Graffiti Wall

I am one of those people who look up graffiti walls in every city I visit. If you are like me, you will appreciate our own highly under-​rated graffiti mecca right by the Mississippi river, under the I-​40/​64 overpass, south of the Arch.
I have been here a number of times over the years. The highest concentration of high-​quality art can be found right after the annual Paint Louis event, which is an organized weekend of mural-​painting typically happening in August-​September.
The painted flood wall is more than one mile long, starting at the end of Chouteau and continuing south past the intersection of Victor and Wharf St. There is a paved path right next to the wall that may not be wide enough for big trucks. There is a dirt road further away that is of inconsistent width and at times take you right up against railroad tracks. For the most comprehensive view, your best bet is to park the car at Chouteau and Leonor Sullivan and trek south on Wharf Street. It is an industrial and barren environment. But as T. M. so wisely said below, it will feel like you are in a bad part of town, but you are actually nowhere near the bad part of town. With that said, you probably do want to bring a friend and if you park don’t leave valuables in your car.
Enjoy!

St. Louis does not get nearly enough credit as we should for our mark in the arts… but that’s another show. If you’re visiting the area or a resident who’s never visited the graffiti wall, shame on you. It’s severely captivating to see all the beautiful forms of expression in vivid colors & characters along the wall.
Located on the riverfront at Chouteau extending south for about a mile. The art is displayed on both sides of the flood walls in case you’re driving it may be useful to park and stroll a bit to take in all the wonders of the wall.
Truly amazing the skill level of these artist. I appreciate it.

This was really cool to visit. There were a bunch of artists out working on their stuff along with friends and other supporters. It was awesome to see something being created in the moment. Definitely worth a trip.

Great art! Great fun! Gentle artists. Funny how we view graffiti from history, (from 30,000 years ago up to 150 years ago), as valuable part of our heritage but today’s graffiti as vandalism…

Want something random, cheap, and mind blowing to do on a sunny afternoon? Cruise down to the STL riverfront and experience one of the more colorful and awe inspiring flood walls I have ever seen. On foot — it seems to go on forever but realistically speaking — this living art project stretches for a good mile and some change along the banks of the Mississippi.
This hidden stretch of wonderment is filled with amazing murals bursting with life and color. The only bummer is some ridiculous person decides to tag something generic over a breathtaking piece but shit happens. Good place to take some great photos. The artwork really lights up on a bright, sunny day. Not a lot of traffic or activity along this stretch and easily accessible by bicycle or foot if you so choose. They are doing some construction so vehicle accessibility is there but no way to directly access from Riverfront Drive (also under construction).
At any rate — good place to roll down and enjoy. Recommend visiting during daylight hours for obvious safety concerns but because it pops better in daylight. This is one of those nice perks of living in the city Enjoy.

This ever-​changing wall of art is really a gem. If you are ever downtown and have some time to kill, take a gander. Just drive East on Chouteau until you hit the Mississippi. The wall is long… it’s an actual flood wall… but it makes a great canvass for a can or two of spray paint. Don’t bring your own paint. You’re not going to be near as talented as the artist that created this mural. Just bring a camera and and open mind. Take a selfie or two and you’ll have a unique backdrop photo for your Facebook page.
Oh… and you might want to visit during daylight hours.

There are a lot of reasons I love living in the city of Saint Louis, but one extra cool thing that most locals don’t even know about is the Graffiti Wall located just south of the Arch along the Mississippi flood wall. This huge canvas stretches for something like two miles along the river with a wide variety of constantly changing artwork. Every so often graffiti artists from around North America descend upon the flood wall on a designated weekend to express their creative talents in a legal setting. Yes, that’s correct… legal. While some might scoff at such an act, many admire the art and few places display it better than here. I’d recommend going soon to see the fresh artwork from last weekend’s graffiti fest before the armatures move in and scribble it up.

Such a cool spot in the city! The graffiti wall is about 2 miles of art! Some of the art is better than others, but most of it is really fun/​cool. The day we went, we some some artist painting new stuff and it looked AWESOME! We had a chance to talk to them and ask them questions, and it was really cool to hear their perspectives on the wall. If you are interested in photography/​art or trendy things definitely check this spot out! I wish the city would do another initiate another graffiti wall design contest!
We went during the day, and there wasn’t anything shady about it. I don’t recommend going alone though.

The graffiti wall is very impressive and no doubt one of the coolest attractions in the city. As I understand it, the city gave some special permission for graffiti artists to go ahead and paint the whole floodwall down there. It’s obvious as you drive along, there were some very talented artists involved. You’ll want to get out an take a few pictures along the way. At a couple of spots, you’re really too close to enjoy it from the car, but I don’t recommend venturing off the road into the, uh, prairie/​dump area to the right.
If you go, you should be aware there is only a dirt road to follow and at some point, you may wonder if you’re safe. To quote my wife halfway through our little tour, «I wish I had a gun.»
There was no real danger, or any dangerous looking people, for that matter. A couple of guys looked like they were making a drug deal, but they were only baiting a fishing pole. A few more guys down the road were painting. Otherwise we didn’t see anyone. A passing tour bus would have been nice to see. I think what’s kind of unsettling is that there aren’t many options once you’re on the road other than to continue on.
So…awesome art, quirky location, don’t even think about going at night.

Have you ever wandered what happens if you drive along the river past the arch? Usually I just turn and get onto the highway. I realized this is where the road leads if you don’t turn today. It’s pretty cool. I’ve been meaning to come by here for a while. My friend and I drove for 5 minutes along the wall and saw some pretty cool art.
I liked the gravel road and the trains to the west. I liked spying the lorax-​like painting and the funny story type epic comic scenes. I also liked the words that said Made You Look!
It was too warm so we didn’t walk around but I really enjoyed it. I’ll be back when the weather is cooler.

«It’s not illegal, it’s frowned upon — like masturbating on an airplane.»
Yeah, the graffiti wall is a place where crime intersects art and goes from «those damn kids tagged our dumpsters» to tourist destination.
Drive east on Chouteau Avenue and just… keep driving east. You’ll eventually find yourself in a place that feels like you’ve stumbled upon a Bruce Springsteen music video set. You’ll probably feel like you’re in a bad part of town, but in actuality you’re nowhere near the bad part of town. Although be careful. I heard a lot of gang bangers from ESTL like to swim across the river and get the tourists.
This place was a great place for a walk. It’s long. Like, longer than I’d want to walk. You can drive along it, or park at your own risk off to the side just… wherever. It’s not like there’s a parking lot or quarter-​fed binoculars. Not that kind of place.
Probably don’t come here alone. Maybe don’t come here with kids, unless you let your kids watch «Exit Wounds» or be babysat by Charlie Sheen.
Bring a camera.
Great way to spend 30 minutes. Wish I had discovered this place sooner!