Compton Hill Water Tower

Compton Hill Water Tower has been on my radar for YEARS, but it is only open for public viewing the first Saturday of the month and full moon evenings, and up until recently, Francis had drill on the first weekend of the month (and I forgot about full moon evenings). This is one of those things that I knew would be so awesome that I would feel guilty if I went without him.

Boy was I right! This is the coolest thing ever, and if you are able to climb 198 stairs, you should put this on your calendar for the next available date!

Almost to the top! (Just kidding, you don't have to climb any ladders).

Compton Hill Water Tower is built around a pressure regulating standpipe that was used in the early 1900s. There are actually three of these standpipes in St Louis, and only seven left in the entire world! This is the only one of the St Louis towers that has an observation deck at the top.The view is amazing!

Looking south

Zoomed in, south. If our house was taller you'd be able to see it near the river, a bit to the right of center.

Looking north. The other two water towers are in this photo.

Zoomed in on the Planetarium, looking west.

This was the part I was most excited about: being able to see over the wall of the Compton Hill Reservoir. Not what I expected at all! I thought that whole thing was full of water. Still, those tanks hold 28 million gallons, and are still used today. Once upon a time, there were tennis courts on top of the reservoir, which explains the elaborate staircases and brick walkway that runs all the way around.