In Brief - St. Louis

BY KEVIN M. MITCHELL

TIME ZONE: Central
AREA CODE: 314
FOUNDED: 1764
POPULATION: 3 million*
GET AROUND: Metrolink light rail, Downtown Trolley, Metrobus
AIRPORT: Lambert–St. Louis International Airport
WEBSITES: explorestlouis.com

BY THE NUMBERS

80 types of Scotch whiskies available at The Scottish Arms, a pub in the Central West End
0 Price of admission at the zoo, art museum and history museum.
6,442 Length (in feet) of the Eads Bridge — the world's longest arch bridge when completed in 1874.
75,000 Size (in square feet) of the gaming floor at downtown's Lumière Place Casino & Hotel

CULTURE CALENDAR

May 21-22
LEWIS & CLARK HERITAGE DAYS
This annual event commemorates the adventures of explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with lifesize replicas of the boats they traveled on, a reenactment of a 207-year-old military camp and the largest fife and drum muster west of the Mississippi. Don't miss the grand parade on the 22nd. www.lewisandclarkcenter.org

May 25 to June 19
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
Showgoers can expect bold, dynamic staging from this year’s Shakespeare Festival St. Louis play, thanks to the talents of Chicago-based director Sean Graney. Bring blankets and a picnic dinner (meals are also for sale on-site) for Shakespeare under the stars in Forest Park. The pre-performance Green Show, featuring dancers, musicians, jugglers and other entertainers, starts at 6pm. www.sfstl.com

NEWS FLASH

Westward Expansion 2.0 • In January, plans were unveiled for a $578 million renovation of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, home to the iconic Gateway Arch. Pending funding, the project is scheduled for completion by October 2015. + If it Walks Like a Duck… An 8-foot statue of local and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Chuck Berry — in duck-walking position — was recently completed. It will be unveiled in October across the street from Blueberry Hill nightclub on Delmar Boulevard, where he still performs.