St. Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis Art Museum

The Saint Louis Art Museum is located in Forest Park in the magnificent Fine Arts building, which finished construction in 1904 for the World's Fair.

The museum had a modest beginning in 1879 and featured an assortment of electrotype reproductions and plaster casts.

Today, it holds an extensive collection of 33,000 works of art that span five millennia and come from all continents.

The collections on display are constantly changing and the museum often showcases special exhibits.

The Saint Louis Art Museum continues to expand its collections – the recent addition was a gift from the late C.C. Johnson Spink and Edith "Edie" Spink, and it consists of 25 works of renowned American artists and 200 magnificent ancient Asian art pieces.

If the weather is nice, combine your visit to the museum with a picnic in the lush Forest Park. The Saint Louis Art Museum is one of the best things to do in St. Louis, Missouri.

Address: Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park, St. Louis, MO, Phone: 314-721-0072

Gateway Arch

At 630 feet tall, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis is visible from anywhere in the city, and it is the highest man-built monument in the US. It is a symbol of St. Louis and a reminder of its role as the point through which early settlers traveled to move on towards the West.

The arch is an architectural marvel and fabulous point from which you can see the city and its surroundings. It will take you four minutes to get up the arch in an enclosed tram.

Once you reach the Observation Deck, you can take advantage of excellent views that expand 30 miles in all directions as long as you visit on a clear day.

If you look west, you can see St. Louis landmarks such as the Edward Jones Dome, Busch Stadium, Old Courthouse, and the Ballpark Village.

If you look east, you can see the mighty Mississippi River and five of its bridges. The Gateway Arch is one of the top St. Louis attractions.

You can stay on the Observation Deck as long as you want, and when you finish, take the tram back down the other leg of the Arch.

Address: Old Courthouse at 11 N. 4th Street, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 877-982-1410

EAT Saint Louis Food Tours

As you walk through Saint Luis Hill neighborhood, the smells of garlic, cooked tomatoes, baked breads, cheerful Italian voices, and the atmosphere of a happy village will leave you feeling excited and eager to see more.

At the moment, Taste of the Hill is the only tour that EAT Saint Louis Food Tours offers, but they are doing such a fantastic job that even locals are joining them to experience the engaging tour for themselves.

Tour guides will take you on a three-hour exploration of quaint mom-and-pop pizzerias, pasta shops, salami makers, and butchers.

You will get to taste their goodies and talk to them about the city, its history, and the way of life of the Italian immigrants who have been living in this area for generations.

You won’t be able to taste everything on this tour, so be sure to come back; they are always friendly on the Hill.

The Magic House Children's Museum

The Magic House Children's Museum is dedicated to educating children, and it provides the kind of educational experience kids love. Most of the 100 or so activities are interactive and hands-on.

Kids have 55,000 square feet of space where they can play. The stately Victorian mansion where the museum is located has three floors, and the building has undergone significant expansions since the Museum’s opening in 1979.

Some of the most popular activities are the Van de Graaff generator, which creates static electricity, making your hair stand up when you touch it; the Jack and the Beanstalk three-floors-high climber; and the Oval Office, Legislative Chamber, and the Courtroom where kids can engage in imaginative play.

They can also work as vets, bank tellers, or librarians in the Children Village, among other activities.

If you are looking for fun things to do in St. Louis, Missouri with kids, don't miss this unique attraction. The Magic House is very popular, and more than half a million people visit it every year.

Address: The Magic House Children's Museum, 516 S. Kirkwood Rd, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-822-8900

City Museum

City Museum is a surprising museum in St. Louis that showcases the city’s discarded parts. Here you’ll find old school busses, abandoned planes, bank vaults, chimneys and just about anything else you can imagine. Put all that in the 600,000 square-foot abandoned Shoe Company, add genius Bob Cassilly to serve as the mastermind behind everything, and you end up with the world’s largest playhouse, funhouse, and pavilion of surrealist art that is also an architectural marvel. The building is also breathtakingly beautiful, and you can spend days just looking at everything in total awe.

Alternatively, you can crawl through fake caves, quaint cubbyholes, slide down floor chutes that plummet ten stories down the building, drive a school bus that is hanging over the edge of the museum, or climb to the top of a 20-foot-tall metal praying mantis. If your kids have been exceptionally well behaved, rent it out for a truly thrilling birthday party.

