We have never been to St. Louis and have heard great things about their zoo and City Museum. This summer we are planning a road trip and would like to stop in St. Louis for about 3 nights (over July 4). Since our time will be limited, what are the very best places to see with 2 kids, ages 3 & 6??? Any tips about visiting St. Louis are appreciated!
Grants Farm for little ones they don't get board. For kids 6 and up the Zoo is great, Magic House and the Butterfly House. These were always my kids favorite things to do.
Why, go to a Cardinals game, of course! What could be more fun then baseball!!
:)
Grants Farm. We went there as kids and I took my daughter there a couple of years ago. There's a lot to see and do. http://www.grantsfarm.com/default.htm
Definitely Grant's Farm and the zoo!
The Magic House in a St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood is awesome. It's a hands-on museum for young kids, with lots of fun things to do. My in-laws used to live in Kirkwood so we were lucky to take our son there when he was younger and it was the highlight of our stay there.
City Museum....oh, yeah!
The Zoo....absolutely!
The Magic House.....another good choice
Grant's Farm....lots of fun.
There's also Gus' Pretzels by the Anheuser Busch complex. It's fascinating to see the soft pretzels made! Kids love visiting there. Soulard Market is right down the hwy from Gus' & AB.....it's a wonderful family venue - we shop at the market regularly when we're in town. & best of all: all of these venues are just minutes from the St Louis Arch which kids love!
In addition to the StL Cardinals baseball team, out at the St Louis Mills is an ice complex where the Blues hockey team trains. The rink is open to the public at various times of the day. There's also a PBS playland & a Nascar go-kart track at the Mills.....
Lots of good choices.....My DH & I grew up in St Louis & are in there regularly to be with friends/family. Have Fun!....Oh, & don't forget Ted Drewes....their concretes are ice cream heaven!
The St. Louis Zoo is great for those ages! You could try the Arch, but it may be tough with little ones and more scary than fun- You could also see about taking a paddle boat ride down the river. I've only done it at night (very adult activity), but they may have a kid-friendly option during the day!
They're actually a little young for a Cardinals game, but you could give it a try! Probably kind of a pricey trip for 5!
I always go on line and search tourist attractions for wherever I am going.
They give you everything you ever needed for a particular city. My husband
and I are going on a 5 week trip across Canada by train, then Alaska and
back home via Amtrak on the northern route. I have already done all my
research by searching tourist attractions and printed everything out. I am
ready and know what we want to see. We won't waste time trying to figure
it out when we can there. I like to plan ahead.
I lived there for four years. Go to the zoo! It's awesome and free! Union station is neat if you want to go to lunch. The science center is worth a look and is also free. The Arch is fun but not sure if the little one would like going in it, but would probably Love to walk around it. They were doing some major work on 40 awhile back and it's one of the major highways if you have a GPS take it. Also 270 is a great big loop so don't be afriad if it changes from east/west to north/south.
My sister lives in St. Louis, and we have been visiting there every summer for years, often over the 4th. The City Museum is amazing, but many of the attractions are for older kids: lots of maze-like tunnels to crawl through, some of them suspended on the outside of the building and made of wire mesh. On the building roof, there is a small ferris wheel and some large slides, fun but creepy if you are afraid of heights. Young kids do like the kiddie train, the play area just for them, the circus performances, the amazing mosaics and odd art. But a sense of danger -- one of the things that makes the place attractive to older kids -- does prevail. I would vote for the zoo for sure! The Botanical Garden in St. Louis is also amazing and has some child-centric areas. A new sculpture garden opened downtown last summer: it has all sorts of interactive sculptures kids can climb on, along with a series of fountains and pools for wading a splashing -- and totally free too!! The big fireworks display is usually downtown, over the arch, and there is usually a big air show during the day, with other events in the same area. Be prepared for crowds. There are some great public swimming pools. It can be very very hot and steamy, with thunderstorms often threatening. Dress light, wear sunscreen and a hat, keep hydrated, and you will have a great time.
I would say the younger ones might not get enough out of the City Museum as you would like. I hear it is mainly for 5 and up (while they do have a toddler section it isn't very big). I have also experienced the same thing with the Science Center. It used to have tons to do and see for free and now they have put a lot of shows and other things that aren't free in the place of the fun activities.
I would say Grant's Farm and Magic House would be my first two choices. The zoo is great and FREE but go when it FIRST opens no matter what day of the week or you will be tripping over people to find a parking space and just to get in there. You could prob spend most of the day at the zoo. They have the butterfly house and the children's zoo (the only part you have to pay for) and then all the animals etc.
If you are coming on a warm summer day- and would like to check out the City Museum, my suggestion is this- have one parent take the older one inside and the other one stay outside in the water sculpture area. They had it last year and it was free outside!!
Finally- check your schedule with the Cardinal's schedule because they have family games with cheaper tickets and free concessions, but the tickets go fast! Great way to spend the day and you can bring in your own food/ drinks as long as you check the website first to make sure you know what you can and can't bring it!!
