Lafayette Square is one of St. Louis's best places to see the city's 19th-century confidence at a walker's pace. The park forms the centrepiece, but the real pleasure is the ring of restored Victorian houses, ironwork, painted brick, and corner businesses that make the neighbourhood feel distinct from both downtown and the Central West End.
It is not a single-ticket attraction; treat it as a stroll. Come in daylight, loop the park, and then continue into the surrounding blocks if you enjoy old urban neighbourhoods with a strong preservation story.