Looking at the old colonial-style buildings on historic Main Street St. Charles, it’s easy to wonder what they would say if they could talk. The people they have seen, the stories they would tell. As you walk down Main Street, you pass the Daniel Boone statue and spot the Lewis & Clark statue on the Katy Trail by the Missouri River. Where did they go when they were here over 200 years ago? What buildings and sights did they see? While walls don’t talk, I found the Hit the Bricks history tour to answer all of my questions and more about St. Charles history.
Hit the Bricks walking tours run on every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from the beginning of April to the end of September. Two tours operate each day and last about an hour each. “The Key to the West: Pioneers, Explorers, & Traders…Oh My!” covers St. Charles’ pivotal role as the launch-point of explorers, a forgotten graveyard behind a beloved business, a story on a nefarious plot hatched by an American vice president, and more on the 400 to 900 blocks of South Main Street.
The second tour, “MO Than Meets the Eye: Surprises of Missouri’s First State Capital” covers Saint Charles’ role as Missouri’s first state capitol, tumultuous events that helped ignite a spark leading to the American Civil War, a local saint, and other historic events. This St. Charles history tour goes from the 300 block of South Main Street to the 300 block of North Main Street. I took both tours to learn about the history of both ends of Main Street.
Hit the Bricks isn’t your ordinary history tour. Each guest gets to use an official Hit the Bricks viewfinder (like the one from your childhood!) to help transport you back in time. At several stops along both tours, I looked through the viewfinder to see a photo of what Main Street looked like in the 1900s, 1800s, and even the 1700s. It was fun to compare the picture from the past to what Main Street looks like today. It was like a matching game; I tried to spot brickwork, windows, and other architectural details that look similar (a surprising amount was recognizable!).
One photo I found particularly interesting was that of a crowd standing at the intersection of Main Street and Jefferson Street to watch a hot air balloon float in the air in 1878. I could look at this photo while simultaneously standing in the same spot as the photographer, over 145 years later.
We all know that St. Louis is the gateway to the west, but did you know that St. Charles is the key to the West? The passionate tour guides told stories of events, transactions, and gatherings that took place on Main Street; many that shocked me. Just a sneak peek: I learned which unassuming building housed formal balls for the townsfolk, including Lewis and Clark, what tavern Zebulon Pike, the namesake of Pike’s Peak in Colorado, planned his western expedition in, and even which iconic Disney character has a musical connection to Main Street. I won’t spoil it for you; you’ll just have to go on the tours yourself!
The Hit the Bricks St. Charles history tour showed that history certainly is in harmony with modern times here in St. Charles. You will leave with a newfound appreciation for the people who shaped the city we all know and love today the next time you walk into the shops and restaurants of Main Street. Purchase Hit the Bricks tickets online and watch the Main Street of the past come to life in front of your very eyes.