Address: City Museum, 750 North 16th Street, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-231-2489

World Chess Hall of Fame

The World Chess Hall of Fame is a nonprofit institution that features world-class exhibitions that explore the relationship between chess, history, art, and culture. The Hall of Fame is located in St. Louis, Missouri in its Central West End neighborhood. It was founded in 1984 by the United States Chess Trust, a part of the US Chess Federation. The Chess Hall of Fame is the only museum of its kind, offering a range of programs that explore the connection between art and chess. There are currently 52 members in the U.S. Hall of Fame, and some of the well-known names are Bobby Fischer, Larry Evans, John W. Collins, Benjamin Franklin, Sammy Reshevsky, George Koltanowski, Paul Morphy, and Arnold Denker. The World Hall of Fame has 19 members, including José Raúl Capablanca, Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, and Boris Spassky. The mission of the World Chess Hall of Fame is to educate and inform visitors, players, fans, and scholars about the game of chess and its cultural importance.

Address: World Chess Hall of Fame, 4652 Maryland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108, Phone: 314-367-9243

Forest Park

Located on Grand Drive in the western part of St. Louis, Forest Park is a large public park that opened in 1876. Covering an area of 1,371 acres, the park has hosted important events such as the 1904 Summer Olympics and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Today, the park is the home of several popular attractions like the Missouri History Museum, the St. Louis Art Museum, the St. Louis Science Cente, and the St. Louis Zoo.

The park has recently been restored to improve the landscaping of various lakes, meadows, ponds, streams, and trees. The park has also restored its prairie and wetlands areas, resulting in an increase in the number of birds and other wildlife.

The Caramel House

Looking for the perfect caramel can be a bit of a challenge; you want it to be deliciously sweet and chewy, and it should melt in your mouth without sticking to your teeth. Fortunately, Janet Ansehl Shulman has not only successfully created the perfect caramel, but she has also incorporated some fabulous flavors to her recipe, and as a result, The Caramel House was born. Her caramels are all hand-made and hand-packaged in recyclable material.

If you want to see how she makes these sinful little treats, come by her store on Olive Boulevard. You can also find them at many stores all over the country, and you can even order them online. Check her website to find out what new flavors she has recently added. How about some crunchy pretzels covered in lightly salted caramel infused with beer or salted caramel with chili? Whatever you choose, The Caramel House will not disappoint.

Address: The Caramel House, 9639 Olive Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-707-5777

Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park

Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park is the largest park within the St. Louis County park system, encompassing a total of 2,145 acres. Located in Missouri’s Maryland Heights area, the park offers something for just about everyone. During warmer weather, visitors can spend the day exploring the park by bicycle or head out on the water by renting a paddleboard, kayak, or canoe. The 3.8-mile asphalt loop trail surrounding the lake offers some beautiful views and is ideal for bikers, runners, walkers, and even rollerbladers. Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park also features spray fountain play areas, playgrounds, and more

Address: Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park, 13725 Marine Ave, St. Louis, MO 63146, 314-615-4386

Missouri Botanical Garden

The Missouri Botanical Garden is an acclaimed arboretum in St. Louis. Known formally as Shaw's Garden after Henry Shaw, founder of the first Garden, the Missouri Botanical Garden is the nation's oldest botanical garden and a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 1859, the garden was established to discover and share knowledge about plants and the environment in which they live to preserve and enrich life. Missouri Botanical Garden features a variety of different gardens, including indoor conservatories and demonstration, formal and international gardens, and magnificent horticultural displays.

Address: Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63110

Grant's Farm

Grant's Farm, a fun family attraction outside of St. Louis, is a 281-acre farm that serves as the home of the Busch family. They continue to maintain the farm, making it accessible to thousands of visitors every year. The farm got its name from Ulysses S. Grant, former US President, who lived and worked on the farm before the Civil War. It is a lovely place steeped in history, and it houses many well-preserved historic pieces.

However, the most popular attraction is the animals, both domestic and wild, that the Busch family has gathered from around the world. The farm is currently a refuge for more than 900 animals from 100 species. Some, like deer and bison, roam free. Others, like goats, parakeets, and camels, live in more protected areas. There are also tortoises, monkeys, wallabies, ducks, lemurs, swans, elephants, and so much more. When you get tired, take a break at the lovely courtyard in front of the Tier Garten or farmstead and have a bite to eat.

Address: Grant's Farm, 10501 Gravois Rd, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-843-1700

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1880 and is the second-oldest in the country after the New York Philharmonic. Its current home is the Powel Hall, a 2,683-seat theatre in downtown St. Louis. Besides giving regular performances at the Powel Hall, the St. Luis Symphony Orchestra also serves as the resident orchestra for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis.

