If you’re trying to discover among the finest issues to do in St. Louis, you’ve come to the precise place. Being a Midwest metropolis, you wouldn’t suppose St. Louis has all that a lot to do. But we’re right here to let you know there are a great deal of issues to do in St. Louis.
You may’ve heard about St. Louis Arch or Busch Stadium the place the Cardinals play however apart from that, there are a ton of hidden gems and fascinating issues to uncover in town.
Awesome Things to Do in St. Louis, MO
Founded in 1764, St. Louis has many historic buildings which were superbly renovated for modern-day use. There are additionally nationally acknowledged museums that host fascinating reveals and artwork to see. Apart from that, St. Louis has some scrumptious native meals and a few fascinating spins on issues that you’ve to attempt.
Here’s a have a look at simply among the finest issues to do in St. Louis!
1. Check out The Gateway Arch National Park
The Gateway Arch National Park is dwelling to and named for the 630-foot-tall Gateway Arch. This nationwide park displays St. Louis’ position in the Westward Expansion of the United States in the course of the nineteenth century, Thomas Jefferson’s position in opening the West, the pioneers who helped form its historical past, and Dred Scott, who sued for his freedom in the Old Courthouse.
The Gateway Arch, being the primary attraction of the park, encompasses a quick 4-minute experience to the highest that prices $13-$19 per particular person, a model new free museum about St. Louis’ position in westward growth, and a 30-minute documentary film about how the Arch was constructed.
The Gateway Arch National Park is totally the #1 factor to do in St. Louis for apparent causes, but additionally as a result of you will get one of the best views of town of St. Louis in addition to the Illinois aspect of the Mississippi River. You haven’t been to St. Louis for those who didn’t take a look at the Gateway Arch!
2. Go to a Cardinals Game at Busch Stadium
The Cardinals are the skilled baseball group of St. Louis, Missouri, enjoying all of their dwelling video games at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals have gained the Major League Baseball World Series 11 occasions. Second solely to the New York Yankees. We could also be biased, however the Cardinals can placed on a reasonably good recreation.
If you might be in St. Louis from April to September, it’s the excellent alternative to catch a baseball recreation at Busch Stadium. It is a brilliant reasonably priced expertise for the complete household at a median value of $40 a ticket, however you’ll be able to simply discover tickets for as little as $11 per particular person for those who don’t thoughts some nosebleed seats. Grab your tickets right here.
You will need to get to the park early to get the complete Busch Stadium expertise and in addition get one of the best probability of parking spot. Start the expertise by taking a stroll across the stadium whilst you take pleasure in the entire superb views of downtown St. Louis and the Gateway Arch that Busch Stadium has to provide. You may additionally need to indulge in among the ballpark fare whilst you’re at it!
3. Go out for Drinks at Ballpark Village
Ballpark Village is a 150,000-square-foot retail and leisure district positioned proper throughout from Busch Stadium. The district options Budweiser Brewhouse, Cardinals Nation, Bally Sports Live!, in addition to a number of different leisure and restaurant venues.
Ballpark Village additionally produces over 120 free annual occasions and has welcomed over 10 million guests thus far. It is a brand new and thrilling a part of St. Louis’ group and nightlife that’s inside strolling distance of lots of the downtown actions.
Ballpark Village is open year-round and is lively each day and night time. There are occasions for all ages, however lots of the venues are geared toward adults. You can do principally something you’ll be able to consider at Ballpark Village like: eat, drink, keep, store, discover, and a lot extra. Going for a drink is likely one of the finest issues to do in Saint Louis earlier than or after a Cardinals baseball recreation.
4. Get out in Nature at Forest Park
Forest Park is taken into account to be one of many nation’s biggest city public parks that includes 1,300 acres of gorgeous landscapes like forests, totally different ecosystems, nature reserves, lakes, streams, 5 main cultural establishments, and limitless alternatives for recreation. Best of all, the park and lots of the establishments are free for the general public to take pleasure in!
To put the dimensions of Forest Park in perspective, it’s bigger than Central Park in New York! That would clarify how the Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, The Muny, Saint Louis Science Center, and Saint Louis Zoo can all be located inside Forest Park.
The Saint Louis Zoo, positioned on the southwest aspect of Forest Park, is called one of many prime 10 zoos in the United States and it is likely one of the solely free zoos as properly. The zoo is devoted to analysis and conservation and works regionally and globally to shield animals and their habitats.
