The St. Louis Region

The St. Louis skyline as seen over Brown Hall

The St. Louis region offers many opportunities in sports, recreation, and cultural events. St. Louis is the home of the baseball Cardinals, the football Rams, and the hockey Blues. Not far from campus are areas known for hiking, canoeing, and spelunking. Culturally, St. Louis boasts the second oldest symphony orchestra in the nation, and several dance companies. Theatrical productions are staged by, among others, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and the Fox Theatre; during the summer, musicals are performed at the outdoor amphitheater of the Muny in Forest Park, and Verizon Wireless Amphitheater is a popular spot for concert-goers.

St. Louis has experienced a surge of renovation and expansion in recent years. Union Station, a National Historical Landmark, first opened in 1894, has been restored with its former passenger train station now a festive indoor marketplace. Minutes from campus, the St. Louis Galleria mall is popular with students. The 66,000-seat Edward Jones Dome, is home to the St. Louis Rams, and a new baseball stadium for the Cardinals is under construction. MetroLink, a light rail system, links the airport in west St. Louis to the Washington University Medical Center and the downtown area and across the river to Illinois. An extension that opened in 2006 runs along the northern edge of the Danforth Campus into Clayton and south to Shrewsbury.

Shopping, dining, and entertainment can be enjoyed on Laclede's Landing along the Mississippi riverfront or the University City Loop, a short walk from campus, offering an eclectic mix of shops and ethnic restaurants and performances at the Pageant.

Within walking distance of campus is Forest Park, which provides 1,400 acres of land for tennis, in-line skating, biking, golf, and other sports and activities. The Saint Louis Art Museum, the Saint Louis Zoo, the Jefferson Memorial, and the St. Louis Science Center are in the park.

The Missouri Botanical Garden, the first of its kind established in the United States, is a National Historic Landmark. Special features include the Climatron, the Japanese Garden, and Tower Grove House. Several of the scientists at the garden are also members of the faculty in the University's Department of Biology in Arts & Sciences.

For more information about Washington University in St. Louis, contact the Office of Public Affairs, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 1070, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63130-4899; telephone (314)935-5230, or the Office of Medical Public Affairs, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 8508, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63108-2259; telephone (314)286-0100. Or, visit the University's Web site at www.wustl.edu.