Laclède's Landing is a popular attraction located in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Located just north of the Eads Bridge

Eads Bridge

The Eads Bridge is a combined road and railway bridge over the Mississippi River at St. Louis, connecting St. Louis and East St. Louis, Illinois....

 on the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

front, the Landing is a multi-block collection of cobblestone streets and vintage brick-and-cast-iron warehouses dating from 1850 through 1900, now converted into shops, restaurants, and bars.

History

In 1763, a French merchant and former soldier of France named Pierre Laclède

Pierre Laclède

Pierre Laclède or Pierre Laclède Liguest was a French fur trader who, with his young assistant and "stepson" Auguste Chouteau, founded St...

, along with his fourteen year old lieutenant Auguste Chouteau and a crew of 30, set out from New Orleans to explore the Illinois Country and establish a fur trading post. In 1764, Laclède chose the first elevated site below the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, along the terraced bluffs that formed the west bank of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

, north of the River des Peres

River des Peres

The River des Peres is a metropolitan river in St. Louis, Missouri. It is the backbone of sanitary and stormwater systems in the city of St. Louis and portions of St. Louis County...

 and south of the Missouri River

Missouri River

The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...

. In 1784, the site was cleared and temporary cabins were built under the supervision of Auguste Chouteau. Pierre Laclède named the settlement St. Louis in honor of the patron saint of the king of France.

The village of St. Louis contained three long streets that ran parallel to the Mississippi River: La Grande Rue, now First Street; Rue de l'Eglise, now Second Street; and Rue des Granges, now Third Street and numerous short streets that crossed these, perpendicular to the river. Soon the village became the center of commerce with furs as the main source of exchange for goods.

Today, Laclède's Landing, a nine - block industrial area that once housed companies producing coffee, leather goods, mattresses, tobacco, whiskey, candy, and machinery for the barges, features some of the most distinctive restaurants and sidewalk cafes in Saint Louis. Visitors to Laclède's Landing can experience the charm of cobblestone streets and century old brick and cast iron facade buildings as they browse through specialty gift shops.

During the day, the historical district is also home to people who work at the many offices located on the edge of the Mississippi River. At night, horse drawn carriages and live music add to the atmosphere of one of the premier entertainment areas in St. Louis. Nearby, sightseeing excursions and gaming boats offer additional choices for entertainment.

Attractions and accommodation

Laclède's Landing offers a multitude of places to eat, drink, and be entertained. The following businesses are part of Laclède's Landing:

Restaurants/Bars

• Big Bang
• Big Daddy's
• Brasserie by Niche
• Cafe Mattino
• Drunken Fish
• Feisty Bulldog
• Club Fusion
• Hannegan's Restaurant & Pub
• Jake's Steaks
• Joey B's on the Landing
• Morgan Street Brewery
• Old Spaghetti Factory
• School Street Station Bistro
• Show-Me's on the Landing
• South Hunan 3
• St. Louis Fish Market
• Subway Sandwiches & Salads
• Sundecker's Bar and Grill
• Throttle
• Xes Lounge and Bar

Entertainment

• Dental Health Theatre
• Gateway Riverboat Cruises
• Laughs on the Landing
• Lumière Place (casino and hotels)
  Lumière Place (casino and hotels)
  Lumière Place is a Saint Louis, Missouri casino and hotel resort owned and operated by Pinnacle Entertainment .-History:Located in historic downtown St. Louis, Lumière Place opened on December 19, 2007. The resort overlooks the Mississippi River and sits less than one mile from the St. Louis Arch...
  
  
• Royal Dumpe Dinner Theatre
• Wax Museum

Transportation

Laclède's landing has many cobblestone streets. It is adjacent to the Eads Bridge, and I-70 (I-70 does not run over the Eads Bridge). On the Eads Bridge there is the Arch-Laclede's Landing

Arch-Laclede's Landing (St. Louis Metrolink)

Arch – Laclede's Landing is a St. Louis MetroLink Station. It is located near Laclede's Landing and the Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. This station is also nearby the headquarters for Bi-State Development Agency , the operator of MetroLink and Metrobus Service. It was one of six...

 MetroLink

St. Louis Metrolink

MetroLink is the light rail transit system in the Greater St. Louis area of Missouri and the Metro East area of Illinois. The entire system currently consists of two lines connecting Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and Shrewsbury, MO with Scott Air Force Base near Shiloh, Illinois through...

 Stop. Laclède's Landing also contains Metro's (the local transit agency) headquarters.

Big Muddy Blues Festival

The annual Big Muddy Blues Festival takes place over Labor Day weekend and features top national and local blues bands. Past headliners include: Bobby "Blue" Bland, Henry Townsend, Bo Diddley, Mavis Staples, Johnnie Johnson, Ike Turner

Ike Turner

Isaac Wister Turner was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk...

, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Fontella Bass

Fontella Bass

Fontella Bass is an American soul singer, who is best known for the 1965 R&B hit "Rescue Me", which she also co-wrote.-Early life:...

, Oliver Sain

Oliver Sain

Oliver Sain was an American saxophonist, songwriter, bandleader, drummer and record producer....

, Hubert Sumlin, Shemekia Copeland, Little Milton, and Alvin Youngblood Hart. The Big Muddy Blues Festival is free and open to all ages.

In Today's Culture

Alternative rock band Wilco

Wilco

Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...

 references the Landing in "Heavy Metal Drummer", a song off the 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is the fourth album by Chicago-based rock band Wilco. The album was completed in 2001, but Reprise Records, a Warner Music Group label, refused to release it. Wilco acquired the rights to the album when they left the label. In September 2001, Wilco streamed the entire album...

. Although now based in Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Wilco was initially based in St. Louis and cut their teeth in rock clubs in and around the landing. Frontman Jeff Tweedy

Jeff Tweedy

Jeffrey Scot "Jeff" Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician and leader of the band Wilco. Tweedy joined rockabilly band The Plebes with high school friend Jay Farrar in the early 1980s, but Tweedy's musical interests caused one of Farrar's brothers to quit...

grew up in nearby Belleville.

External links

• http://www.lacledeslanding.org/
• http://www.slfp.com/LacledesLanding.html