5. Day Trip to St. Charles
There are loads of superb day journeys that you may take from St. Louis reminiscent of floating down a few of Missouri’s pristine rivers on a Missouri float journey, however one other noteworthy day journey to take a look at is St. Charles, Missouri.
Founded in 1769, St. Charles is a restored historic metropolis located proper on the West aspect of the Missouri River. Much of the historical past of St. Charles will be discovered in the buildings that line the Historic Main Street.
You can eat, drink, and store at quite a lot of companies which have discovered a house on Main Street in addition to take a stroll in the parks that encompass the world. You will even discover that St. Charles’ Main Street hosts many occasions year-round, and lots of these occasions are free.
St. Charles is roughly a 35-minute drive from St. Louis, Missouri, making it the proper day journey to add to your checklist of issues to do in St. Louis!
6. Visit the Saint Louis Art Museum
Another establishment positioned on the west aspect of Forest Park is the Saint Louis Art Museum. The St. Louis Art Museum, in any other case referred to as SLAM, is likely one of the principal United States artwork museums that includes stunning and fascinating work, sculptures, cultural objects, and historic masterpieces from everywhere in the world.
The Art Museum is open to the general public each Tuesday via Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission to the museum is free each day all 12 months spherical, and admission to the primary rotating exhibitions is free each Friday.
The Saint Louis Art Museum is consistently altering with new exhibitions, installations, and acquisitions and it provides a bunch of thrilling on-site actions for all ages. There are over 34,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of historical past and cultures to see right here.
7. Meander via the Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden, informally referred to as Shaw’s Garden, is a middle for botanical analysis and science training in St. Louis. The Garden provides 79 acres of fantastic horticultural show, together with a 14-acre Japanese backyard, historic structure, and one of many world’s largest collections of uncommon and endangered flora.
The Missouri Botanical Garden is open each day from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM year-round. The prime sights of the backyard are the Climatron, the Japanese Garden, and the Sachs Museum. If you get uninterested in strolling, the Botanical Garden additionally provides narrated tram excursions to make it easier to discover the backyard.
While the Missouri Botanical Garden is likely one of the few ticketed establishments in St. Louis, it’s only $14 for adults to benefit from the gardens. The backyard additionally hosts quite a lot of rotating occasions all through the season that target issues like artwork installations. The Botanical Garden is by far some of the stunning issues to do in St. Louis, MO.
8. Learn about History on the St. Louis History Museum
Another free staple positioned on the north entrance of Forest Park, the Missouri History Museum explores the histories of those that name the St. Louis area dwelling. The museum, run by the Missouri Historical Society, focuses on the historical past of St. Louis from its founding in 1764 up to the current day. You can uncover town’s historical past of sports activities, life on the Mississippi, the 1904 World’s Fair, and a lot extra!
The Missouri History Museum is usually open Tuesdays via Sundays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM year-round. General admission in addition to most particular rotating reveals and occasions are at all times free for everybody.
If you need to go on a deeper St. Louis historical past dive, the Missouri Historical Society provides 24+ totally different excursions that blend partaking storytelling and deep historic information with enthusiasm for town of St. Louis. The excursions vary from $20-$35 and might final up to 2 hours lengthy.
9. Go on a Brewery Crawl
Apart from the long-lasting Gateway Arch, St. Louis is understood for its expansive craft beer scene. St. Louis has over 20 breweries and hundreds of beer kinds to provide locals and guests alike. Some of the St. Louis favorites embody 4 Hands Brewing Co., The Schlafly Tap Room, Rockwell Beer Co., Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., and dozens extra.
You are additionally seemingly to be conversant in Budweiser, and St. Louis is definitely dwelling to the headquarters of Anheuser-Busch. You can benefit from the Budweiser Brewery Experience there which permits you to discover the campus, go to the Clydesdales, and style the beer straight from the ending cellars.
Budweiser provides quite a lot of experiences which can be personalized to suit your pursuits and timeframes. Depending on the expertise, it might value $15-$40 per particular person.
