| CITY OVERVIEW
Stay in St Louis
|
A
visit to the sporting arenas of St Louis is a gratifying experience as
they have some of the most comfortable and easily accessible facilities in
the country. St
Louis claims itself to be the gateway to the west and has built one of the
most photographed monuments in the US to exemplify this. The Jefferson
National Expansion Memorial, or the Gateway Arch to most, dominates St
Louis’ downtown skyline and riverfront. You can ride up to the top of
the stainless steel monument to gain a magnificent view of the city and
its western surrounds. Under the Arch, the Museum of Westward Expansion
features exhibits on pioneer life as well as an explanation of how the
monument was built. Much
of what you may want to see is located in or around downtown St Louis. In
the riverfront area, Laclede's Landing is the site of the original city
settlement and features restaurants, bars and nightclubs on steamboats
that once plied the Mississippi. The area, which includes a district of
cobblestone streets and warehouses, offers a wide variety of music from
jazz to blues to rock. Riverboat casinos are docked nearby. Union Station, at the western end of the downtown district, was once the largest and busiest train station in the country. After years of decay, it was transformed into a huge shopping, dining, and entertainment complex in the early 1990’s. Further westward from here is the magnificently spacious Forest Park. The St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Art Museum, the Science Center, the Missouri History Museum, and the Many, a large open-air amphitheatre, are all located within or near the vast expanse of Forest Park. The Missouri Botanical Gardens is also located here. Sporting aficionados may also be interested in visiting the National Bowling Hall of Fame, which presents a complete history of the game from its medieval roots to today's modern game. |
| GETTING THERE
Fly to St Louis Within USA
|
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is located about 20km northwest of downtown. It is connected to the downtown by the Metrolink rail system and the Bi-state bus system. Amtrak is located at 550 S 16th Street. Greyhound buses are located at St Louis Airport and the main terminal is located at 1450 N 13th Street. St Louis has a light-rail and bus based transit system. MetroLink, the light-rail system, opened in 1993 and is a single line that serves 18 stations from St. Louis International Airport northwest of the city to East St. Louis across the Mississippi River in Illinois. Bi-State buses provide extensive coverage of the city and surrounding areas including in nearby Illinois. |
| NFL
ST LOUIS RAMS |
The St Louis Rams have only been located in St Louis since 1994. But the Rams franchise goes a long way back – to 1937 in fact, when it was known as the Cleveland Rams. In 1946, it went to Los Angeles and stayed there for three decades until it up and left again in 1994, leaving Los Angeles without a football franchise, which is still a surprising fact today. Although winning championships in 1945 and 1951, the Rams in Los Angeles brought not much more than mediocrity, even though they had a Superbowl appearance in 1979. However, since the move to St Louis, the Rams have had one of the most exciting attacking teams in the history of football. The St Louis Rams won the Superbowl in 1999 and were upset as heavy favorites in 2001 after beating most teams easily during the regular season. |
| MLB
ST LOUIS CARDINALS Ticket information through MLB
|
The St Louis Cardinals – or the‘Cards’ - history goes back to 1882, where they were first known as the Brown Stockings. They later became the Browns, the Perfectos and finally the Cardinals in 1900. The Cardinals are one of the premier teams of the Majors, having won 9 World Series, 15 Pennants and making 18 playoff appearances. Their last World Series win was in 1982, but recent history had the Cards going close as they won their division in 2000 and 2001. One time record holder Mark McGwire slugged the most home runs in any season as a Cardinal in 1999. |
| NHL
ST LOUIS BLUES |
The St Louis Blues began life in the NHL in 1967-68. One of the most consistent teams in the NHL, the Blues have only missed the playoffs once in their history but are surprisingly yet to win a Stanley Cup. In their first three years, they played in the Stanley Cup Finals, only to lose each time. They are the Buffalo Bills of the NHL. |
| BUSCH STADIUM |
Busch Stadium hosts the Cardinals and is located on the edge of the downtown area of St Louis, between Spruce Street and Clark Avenue at 8th Street (250 Stadium Plaza, St Louis). Opened in 1966, the Stadium has a capacity of 49,500. Busch Stadium has one of the best and most accessible situations in the Country - located near the banks of the Mississippi River and the majestic Gateway Arch (and across the street from the National Bowling Hall of Fame) on the edge of downtown St Louis. At night, the Stadium looks similar to the Coliseum in Rome as it is a fully circular stadium and has 96 open arches under the Roof. By public transit, you take the MetroLink light rail to Busch Stadium. |
| EDWARD JONES DOME |
Edward Jones Dome hosts the Rams and is located at 701 Convention Plaza in downtown St Louis. The Trans World Dome is part of the expanded America's Center convention complex and has a capacity of 67,000. The Dome opened in 1995 in time for the Rams arrival but was also built to revitalize its surrounding neighbourhood on the northeast side of downtown St. Louis. Use the Metrolink light rail and get off at the Convention Center station. |
| THE SAVVIS CENTER |
The Savvis Center hosts the Blues and is located downtown at 1401 Clark Avenue St Louis. Opened in 1994, the Center has a capacity of 19,000. Formerly the Kiel Center, the Savvis Center sits on the site of the old Kiel Auditorium and Kiel Opera House, the artistic centre in St Louis for decades. Today, the Savvis Center still adjoins the Opera House, albeit a smaller renovated form. By public transit, take the Metrolink light rail line to 14th and Spruce Station, which is a few blocks west of the Center. |
| MOTOR
RACING
Mid May - Nascar Busch Series, Gateway 250, Gateway International Raceway, 700 Raceway Blvd, Madison, Illinois |
Gateway International Raceway is located some 5km north-east of downtown St Louis over the border in Illinois – just off Route 55. From downtown St Louis, you can catch the MetroLink Light Rail east bound to JJK (Jackie Joyner Kersee) station. From here, the Gateway Raceway is only about a 1km walk north along Route 55. |
| NCAA
SPORTS - DIVISION 1
ST LOUIS UNIVERSITY |
The Saint Louis University Billikens are located at 221 North Grand Boulevard, about 3km west of downtown St Louis, close to Forest Park. The Billikens have teams in several sports, including men’s and women’s basketball. The men’s basketball team play out of the Savvis Center in downtown St Louis. The women’s basketball team play on campus at the Bauman-Eberhart Athletic Centre, which has a capacity of a little over 2,000. Being near downtown, the Campus is accessible by the MetroLink Light Rail. Get off at Grand Station and walk north to the University. Alternatively, you can catch the Route 70 bus from downtown, which goes straight through the University on Grand Avenue. |
