites. It is a place where history hums beneath your feet, where art and sport coexist, and where the river keeps rolling, just like the stories it carries. I have just one small request. Please refer to the city as Saint Louis, not "St. Louis." It's a matter of respect and accuracy, since the full name carries historical and civic weight. I know it's a common shorthand, but I'd really appreciate sticking with the proper name. [Review 1190 of 2025 - 454 in Missouri - 24742 overall]

The Civil Courts Building in St. Louis, completed in 1930, is a striking example of Art Deco…read morearchitecture inspired by one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World--the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. It replaced the Old Courthouse as the city's main judicial center and remains a defining feature of the downtown skyline. Designed by the architectural firm Klipstein & Rathmann, the Civil Courts Building rises 386 feet across 13 floors. Its most distinctive feature is the stepped pyramid roof. The roof is made of cast aluminum and topped with two 12-foot sphinx-like sculptures bearing the fleur-de-lis of St. Louis on their chests. Out front, you'll find 32 Ionic columns, each carved from Indiana limestone and standing about 42 feet high. They give the place a solid, classical feel. Inside, the building houses courtrooms and a law library, and it has served as the home of the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri. Its placement directly behind the Old Courthouse and in line with the Gateway Arch makes it a central visual anchor in downtown. It's basically a civic temple built from limestone and big ideas, where justice climbs thirteen stories into the sky. A monument to St. Louis's love of order and beauty, it's topped with aluminum sphinxes that quietly keep watch over the city below. The building is not open on the weekends but the grounds are open. There are a number of monuments worth checking out including the Freedom Suits and Police Memorials. [Review 1174 of 2025 - 440 in Missouri - 24727 overall]

Casual downtown courthouse…read more Health Hazard: The environment inside has trouble adapting to the environment outside for regulating temperature. If you have a sensitivity for mold or mildew, be sure to come prepared. If you're here for jury duty, be sure to be squeezed in with 200 people in the morning so you can get separated to go to several cases divided up so they can get jurors or pre-filtered jurors. Friendliness: They are overall friendly staff but can be a bit dramatic and there's always 1 that makes a scene. Obviously no one wants to be there. Entertainment: Feel free to bring a book or work laptop so you won't bend your neck like a dinosaur obsessing over your phone for hours. Parking: There is supposedly reimbursement for an area for jurors for parking. Call ahead and get guidance. Again the staff are very friendly and they are quick to answer. They will also have patience to listen. They are human. Don't make everyone's day worst if you're having a bad day.

Neat building. I was a witness in a Federal court case and got to explore the building (as much as…read morethey would let me). Nice architecture, a really neat learning area for children (and young adults) and a cafeteria. I am not saying make this a destination, but if you are in the area, why not?

Excellent service (which is hardly ever the case with bureaucratic institutions). I don't think…read moreI've ever had such a quick and efficient visit to a government office before (likely due to my having all my paperwork and documentation in order;). No one was rude and actually quite helpful! Pro-tip: scheduling an appointment and then getting there on time will save you a ton of stress, wasted time, and problems. Schedule ahead, you'll thank yourself (and me) later.

You will need your official I.D. (Drivers license for example)…read more Sensitive metal detectors greet you as you walk in. Taking EVERYTHING out of your pockets, taking off metal belts, taking off jewelry to taking off shoes can all be asked here. I suggest leaving in the car. I also suggest grabbing a number quickly at the counter to the right of the entrance. Once called- give ticket with number and your I.D. Be ready to know where you lived on the first of the year. Paying property tax is in the corner BUT you need cash or check because they don't accept charge or debit cards. Fairly quick and painless if you know the procedure. I wish they didn't need the security checks & willing to take charge/debit cards.

Brendan was so helpful and positive. Don't forget to mention his hamster. He is the best person…read morethere.

Corina LaChance waited on me the second trip today, because in the a.m. I was informed that my…read moreproperty taxes hadn't been paid. When I returned in the p.m. Corina found that they had indeed been paid. Three hours of sitting there when I shouldn't have had to return. I wish you had more Corinas working in that office. I don't know the name of the a.m. encounter, but apparently, she is not very efficient and causes people needless trouble.

I could not get anyone to answer my question regarding my license. I felt rushed off the phone and…read morespoken to very rudely.

Good people very nice and very fast, greet you fast and efficient, ray is the best, staff is…read morefriendly

The courthouse is in addition to the old courthouse. You can actually tour the old part of the…read morecourthouse. Wheel chair accessible on two sides of the building. They do have a security system when you enter. I was there for early voting. The staff was helpful, pleasant and quick to listen to questions and made the process so easy. Vote dammit

This might win the award for the weirdest thing I've ever yelped. The Richmond Heights Municipal…read moreCourt. The story is actually kind of embarrassing and makes me look like an ass, but it's worth telling because the people that work here do a great job and completely went out of their way for me. To give a quick background, I am the queen of speeding tickets and have been since I was sixteen. Always in a hurry, always singing a song and not paying attention, and before I know it there are flashing lights behind me. A Richmond Heights police officer (for whom I would give one star) pulled me over doing 41 in a 30 and wrote me a ticket, so I thought it was about time to hire a traffic lawyer because I didn't want the points on my license. He took care of the ticket for me but we had a miscommunication regarding what I still needed to do... which was PAY THE COURT! Fast forward a few months later, and what do I get in the mail? A summons. Your Community Manager is a regular felon, I tell you. By the time I read the letter (I really have my stuff together!) the court date had passed so I immediately called the RHMC and told them what was going on. The woman I dealt with told me that since I missed my court date, the judge DID issue a warrant for me (told you) but she did probably the nicest thing anyone's done for me in a while, and she totally didn't have to. She told me it hadn't been entered into the computer yet, so she'd put it on the bottom of the stack for the lady who enters them all and if I left ASAP and got my wanted ass up there quickly, I'd be able to pay the fine before I was wanted by the state. I'm seriously so thankful she did that for me! I wasn't going to Yelp about it but it was really so cool of her that I felt like I had to. Dealing with this place isn't so bad afterall.