10. Head to The Hill for Delicious Italian Food
The Hill is a singular Italian neighborhood positioned in St. Louis City. The space was based by Italian immigrants in the 1800s which is what nonetheless closely influences the “little Italy” really feel of the neighborhood right now. The Hill is filled with proud longtime residents in addition to some new faces that preserve historical past alive right now.
You can get the complete genuine Italian neighborhood expertise in The Hill by visiting any of the 25 superb eating places, purchasing for distinctive items and items, or staying in one mattress and breakfast within the historic houses.
We can also’t speak about The Hill with out mentioning the St. Louis favourite, toasted ravioli or t-ravs. The toasted ravioli is a breaded deep-fried ravioli, normally served as an appetizer with a dipping sauce like marinara sauce. This St. Louis meals oddity was first created and popularized in the Nineteen Fifties on the eating places in The Hill!
11. Go on an Adventure at The City Museum
While exploring downtown St. Louis, you’ll most likely stumble throughout a constructing that has a college bus hanging off of the sting of it and surprise what on earth is occurring. That is simply the norm on the City Museum although!
The City Museum is a weirdly great museum of play with a rooftop and 4 flooring filled with installations, sights, collections, and extra. Many of the museum’s reveals encompass repurposed architectural and industrial objects, most of that are interactive. Perfect for the adults to take pleasure in whereas the youngsters play.
Tickets to the City Museum begin at $20 per particular person and get you entry to the 30+ slides, man-made caves, treehouse + tunnels, the world’s largest pencil, and a lot extra!
If you go to from March via October, you can too add rooftop entry for less than $8 so you’ll be able to take a look at the enormous praying mantis and the Big Eli Ferris Wheel.
12. See the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, or the Saint Louis Cathedral, dates again to 1764 and is a one-of-a-kind murals. With a lot magnificence to see on the within and the superb structure on the surface of this cathedral, it’s a particular cease on our checklist.
There are free guided and self-guided excursions accessible most days between 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM so that you gained’t miss out on any of the main points.
The decrease stage of the Cathedral Basilica is dwelling to the Mosaic Museum. The museum accommodates a number of shows depicting the design and set up of mosaics together with different historic non secular objects.
Also positioned in the museum in the Cathedral Crypt if you would like to get just a little spooky. The museum is open each day till 4:00 PM with a contribution of $2 per particular person requested as admission.
13. Drink a Root Beer Float at Fitz’s
Fitz’s is a neighborhood St. Louis craft soda microbrewery and restaurant providing scrumptious American meals, well-known floats and shakes, and views of the bottling line. Fitz’s bottles all 19 of their distinctive flavors on their classic bottling line proper within the restaurant, however their root beer is their most well-known taste.
This isn’t simply an unusual root beer although. Fitz’s Root Beer is acknowledged as among the best root beers in the United States! The root beer is made in accordance to an unique recipe developed in St. Louis in 1947, and it’s most famously served as a Root Beer Float at Fitz’s.
You can order one of many famously giant Root Beer Floats throughout any day of the week from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM at both their historic Delmar Loop or South County places.
14. Head to the Museum of Transportation
Founded in 1944, the Museum of Transportation will take you on a experience again in time via 190 main reveals. The assortment is acknowledged as the most important assortment of transportation autos in the world. You will get to see traditionally well-known practice vehicles, vehicles, boats, and planes a few of that are connected to some fairly neat St. Louis historical past.
Not solely does this museum have all issues transportation, it even has gardens, a restaurant, and a boutique. There are gardens on all 3 ranges of the museum that incorporate native and sustainable vegetation to assist the native birds, butterflies, and different pollinators.
Barrett’s Landing Café is a good place to go to for lunch. They have plenty of choices so you’ll be able to both seize a meal, a fast snack, or a to-go deal with. The Boxcar Boutique, positioned inside the primary museum constructing, has enjoyable commemorative items and transportation-themed items.
The Museum of Transportation is open each Monday via Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You can take a guided or self-guided tour, and admission begins at simply $5 per particular person.
15. Get an Ice Cream at Ted Drewe’s
Ted Drewe’s has been promoting frozen custard in St. Louis for over 80 years and is likely one of the hottest summertime treats for St. Louisans and vacationers alike. Ted Drewe’s has all types of scrumptious dessert treats however is finest identified for the “concrete” which was created in 1959. A “concrete” is a malt or shake so thick that it may be served the wrong way up!
