St. Louis Walk of Fame facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St. Louis Walk of Fame
St. Louis Walk of Fame logo
Location	St. Louis, Missouri and University City, Missouri
Country	United States
Reward	Brass star and bronze plaque embedded into the sidewalk along Delmar Boulevard
First awarded	1989

Chuck Berry's star in the St. Louis Walk of Fame

The St. Louis Walk of Fame celebrates amazing people from St. Louis, Missouri. These are people who have done great things for American culture. To be honored, they must have been born in the St. Louis area. Or, they must have spent important years of their lives there. People are honored for achievements in many fields. This includes acting, music, sports, art, and science.

As of April 2019, the Walk of Fame has over 150 special stars. Each star is made of brass and has a bronze plaque. The plaques show the person's name and what they achieved. You can find these stars and plaques on the sidewalks. They are along a two-thirds of a mile stretch of Delmar Boulevard. This area is called the Delmar Loop. It crosses the border between St. Louis and University City.

History of the Walk of Fame

The St. Louis Walk of Fame was started by a man named Joe Edwards. He owns a popular restaurant called Blueberry Hill. He also owns other businesses along the Walk. The very first stars and plaques were placed in 1989.

First Honorees in 1989

Ten famous people were honored in the first year. They included:

• Chuck Berry, a famous musician
• Katherine Dunham, a dancer and choreographer
• James B. Eads, who built bridges
• T. S. Eliot, a well-known poet
• Scott Joplin, a ragtime music composer
• Charles Lindbergh, a brave aviator
• Stan Musial, a legendary baseball player
• Vincent Price, a famous actor
• Joseph Pulitzer, a newspaper publisher
• Tennessee Williams, a great playwright

For the next four years, ten more people were added each year. This helped the Walk of Fame grow quickly. After 1994, usually no more than three people are added each year.

Expanding the Walk

In May 2008, Cedric the Entertainer received the first star. This star was placed in the St. Louis City part of the Delmar Loop. Joe Edwards has been working to make the Walk of Fame longer. He has also helped improve the Delmar Loop area.

How People Are Chosen

Anyone can suggest someone for the St. Louis Walk of Fame. You just need to send in their name and what they did. You also need to explain their connection to St. Louis.

The Selection Process

About 30 to 40 people are chosen as finalists. These finalists are then sent to a special committee. This committee has 120 people from St. Louis. They are experts from universities, libraries, and art groups. They also include journalists and other citizens. These people understand St. Louis's culture and history very well.

Induction Ceremonies

Before 2007, new honorees were usually celebrated in May. Now, the ceremonies happen less often. They are scheduled when the people being honored are available to attend. Some people on the Walk of Fame are also in the Gateway Classic Hall of Fame. This includes Dick Gregory, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Ozzie Smith.

Honored Individuals

Images for kids

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  Tina Turner star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame in University City, Missouri

See also

• List of awards for contributions to culture
• List of halls and walks of fame
• List of people from St. Louis