Public Tours
HEY YOU! LISTEN UP! Sorry I shouted – but I needed you to hear me before scrolled through all these amazing tours. If you missed the announcement on our front page – we have closed up shop and moved our butts over to the Missouri Historical Society to head up a new program called See STL Tours. Feel free to look at the tours below – but you gotta head over to mohistory.org/see-stl to book them!
Walking Tours
Downtown History and Architecture Extravaganza
Our most popular, this tour gives a sweeping, entertaining overview of the city’s intricate history and beautiful architecture–and we’ll find it all within the core of Downtown. Together, we will time travel through St. Louis, moving through Downtown when it was a colonial fur trading village, through the booming Gilded Age, and on to the misguided urban planning choices of the mid-twentieth century. Oh, and the Arch! Don’t forget about the Arch!
Central West End for Nerds
Forest Park, Renegade Style
This walking tour explores our favorite bigger-than-Central-Park-thankyouverymuch park. As we venture through Forest Park, we’ll discover a fascinating history: from prairie to the World’s Fair site, from city sleeping grounds to crime-ridden spots, to it’s rebirth as one of the best parks in the whole, stinkin’ world.
Cheers to Soulard!
Get a taste of the red brick city by waltzing down the streets of one of St. Louis’s rowdiest, and most classic, neighborhoods. We hope you’re ready to see some 19th century architecture, salivate over the delectable Farmer’s Market, and enjoy the sweet, sweet scent of beer brewin’ in the air.
Ye Olde North St. Louis
Chocolate malts, Flounder houses, and Gothic architecture, oh my! Journey through one of our favorite best kept secrets: Old North St. Louis has done it all and seen it all. Dive into history, politics, racial divides, more red bricks than you can imagine, and a bath house. A bath house, y’all.
Disasters and Catastrophes
Get ready to walk through downtown St. Louis in the time(s) of cholera, fires, tornadoes, floods, riots… You name it, it probably happened here. (Well, except earthquakes…but there’s still time. HOLLA NEW MADRID!) We’ll take these super depressing stories, make them interesting, and find their crazy connections to modern day life.
The Grand Scheme of Things
This two-hour tour takes you through the Grand Center Arts District exploring how its vibrant past has led to an energetic future. We’ll travel through the neighborhood’s early life as the city’s second commercial center, reliving tales of everything from eccentric theatrical and musical performances, elegant Victorian-era homes, and even encounter one of the biggest bank robberies in St. Louis history. Join us as we see the old and experience the new in one of the city’s most culturally-rich neighborhoods. Grand Center’s dynamic side has always been there—to discover it, you might just have to take a closer look.
bus Tours
WDC: Whole Damn City Tour
St. Louis isn’t a normal city, and this isn’t a normal tour. In two hours we will cover as much ground as possible by bus, taking you beyond the neat and tidy parts, showing you both the grandeur and the dark underbelly that is our fascinating city. From Carondelet to the Arch, from Fairgrounds Park to Forest Park, we will see it all and learn just how all the pieces fit together. As always, the tour is presented in our signature entertaining style, with lots of discussion & dialogue.
NOTE: This tour’s title is no way a reflection of how our mamas raised us. It can be tailored for any age group – and has even been given to a group of preschoolers. Our extremely scientific market research analytics tell us that curse words in titles are a thing, so we’re going with it.
WDC: Badass Babes
Just like our original WDC tour, we will cover a whole lotta ground and history–but this one is for the (historical) ladies–the badasses, the beauties, the brains, and the, um, other B-words, that have made STL their home.
Meet Your Maker(s)
Beer and shoes get a lot of play (historically speaking) when it comes to STL’s manufacturing badassery. But we’ve made a crazy amount of other cool things-and STILL DO. Ever wonder just what in the heck is happening in all those non-descript buildings along the riverfront? Do you get hot and bothered when admiring the gorgeous architecture of nineteenth century warehouses? Want to feel blessed not to have a tannery down your street? Join us as we drive all over this darn city and be prepared to learn a crapload about the crazy, fascinating history of making shit in St. Louis! This tour features multiple stops with factory tours, a few strange smells, and, for the first time, FOOD SAMPLES.
Before They Were Ghosts
Take a deep (ish) dive into some of St. Louis history’s most notorious true crime stories of murder, robbery, kidnapping, and disappearance! Learn the real stories behind infamous legends and uncover crimes that have been (almost) lost to history. All while giving context and respect to the current challenges our dear city faces.