List of tallest buildings in St. Louis facts for kids

The St. Louis skyline is famous for its amazing buildings. You can see the shiny Gateway Arch and the beautiful One Metropolitan Square with its granite and copper roof. St. Louis has many unique buildings. Some are very old and important. For example, the Wainwright Building is one of the first skyscrapers ever built in the United States! It was designed by a famous architect named Louis Sullivan. Another important building is the Old Courthouse. A very important legal case, the Dred Scott case, happened there. Other tall buildings in St. Louis include 909 Chestnut Street and the Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse. This courthouse is the second tallest in the world!

St. Louis skyline, seen from across the Mississippi River.

One Metropolitan Square, pictured at night, designed by the architects Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum.

History of St. Louis's Tall Buildings

The story of tall buildings in St. Louis began in the 1850s. The Barnum's City Hotel was built then. It had six stories and was designed by George I. Barnett. For many years, no building in St. Louis was taller than eight stories.

How Buildings Got Taller

In the 1890s, things changed! Buildings started to get much taller. This was because of new inventions like elevators and using steel frames to build structures. The very first building in St. Louis to use a steel frame was the Wainwright Building. It was built in 1890-1891. This 10-story office building was one of the first modern skyscrapers anywhere! It was designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler. They believed that a building's "form follows function," meaning its design should match its purpose.

Early Tallest Buildings

From 1864 to 1894, the Old Courthouse was the tallest building in St. Louis. It stood about 192 feet (59 meters) tall. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many new office buildings were built. In 1914, the Railway Exchange Building was finished. It became the city's tallest building for many years.

Newer Skyscrapers

St. Louis had another building boom in the 1920s. Later, in 1935, plans for the famous Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (which includes the Gateway Arch) began. In the 2000s, four more very tall towers were added to the city's skyline. One of the newest is the Tower at OPOP. It is 25 stories tall and was finished in 2014.

St. Louis's Tallest Buildings

This list shows the tallest skyscrapers in St. Louis. They are at least 250 feet (76 meters) tall. We measure their height by including spires and other parts of the building's design. We do not count antenna masts. If two buildings have the same height, they share a rank. The "Year" column shows when the building was finished. The "Floors" column counts only the floors above the ground.

A panoramic view of the St. Louis skyline, from the far north side.

The Gateway Arch is included here so you can compare its height. But it's not really a "building." This is because less than half of its height has floors that people can use. It's more like a giant tower or structure.

One Metropolitan Square is the tallest habitable building in St. Louis and second tallest in Missouri, by only 31 feet.

The Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse is the second tallest court building in the world and the third tallest building in St. Louis.

909 Chestnut street tower is the second tallest building in St. Louis.

Bank of America Plaza is the tenth-tallest building in St. Louis.

Tallest Buildings by Pinnacle Height

One US Bank Plaza is the second tallest building in St. Louis when ranked by pinnacle height.

This list ranks St. Louis skyscrapers by their "pinnacle height." This means we include things like radio masts and antennas on top of the building. Some people like this way of measuring because it includes everything that makes the building tall. The "Standard height" is also shown for comparison. This standard height does not count antennas.

Future Tall Buildings in St. Louis

This section lists buildings that are being built, have been approved, or are planned for St. Louis. They are expected to be taller than 100 feet (30 meters). If the exact height isn't known yet, we use a count of 10 stories instead.

Timeline of St. Louis's Tallest Buildings

The Railway Exchange Building was St. Louis's tallest building from 1914 to 1926.

This list shows which buildings held the title of "tallest building" in St. Louis over time. This is based on their standard height (not including antennas).

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Edificios más altos de San Luis para niños

• List of tallest buildings in Missouri
• List of tallest buildings in the United States