St. Louis has a great number of fascinating museums, gardens, and parks, so there are lots of reasons to get together. The Saint Louis Zoo, The Magic House, and the Saint Louis Science Center are all great places for families to visit. Meanwhile, art lovers can’t miss the opportunity to visit the City Museum and the Saint Louis Art Museum. Save time to gaze at the magnificent stainless steel Gateway Arch soaring from the city center, no matter where you begin your adventure.
The city also features some of the most interesting attractions for kids in the country, with museums showcasing both fun and instructive exhibits. There are also lots of outdoor things to do, such as petting animals and exploring nature. And that’s why we compiled a list of things to do in St. Louis to make your trip memorable! As you’ll see below, there’s no shortage of activities to do in St. Louis for the entire family.
Gateway Arch
This legacy to the country’s westward growth is also a technical wonder, and St. Louisans are still proud of it more than 50 years later. Eero Saarinen developed and submitted the stainless steel Gateway Arch during a nationwide competition. It rises 630 feet into the air and spans 630 feet from leg to leg.
The arch provides a variety of exciting activities for children. A 200-year history is traced via six displays in an interactive museum. The tram trip to the top of the arch, on the other hand, is possibly the most thrilling activity. From 63 storeys up, the views of the city are magnificent. On popular days, it’s a good idea to pre-book your tram tickets online because they might sell out quickly.
Missouri Botanical Garden
The stunning Missouri Botanical Garden is also recognized as the Shaw Garden, named for industrialist and botanist Henry Shaw (1800-89), who designed it in 1859. The Tower Grove Home, Henry Shaw’s “garden house,” is located in the gardens’ southeast corner.
The Children’s Garden is a 2-acre space filled with kid-sized structures, a wetland, a treehouse, caverns, and other attractions. The Climatron, a geodesic dome conservatory with an indoor tropical rainforest, is another popular attraction in the area. Adults must pay entry, however, children under the age of 12 are admitted for free.
Mississippi River
Without a question, the Gateway Arch is one of Saint Louis’ most iconic emblems. Sail down the Mississippi River on a riverboat trip and see the final rays of sunshine glitter off this enormous monument for an unforgettable experience. Traveling by riverboat is one of the greatest ways to see the dazzling downtown area, and there are a variety of charters that provide sunset and night excursions! This two-hour sunset cruise includes a supper buffet and a band while you sail past the city.
Forest Park
Forest Park, located in the middle of St Louis, spans roughly 1,400 acres of property. It is one of the largest urban parks in the United States, over one-third the size of New York City’s Central Park. The park is popular for outdoor activities, with bike lanes, jogging pathways, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, boats, and skating areas. Concerts and movies are shown on the art lawn throughout the summer months.
Pack a picnic and relax on Art Hill before heading to the St. Louis Art Museum, where you can see a regular rotation of globally recognized exhibits. The St Louis Zoo, which is home to over 19,000 wild animals, is a great place for family enjoyment. You can experience life in the African savannah with lions and zebras. Sledding is a favorite winter recreation at the park, which is open all year.
Market Street
Market Street begins across I 70, next to the Gateway Arch. The city’s principal thoroughfare is surrounded by major buildings and expands out halfway into St Louis Memorial Plaza. The massive rotunda of the Busch Stadium, which seats 50,000 people, can be found on the left side.
Old Courthouse
The Old Courthouse, on the right side of Market Street, is a huge domed structure that is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park. It was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century and has served as the site of numerous significant trials, including Dred Scott’s appeal for freedom from slavery and Suffragist Virginia Louisa Minor’s suit for the right to vote.
Exhibits from the Museum of Westward Expansion are now on display in the courtroom. The Old Courthouse also houses the Gateway Arch Ticketing and Visitor Center.
Six Flags St. Louis
Six Flags St. Louis is a massive amusement park located about a half-hour west of downtown St. Louis. With high-speed roller coasters, kiddie rides, and water slides, this sprawling complex is ideal for a family day out. It is well renowned for its nine rollercoasters that cover a total of 22,700 feet of track. If you have little children, you may take them to Bugs Bunny National Park, which has specific rides for them. Summer is the busiest season for the waterpark, which offers everything from leisurely rafting activities to high-speed rides.
Visitors may go around in circles on Batman the Ride, soar at up to 62 mph on the Screaming Eagle wooden coaster, and get splashed on Thunder River’s whitewater rapids experience. Guests at Six Flags St. Louis may also enjoy live events and concerts, see their favorite cartoon characters, and have a lot of fun in the sun at Hurricane Harbor Water Park. There are lots of hotel facilities only minutes from the park, and guests may take advantage of group pricing for youth groups, work trips, family reunions, and much more!
The city also has a wide variety of wonderful museums, including the City Museum, which is open until late on Fridays and Saturdays. Of course, no trip would be complete without a visit to the city’s most well-known landmark, the Gateway Arch. The radiance of St. Louis lasts long after the sun has gone. Don’t forget to put these places on your itinerary and have a blast on your next visit to St. Louis.
