Standing at 630 feet, the Gateway Arch is the country’s tallest monument and St. Louis’ most iconic attraction. The distinctly designed structure pays homage to the westward expansion and sits at the location of where the city was founded in 1764.
St. Charles, Missouri, which is about a half-hour drive from downtown St. Louis, is deeply rooted in the quest for exploring land west of the Mississippi River. The contributions of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and their crew is celebrated at several sites, including a marker denoting the expedition’s starting point, a statue, as well as an acclaimed boathouse and museum feet from the Missouri River.
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Preserving and celebrating history is an important goal for St. Charles, which was first founded in 1769 by a French-Canadian fur trader. Initially known as Les Petites Côtes (The Little Hills), the establishment was an important riverfront trading post and point of origin for westbound travelers.
The town’s historic district celebrates its rich past, and some buildings date back as far as 200 years. Restaurants, bars, bed-and-breakfasts, and shops dot Main Street’s cobblestone streets, which is a great place for a casual stroll. The flat straightaway is a vibrant spot during the summer, when there are a number of art, culture, and music events held there and other spots in the downtown area.
Flying In
If flying into any of the airports located in the greater metropolitan area, you may consider taking a detour over downtown St. Louis. Of course, the most notable sight out the windshield will be the Gateway Arch, but you will also be able to spot other points of interest from the air. Some highlights include Busch Stadium (home of Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals), Forest Park and its widely regarded zoo, Union Station and its 200-foot-tall observation wheel, the historic Anheuser-Busch Brewery campus, several universities, and much more.
North America’s two longest rivers serve as the two most distinct points of reference for pilots flying over the area. The Mississippi River creates the eastern boundary of St. Louis and separates Missouri and Illinois. You will see a diversity of fixtures and vessels on its waters—sand dredgers, paddle boats, barges, and sailboats. Similarly, the Missouri River is busy with local and transient traffic and serves as the eastern border for St. Charles. The historic downtown area, where much of the town’s tourist appeal lies, is just a street over from the riverbank.
Airports
There are multiple convenient airport options to choose from when visiting St. Charles with your aircraft. One that many are familiar with and may have flown into before (as a passenger) is St. Louis Lambert International Airport (KSTL). This Class Bravo choice is one of the closer options to choose from, but of course, you have to contend with heavy metal traffic and potentially longer taxis than general aviation options.
However, you may get to see some aircraft in the pattern that you wouldn’t at either of the next two airports.
After all, Boeing manufactures the F-15, F/A-18, and more in town, some models of which share the airspace at Lambert during their postproduction flight test regimens. At an 11-minute drive (two minutes less than Lambert in ideal traffic conditions), Creve Coeur Airport (1H0) is the closest to downtown St. Charles. The privately-owned, public-use facility is designated as a type II General Aviation Reliever Airport and features a 4,500-foot-by-75-foot asphalt runway, as well as a 3,079-by-220 turf strip. There is an RNAV (GPS) approach for both ends of the paved runway, as well as special takeoff and obstacle avoidance procedures to be mindful of.
There is both 100LL and jet-A fuel available at Creve Coeur, and more than 300 based aircraft. This is a significant increase from when its current ownership group purchased the struggling airport in 1984, saving it from being turned into a golf course. Founded in 1959, the facility today provides a “home for light business aircraft, antiques, classics, warbirds, sport aviation, and homebuilt aircraft.”
One of the public-facing ways that the airport is a place friendly to GA is through the on-field Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum. According to the organization’s website, its “primary goal is the acquisition, restoration, display, and operation of antique and vintage aircraft.” The collection includes nearly 50 aircraft housed between four hangars, in varying states of restoration, focused specifically on “The Golden Age of Flight.” Most of the aircraft date back to the roughly two-decade period between world wars, with some highlights being WACOs of varying models, locally built aircraft, and motion picture stars.
