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City in Illinois, United States
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Kelly Martin assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
East St. Louis, commonly abbreviated as "ESL", is a city in Southern Illinois directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. It is a sprawling city with about 18,000 people, down from about 82,000 in the 1950s.
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As one of the most famous residents of ESL, the Katherine Dunham Museum is centered on the life of this famous dancer. The museum is home to many of her personal items collected from all over the world. Some of these items include African Diaspora, African artifacts, dance costumes, pictures, drawings, paintings, and Dunham's personal awards and accomplishments. Hours are on an appointment basis: contact Leverne Backstrom for details.
Near the Casino Queen on the Mississippi River is the Gateway Geyser. The fountain mimics the St. Louis Arch directly opposite, both reaching a height around 630 feet (190 m). The Gateway Geyser is the world's second tallest fountain after the King Fahd's Fountain in Saudi Arabia.
Opened in 2000 by a 6-time Olympic medalist in track, Jackie Joyner-Kersee began this project to help her hometown and encourage participation in sports.
The Casino Queen is known for its "loose slots" and is a major attraction for this area. It features an array of games, a hotel, 4 restaurants, The Stage Bar, and a RV park.
Mexican food.
Burgers, wings and fish.
Hotel at the Casino Queen, steps from the casino floor.
By train
The Metrolink train travels into East St. Louis on the blue and red lines. The Red Line begins at Lambert Airport in St. Louis, Missouri, and ends in Shiloh, Illinois.
By plane
There are many airports near East St. Louis. The largest nearby airport is the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL) approximately 16 mi from East St. Louis.
The Metro St. Louis website contains information about public transport in ESL as well as in St. Louis.
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St Louis · International · STL
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