ST. LOUIS — An urban explorer shared photos from inside the vacant Millennium Hotel Monday. The photos show the decay inside the building, broken furniture and décor and haunting empty space.
The Facebook page "Krispy's Adventures" shared the photos in a post.
The person behind the Facebook page told 5 On Your Side the photos were taken over the course of the year.
The photos include shots of the atrium, the pool, hallways and chandeleirs in various stages of decay. The floors are dirty and there appears to be trash in most rooms.
The Millennium Hotel St. Louis was first constructed in 1968 with an addition in 1978. It closed in 2014. It was called the Stouffer's Riverfront Inn, the Regal Riverfront Hotel and the Clarion Hotel through the years.
It was once a place so full of life and opportunity, where many St. Louisans shared important moments.
"My dad would take me to the baseball writers' dinner, and you get to meet all the baseball players it was in that ballroom," President of Lodging Hospitality Management Steve O'Loughlin said.
O’Loughlin said this nearly 30-story skyscraper and staple on the St. Louis skyline is the reason his family came to the city.
"My dad was the general manager of the Hilton Hotel in California. And then he had an opportunity to be a GM of Stouffers. So in 1976, it was originally Stouffers, and then it had a name change to Clarion and then to Millennium. And then, of course, it went dark in 2014. I had my first job at the Millennium," O’Loughlin said.
The complex takes up three blocks of South 4th Street and has been empty for almost a decade as it slowly becomes overwhelmed with mold.
"It is my understanding that at one point in time there was asbestos," H & H Consulting President Gary Andreas said.
Andreas has fielded requests about the property over the years and said even demolishing it would be costly.
"The fact that it does have the contamination in it and where it's located, you're looking at taking it down piece by piece as opposed to imploding the properties. So you're looking at just a massive cost just to render the site vacant," Andreas said.
O’Loughlin said while its a shame this icon fell into disrepair, redeveloping this location could really revitalize this area of downtown.
"I think having a new building like a multifamily and maybe even some retail restaurants and that kind of thing, really piggybacking on some of the success that Ballpark Village has had with their multifamily and some of their restaurants and that kind of thing. It's an amazing location right on the riverfront overlooking Busch Stadium. So I would love to see something like that," O'Loughlin said.
Andreas said the vacant hotel owner has no interest in selling it or renovating it and they apparently have even stopped taking offers, let alone calls, from potential buyers.
In August 2022, a Millennium spokesperson told the St. Louis Business Journal the hotel was closed until further notice "pending refurbishment to address any past issues."
RELATED: Downtown's vacant Millennium Hotel cited for weeds, graffiti, shot-out window. The fine? Just $50.
The high-profile building near the Gateway Arch became an eyesore in recent years. Windows were seen broken and vegetation was growing from the roof and on other exterior features.
People should get permission from the property owner before entering any building, even if it's abandoned. Security personnel actively patrol the building.
An email to the hotel ownership group was not immediately returned.
See the full collection of photos here.