Historical Markers
People sitting and standing on battle tank - world war ii sites

Self-guided · County in Missouri

World War II Sites in St. Louis County, MO

Airfields, training camps, ordnance plants and home-front sites from the Second World War, many still standing in plain sight.

Photo: Suzy Brooks on Unsplash

St. Louis County is one of 115 counties in Missouri. Reading about this period is one thing. Standing where it happened, with the record in your hand, is how it stops being a date on a test.

On the record near St. Louis County, MO

The 8 nearest

8 listed sites on the record match world war ii sites within 300 miles of St. Louis County, MO, out of 570 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 508 listed sites carry St. Louis County as their county.

  1. Walnut Ridge Army Airfield Access Road177 miles from the center of St. Louis County · Structure · College City · listed 2016National Register of Historic Places
  2. Fairfield Public Library182 miles from the center of St. Louis County · Building · Fairfield · listed 1983National Register of Historic Places
  3. Administration Building, U.S. Naval Air Station Ottumwa202 miles from the center of St. Louis County · Building · Ottumwa · listed 2013National Register of Historic Places
  4. Armour Boulevard Post-World War II Apartment Building Historic District227 miles from the center of St. Louis County · District · Kansas City · listed 2007National Register of Historic Places
  5. Hangar 1, Naval Air Station--Glenview273 miles from the center of St. Louis County · Building · Glenview · listed 1998National Register of Historic Places
  6. Arkansas Ordnance Plant Guard House280 miles from the center of St. Louis County · Building · Jacksonville · listed 2006National Register of Historic Places
  7. Maumelle Ordnance Works Bunker #4285 miles from the center of St. Louis County · Structure · Maumelle · listed 2006National Register of Historic Places
  8. Civilian Conservation Corps--Prisoner of War Recreation Hall293 miles from the center of St. Louis County · Building · Eldora · listed 2012National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of St. Louis County, MO. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

World War II Sites in St. Louis County, step by step

  1. 1

    Read the short history of the period for this area

  2. 2

    Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter

  3. 3

    Visit the nearest site and read its full record

  4. 4

    Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest

  5. 5

    Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in St. Louis County, MO ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in St. Louis County, MO?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near St. Louis County, MO?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in St. Louis County

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In St. Louis County, MO the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in St. Louis County, MO are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

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World War II Sites near St. Louis County

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