This makes Ted Drewe’s the proper ritual cease to make after an extended sizzling day visiting one of many many Saint Louis issues to do just like the Arch, the Fox and Muny Theaters, the St. Louis Zoo, or a Cardinal’s baseball recreation.
16. Visit Union Station
St. Louis’s Union Station used to be one of many largest and busiest passenger rail terminals in the world, however right now it serves a brand new goal for town of St. Louis.
The Union Station now homes quite a lot of actions just like the St. Louis Aquarium, a huge Ferris wheel, a rope course, mini golf, a carousel, a mirror maze, and lightweight reveals. Apart from the leisure, there are ample choices for meals, so you can too seize a chunk to eat at one of many 9 totally different eating places. Also for those who occur to get too drained by the top of the day, you’ll be able to keep on the Union Station Hotel.
Basically, the St. Louis Union Station has all of it. It actually captures the essence of historical past, enjoyable, and leisure. It is certainly a spot to carry the household and spend a complete day! Union Station can be the jumping-off level for this superb tour of St. Louis Landmarks.
17. Spend a day at St. Louis Science Center
The Saint Louis Science Center is one other one of many nice free issues to do in Saint Louis. It is likely one of the solely free nonprofit science museums in the nation, and it serves greater than 1 million folks every year.
The Science Center campus options greater than 700 interactive experiences throughout 10 totally different galleries. There can be an agricultural out of doors pavilion, the well-known McDonnell Planetarium, and the 4-story OMNIMAX Theater. You are certain to be wowed by the dinosaurs if nothing else!
The Saint Louis Science Center combines experimentation, creativity, and play which makes it just about the proper place to carry the entire household for a brilliant informative but enjoyable expertise.
18. See a Show at The Fabulous Fox Theater
The Fabulous Fox Theater, a former film palace, is a performing arts middle that presents the ‘Best of Broadway’ in St. Louis. You can see reveals starting from Broadway reveals, Vegas performers, concert events, traditional motion pictures, and extra.
Fabulous is part of the identify for a cause too. Apart from the leisure, the Fabulous Fox Theater is understood for the beautiful inside of the historic constructing. You can take a look at the superb inside and expertise the magic of the Fox Theater for as little as $32 a ticket!
You could make it dinner and present too since The Fabulous Fox Theater is positioned in the humanities district of the Grand Center space in Midtown St. Louis. This surrounds the theater with some scrumptious eating choices in addition to some good lodges to spend the night time at.
19. Check out the City Garden Sculpture Park
Located in the guts of downtown St. Louis, City Garden Sculpture Park is an city sculpture park filled with free interactive artwork, fountains, and gardens. The City Garden spans roughly 2 blocks in downtown St. Louis, consisting of paved paths that lead guests round 24 sculptures, 6 rain gardens, a youngsters’s spray plaza, and a 180-foot-long pool with a waterfall.
The City Garden Sculpture Park is likely one of the nice issues to do in St. Louis, MO, on a sizzling summer season’s day. It is the proper place to carry the youngsters particularly as a result of the entire sculptures are made to be performed on.
The park is open and accessible year-round. It is yet one more great free factor to do in St. Louis that’s positioned inside strolling distance of the Gateway Arch!
20. Grab some Veggies on the Soulard Farmers Market
The Soulard Farmers Market is the oldest working public market in St. Louis, Missouri, and the oldest public market in the United States west of the Mississippi River. Located in the Soulard neighborhood’s “Grand Hall”, the market is in the guts of St. Louis.
The market hosts 147 stalls with distributors that promote every thing you possibly can presumably consider like recent produce, meat, seafood, cheese, snacks, baked items, spices, flowers, and rather more!
The Soulard Farmers Market is open Wednesday via Saturday year-round regardless of being an open-air market. Entry is free, however it is suggested to have money on you for those who plan to make a purchase order as some distributors don’t take debit or bank cards.
21. Use your Imagination on the St. Louis Magic House
The St. Louis Magic House is a not-for-profit Children’s Museum filled with hands-on reveals and academic applications. The Magic House provides quite a lot of interactive studying experiences and enjoyable St. Louis issues to do for teenagers.
This award-winning academic vacation spot is positioned in Kirkwood, Missouri, which is true exterior St. Louis. The museum was initially a 5,500-square-foot Victorian Mansion, however it’s now a spot that has sparked the creativeness of over 15 million guests!
