More than 45,000 Germans settled in St. Louis in the mid 19th century, and when they arrived, they brought a taste for beer and beer gardens. St. Louis had plenty of caves, and before the advent of refrigeration, used the cool underground venues for making and storing beer and entertaining guests.

St. Louisans still have a thirst for beer. While you look over these historic photos of beer gardens from the past, remember that we have plenty of present-day beer garden options: among them Urban Chestnut, Grant’s Farm, Rockwell Beer Garden in Francis Park, the beer garden at Anheuser-Busch brewery, 7 Mile Garden in St. Louis County and Frankie Martin’s Garden in Cottleville.

Editor's note: This article was originally published in October 2022.

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