A Timm Collegiate reportedly flown by Charles Lindbergh is based there, in addition to a de Havilland Dragon Rapide DH-89A, as well as other unique and historically significant aircraft. The museum is open by appointment on the weekends only, with a $10 admission fee for adults wanting to see one of the most diverse antique aircraft collections west of the Mississippi. It is located within a short walk of the ramp area, which is also near the Gateway Chapter of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Museum’s hangar. This group is home to three choppers, a AH-1F, an OH58-A+, and a UH-1H. Rotor enthusiasts can see these helicopters take flight from Creve Coeur, and the group occasionally hosts local ride days, in addition to participating in airshows around the country.
St. Charles County Regional Airport-Smartt Field (KSET), 16 minutes north of downtown, is another great choice for transient pilots looking to visit the area. The airport has two paved runways, one that is 3,800-by-75 and another that is 2,000-by-75. The airport is owned by the county, and its fuel providers offer 100LL and ramp parking.
Creve Couer Airport features the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum (right). Chandler Hill (below) is one of many vineyards that can be enjoyed in the area. [Courtesy: Tim Vickers]
Like Creve Coeur, this airport is also home to vintage aircraft and is where Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 32 and the Commemorative Air Force’s Missouri Wing are based. The latter group’s four aircraft fleet includes an Aeronca L-3S, a Boeing PT-17 Stearman, a Grumman TBM-3E Avenger, and its flagship—a North American B-25 Mitchell. This aircraft, aptly renamed Show Me in homage to Missouri’s longtime nickname, has been with the CAF wing since 1982 and is a frequent flyer on the airshow circuit.
This two-engine bomber and the Avenger are both available to book flights in, which alone is a worthy reason for visiting Smartt Field. While there isn’t a confirmed 2025 date, the group also routinely holds hangar dances, a good way to transport back to the early 1940s inside its spacious hangar.
Keep an eye toward the group’s Facebook page to learn when this and other events are held throughout the year, from fly-ins to pumpkin drops.
Events
If you choose a random day on the calendar, you are apt to find something enjoyable to do in St. Charles. The city of roughly 70,000 residents hosts a fair number of festivals and events each year, drawing thousands to the quaint downtown area from the Greater St. Louis area and beyond.
Riverfest
One of the hallmark annual events in St. Charles is its Fourth of July celebration. This year, Independence Day falls on a Friday, and the Riverfest celebration extends through the weekend at Frontier Park, a short walk from Main Street. The parade kickoff for this highly anticipated event is at 10 a.m. CDT, followed by a barrage of live music, food and drinks, fireworks, children’s activities, and a carnival.
Music and Arts
Through October, evenings on the second Wednesday of the month will be host to the Beale Street Concert Series. Hit one of the many restaurants downtown and then follow it with some local musical talent at this event, as well as the Hot Summer Nights concert series each second Saturday in July and August. The first Friday of each month is host to an arts and music event downtown, as well, and similarly during the third Wednesdays through September.
In addition to the variety of local and regional talent buoying these events, the St. Charles area is home to a 20,000-person-capacity outdoor venue that draws national acts.
Upcoming summer events at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater cater to a wide variety of musical tastes and performers include country, rap, and rock headliners. These musicians range from Rod Stewart to Chris Stapleton to The Doobie Brothers.
Another outdoor concert hall, the Saint Louis Music Park, is also nearby. Its capacity is about a fourth of the amphitheater, which provides a more intimate fan experience, while still drawing headline acts.
Finally, The Family Arena, with a capacity of around 11,000, is also a prime concert venue. The facility hosts many well-known performers, as well as a variety of family-friendly stage shows.
Sporting Events
One of the best ways to enjoy a summer night is at CarShield Field.
A town over in O’Fallon, Missouri, the stadium is a short drive from St. Charles and home to the O’Fallon Hoots baseball team, which are a part of the Prospect League—a college-level summer league. There are currently 12 July games on the schedule, with promotional nights offering discounted ticket and food prices, as well as special theming.
Another place to see high-level athletics is at the Centene Community Ice Center. The three-sheet facility is the official practice facility for the National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues, and many of their workouts are open to the public at no cost.
The site is also home to Lindenwood University’s NCAA Division I men’s and women’s programs, in addition to an array of youth ice sports organizations.