The St. Louis Magic House is usually open Tuesdays via Sundays from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The admission is simply $6.00 for anybody ages 1 and older, however you’ll be able to catch a Free Family Night each third Friday of the month.
22. Art Hill
Located proper in entrance of the St. Louis Art Museum, Art Hill is an expansive subject overlooking the Grand Basin in Forest Park. The Grand Basin was truly the middle of the World’s Fair that passed off in St. Louis in 1904.
Nowadays, Art Hill is an ideal place to go in St. Louis to take pleasure in a pleasant picnic and sunny climate. In the summer season months, Art Hill hosts a movie collection displaying in style motion pictures and concert events all through the week.
Art Hill can be in style in the wintertime when it snows because it’s an excellent hill to go sledding down!
23. World Chess Hall of Fame
The World Chess Hall of Fame is a non-profit establishment positioned in the Central West End neighborhood that celebrates the sport of chess with reveals and totally different applications all year long.
The reveals will educate you in regards to the historical past of chess in addition to the impacts it has had through the years on our tradition. The World Chess Hall is definitely additionally dwelling to the Guinness World Records’ Largest Chess Piece.
Along with its sister group, the Saint Louis Chess Club, there are lots of enjoyable methods to become involved in enjoying the sport of chess in St. Louis. Because of those two organizations, St. Louis is definitely referred to as the Chess Capital of the United States. So for those who’re a lover of chess, be certain to make a cease on the World Chess Hall of Fame when visiting St. Louis.
24. Laumeier Sculpture Park
The Laumeier Sculpture Park is one other enjoyable park positioned in the Sunset Hills, a neighborhood about 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis. The park is a good way to have interaction with artwork and nature with its 105 acres of rolling gardens and 60 out of doors sculptures.
The park is maintained in partnership with the St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Department and has month-to-month occasions for all ages and pursuits. They host totally different sorts of workshops reminiscent of wind chime making, pottery, and yoga courses.
The park additionally hosts festivals all year long the place hundreds of individuals collect to respect the great thing about the park and the distinctive artwork.
25. Contemporary Art Museum
The Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis is a good place to spend a day for those who love modern artwork. The museum is one other institute in St. Louis that’s free, so it’s straightforward to spend a couple of hours testing the reveals.
The CAM is positioned in the Grand Center Arts District the place you’ll discover a dozen of different museums, reveals and galleries, and live performance halls.
Besides simply reveals, the CAM hosts artist talks, movie screenings, and workshops and performances. Another enjoyable factor the museum has is First Fridays the place on the primary Friday of each month, they’ve guided excursions of the museum and music performed by the in-house museum DJ.
26. National Blues Museum
The National Blues Museum is devoted to celebrating and instructing everybody in regards to the origins of blues music and its impacts on our tradition. The museum opened its doorways in 2016 and the daughter of B.B. King truly spoke on the museum opening!
The museum hosts academic rotating reveals and unimaginable performances in their state-of-the-art theater. Admission is $15 for adults and it’s positioned proper downtown so you’ll be able to simply stroll from different spots you intend to go to such because the Arch or City Garden Sculpture Park.
Wrap-Up: The Best Things to Do in St. Louis, Missouri
Whether you’re looking to spend a day or every week right here, there are such a lot of enjoyable and thrilling issues to do in St. Louis, Missouri for everybody. You can spend a pleasant day exterior at a baseball recreation or preserve cool and cozy inside one of many many museums. There can be each form of meals you possibly can consider plus some favourite St. Louis editions like toasted ravioli to attempt.
You may not find a way to get to do all 21 of one of the best issues to do in St. Louis, however we hope that we now have helped you slender down your favourite must-dos and deliberate the proper St. Louis tour!
Author Bio
Ron and Jess are the house owners of Unearth The Voyage, a journey weblog devoted to out of doors adventures, US National Park guides, and itineraries to make it easier to plan your subsequent journey. After touring full-time for 4 years, they’ve put roots down in St. Louis however nonetheless journey part-time in their RV and internationally. They love coming again to St. Louis after spending time away and being concerned in all of the unimaginable issues town provides. You can join with Ron & Jess on their Instagram or Facebook web page the place they provide extra inspiration and suggestions for touring.