Considered one of the best symphony orchestras in the country, the St. Louis Symphony has toured Japan and Europe, performs frequently at Carnegie Hall, records CDs, and has won seven Grammy Awards. Every year, the orchestra’s musicians give hundreds of free performances in schools, community centers, churches, and other places as part of the Community Partnership Program.

Address: St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-534-1700

Citygarden

St. Louis Citygarden is a magical urban oasis – an unexpected yet successful hybrid of a botanic garden, a sculpture garden, and a public park. Spread across three acres of land on two city blocks between Eighth and Tenth Streets, the garden is a wonderful place for contemplation, art appreciation, a quick lunch, or a stroll between the sculptures and trees. There are twenty-four pieces of very large-scale contemporary sculptures by well-known national and international artists.

These sculptures share the space with 235 trees and thousands of shrubs, perennials, grasses, wildflowers and bulbs. All plants are native to the area. One of the most popular features of the City Garden is an enormous 14-foot long Video Wall. Giant limestone blocks that serve as steps and a seating area surround the wall, which serves as a screen for movies, art videos, and, at times, a Cardinals game.

Address: City Garden, 801 Market St, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-241-3337

Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum

The Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Ballpark Village, and it celebrates 100 years of the team’s history through numerous photos, artifacts, trophies, and videos. The museum has almost 15,000 artifacts and more than 80,000 photographs, and only the National Baseball Hall of Fame has a larger collection of baseball memorabilia. The museum is divided into several sections. The first section describes “The Cardinal Way,” which is Cardinal George Kissell’s philosophy of playing baseball. There is also an accompanying video.

Other sections of the museum are devoted to specific players and teams from the era of Sportsman’s Park, during which the Cardinals won World Series in 1965. Busch Stadium II, the location where they first won the 1967 Fall Classic and later, in 1968, a National League Championship, is also highlighted. The museum also contains hundreds of bats, uniforms, gloves, and other types of baseball memorabilia. The Cardinals’ World Series trophies are on display in the rotunda, and you can see plaques for the Cardinals Hall of Famers at the end of the tour.

Campbell House Museum

Located on Locust Street, the Campbell House Museum is a restored and preserved 1850s townhouse that displays paintings, 19th century furnishings, and the family’s personal documents and objects. It has been placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, and it was designated a City of St. Louis Landmark.

The house underwent several restorations after it was given to the city in the 1940s, and the last renovation in 2005 attempted to show the house as it was in 1885 photographs. Guided tours of the museum last about one hour, and events such as walking tours and lectures are presented by the museum.

Address: Campbell House Museum, 1508 Locust Street, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-421-0325

St. Louis Zoo

The St. Louis Zoo, located at One Government Drive, was established when the city bought the Smithsonian Institution’s Fair Flight Cage displayed at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. It expanded over the years to become one of the leading zoos, and it is known for its conservation, education, and research efforts.

The zoo is made up of zones such as Lakeside Crossing with its Sea Lion Sound and Stingrays at Caribbean Cove, Red Rocks with Big Cat Country and Antelope Area, the Discovery Corner with the Emerson’s Children’s Zoo and Monsanto Insectarium, among others. The Emerson Zooline Railroad is a 20 minute narrated tour that takes visitors around the most popular attractions.

Address: St. Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-781-0900

Saint Louis Science Center

Located on Oakland Avenue at the southeastern corner of Forest Park, the Saint Louis Science Center is a planetarium and science museum that features engaging hands-on activities. The Center began as a planetarium in 1963 and today, with more than 750 exhibits in its 300,000 square foot facility, it is one of the largest science centers in the U.S.

It is also one of the most visited science centers and has been rated as one of the top five in the country. The Center has an IMAX dome theater, and the main building has exhibits on areas such as chemistry, earth science, emerging technology, life sciences, and others. The Taylor Community Science Resource Center is part of the Center’s educational program.

Address: Saint Louis Science Center, 5050 Oakland Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-289-4400

Missouri History Museum

The Missouri History Museum was founded in 1866 and is located on Lindell Boulevard on the north side of Forest Park. Operated by the Missouri Historical Society, it is a history museum housed in the Jefferson Memorial Building, which was constructed in 1913. Its collections include national artifacts and items of local and state interest.

Some of the items are from the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904, and there are artifacts related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition as well as Charles Lindbergh and his historic flight on the Spirit of St. Louis. The museum offers educational programs to schools and the community, and it also has a library and research center.