The National Equestrian Center, a 25-minute drive from downtown St. Charles, is a great place for equine lovers to gather. The 54-acre facility boasts three arenas, 585 horse stalls, and hosts a bevy of competition and community events. July and August events focus on quarter horses, Shetland ponies, Gypsy Vanners, as well as several dressage shows.
Markets and Pop-Ups
Downtown St. Charles strikes a good balance between the past and present, as evidenced by its boutiques and other specialty shops.
Markets and other pop-up shopping events help augment these offerings, and one of the routine events is the St. Charles Flea and Artisan Market. This market is held each second Saturday of the month at the City Hall Parking Garage and is host to an array of booths selling art, antiques, homemade treats, and more.
A three-day craft show in August, called the Festival of the Little Hills (or Féte de Petites Côtes in French, in homage to St. Charles’ first name) is the largest of its kind in the area.
The event has been held in August since 1971 and is host to more than 300 booths, including more than two dozen food vendors.
St. Charles boasts many picturesque views. [Adobe Stock]
Things to Do
Explore Historic Downtown
St. Charles has evolved since its inception more than 250 years ago but still retains the charm of its early days. One of the most prominent reminders of the city’s heritage is the First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site.
The site was active for five years starting in 1821, while construction occurred up the Missouri River in Jefferson City on the state’s current capitol building. There are numerous other points of interest on a curated, self-guided walking tour of historic Main Street and beyond.
One of the highlights is the Lewis & Clark Boat House and Museum. This site has replica boats from the multiyear expedition, as well as reenactors showcasing living history to visitors.
The museum’s three watercraft are built to the same specifications as the vessels used during the explorers’ journey and took over 16,000 volunteer hours to build. Another period highlight is The Historic Daniel Boone Home in the town of Defiance, roughly a 35-minute drive away. There you can visit the home the frontiersman built in 1799, as well as other structures in a reconstructed village.
Hiking, Biking, and More
One of Missouri’s treasures is the Katy Trail, the longest developed rail-trail in America.
The mostly flat, 240-mile-long path begins about 12 miles east of St. Charles and ends near the state’s western border. There is a trailhead in town, where people can hop on the crushed limestone trail to begin their trek. The Katy Trail hugs the Missouri River for much of its length, and a section of it is dedicated as part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
Another converted rail track is the Rock Island Trail, which intersects with the Katy Trail in the western part of the state. As such, St. Charles is a well-regarded starting point for people desiring to start memorable bipedal trips. There are multiple bike shops in town, with opportunities to rent several bicycle types (including e-bikes) by the hour or day. Shuttle services are also provided, if your mind and legs were more ambitious during your outbound journey.
And don’t forget to get custom Katy Trail State Park biking gear to remember your journey, including a racing jersey that will make your fellow biking enthusiasts back home jealous of your trip.
While St. Charles isn’t known as a water destination, water is a central factor for several activities. Kayaking is a tranquil way to get your blood pumping, and the best place to kayak in St. Charles County is at the Dardenne Creek Blueway in nearby St. Peters. You are able to paddle on the nearly 9-mile-long stretch, which ultimately connects to the Mississippi River.
If you prefer to view the sights with less exertion, a riverboat cruise is a great option. When expanding your search outside of St. Charles proper, there are several choices, and most are within a 45-minute to an hour drive.
One option is the Miss Augusta “luxury yacht,” which has a multitude of public and private charters, including both sunset and dinner cruise options.
Golfing and Wineries
St. Charles is also a good destination for trips centered around golfing and wine tasting. There are a handful of private and public courses in town, with many more in the other St. Louis suburbs.
A shorter-term golfing engagement would be to visit a driving range, of which there are several nearby.
Another fun choice would be to try your hand at miniature golf or even disc golf. There are a handful of disc golf courses in the county, which range in levels of difficulty. McNair Park has the lone course option in the town of St. Charles, boasting 18 holes erected in 2024.
Vineyards are another way to enjoy nature in alternative fashion—whether it’s walking among the grapes or tasting the final product from one of the county’s eight wineries.
The Historic Missouri Wine Trail sits on the fertile Missouri River Valley, and its wineries are the perfect place to unwind, whether at the beginning or ending of your trip to St. Charles.
This feature first appeared in the July Issue 960 of the FLYING print edition.