Address: Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-746-4599

Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum

Located on Brookings Drive at the northwest corner of Forest Park, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum is a fine arts center. Founded in 1881 as the St. Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts, the museum is located on the campus of Washington University and is found within the university’s Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts.

The oldest art museum west of the Mississippi, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum has a large collection of antiquities including Byzantine, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman works, along with a significant collection of American and European paintings from the 19th through the 21st centuries. The museum’s current home, built in 2006 and designed by Fumihiko Maki, consists of four exhibition spaces.

Address: Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-935-4523

Pulitzer Arts Foundation

The Pulitzer Arts Foundation is an art museum and cultural center located on Washington Boulevard. Housed in a building designed by Tadao Ando, the museum opened in 2001 to exhibit works from the private collection of Emily and Joseph Pulitzer Jr. This opening included works by renowned artists such as Lichtenstein, Monet, Picasso, and Warhol.

Since then, the museum’s exhibitions have featured works of art from outside the private collection, and they have included examples of Buddhist Art, minimalist art, Old Masters, and many more. The museum also offers a variety of programs like architectural tours, lectures, poetry readings, and musical performances by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Address: Pulitzer Arts Foundation, 3716 Washington Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-754-1850

Jefferson Barracks Historic Park

Located on North Road south of downtown St. Louis along the Mississippi River, Jefferson Barracks Historic Park is the home of Jefferson Barracks, an active U.S. Army post from 1826 to 1946. The park has a visitor’s center and several museum buildings built in the 1850s such as the Old Ordnance Room, the Powder Magazine Museum, and the Laborers House and Ordnance Stable. The park also has an amphitheater, a cross-country course, trails, and other facilities for various activities. Some of the special events at the park include The Cavalry at Jefferson Barracks and Feast in the Park.

Address: Jefferson Barracks Historic Park, 345 North Road, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-544-5714

Ulysses S. Grant National Historical Site

Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site is located on Grant Road south of downtown St. Louis. Also known as White Haven, the nearly 10-acre site is devoted to Grant’s life, military career, and Presidency. White Haven was a slave plantation until the end of the American Civil War. There are five historic buildings on the site, one of which was the childhood home of Grant’s wife, Julia Dent Grant.

The site became a part of the U.S. National Park Service in 1989, and today it offers programs for children such as Be a Junior Ranger and Trading Cards. Free tours are available.

Address: 7400 Grant Road, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-842-1867

Cinema St. Louis

Cinema St. Louis, Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival, or SLIFF as the locals call it, is a very big deal in the film industry. This festival, which had its modest beginnings in 1992 with screenings of 25 movies, has grown over the years, and in 2014 it screened 375 films from more than 50 countries throughout the course of ten days.

About 24,000 moviegoers came to see what was going on in the world of independent productions, poignant international movies, and high-quality studio movies that haven’t yet been released commercially. The festival now attracts big movie names and takes over the city, but for movie buffs of St. Louis, it is a unique opportunity to see some incredible films that wouldn’t be screened in their city otherwise. Visit from November 5-15, 2015.

Address: Cinema St. Louis, 3547 Olive Street, St. Louis, Missouri, Phone: 314-289-4150

Shakespeare Festival

If you plan on coming to St. Louis, try to visit in August so you can catch the Shakespeare in the Park Festival. Attending this yearly event held in beautiful Foster Park is an experience that simply stays with you.

Taking in the Bard’s immortal words from the comfort of a blanket on a lush green lawn with a starry sky overhead is absolutely magical. You are encouraged to bring a picnic basket and a bottle of wine to make the most out of this celebration of theatre. All productions, which are held every night for a week, are free.

The Shakespeare festivities extend to September when St. Louis holds a traditional Shakespeare in the Streets. This event has two parts: free performances and a block party. To foster love for the Bard in new generations, the Shakespeare Festival hosts half-day long summer camps for school children. There are also several week-long camps for teenage actors.

Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park

The Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park is located southwest of downtown St. Louis on North Ballas Road in Kirkwood. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the house in 1950 for Russell and Ruth Goetz Kraus. The property was later sold to a non-profit organization so that the 1,900 square foot house and the 10.5-acre park could be saved.

All of the Wright-designed fabrics and furnishings are still intact to this day. The St. Louis County Parks Department maintains the house, which is now listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Tours of the house (including special twilight tours) are conducted from Wednesday to Sunday.

Address: Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park, 120 North Ballas Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122, 314-822-8359