Family Fun In St. Louis

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I recently spent a couple of days in St. Louis, MO and had a great time. As always, I didn’t spend as much time as I would have liked to. Some destinations just require a few more days than what I usually schedule and that was definitely the case in St. Louis.

I was intrigued by how much there is to do in the city and how many activities are available for teens. Em was unable to join me on my visit so I’m definitely making plans to return and take her. I think she’ll end up loving it as much as I did.

I stayed at the Drury Inn which is a great option for traveling families. It is located right next to the Arch and provides breakfast and light dinner fare in the room cost. (Note to adults: it also includes 2 drink tickets per adult, yes, alcohol drinks–that was awesome!) There is also popcorn in the lobby in the afternoon. The rooms are a nice comfortable size, the lobby is gorgeous and there is a pool. The location of the Drury is perfect. Right next to the Arch and within an easy walk of the ball field, restaurants, and, my favorite activity, the historical ghost tour.

If you are looking for a great place to visit with your teens I highly recommend St. Louis. I’ve put together a suggested itinerary for a three day visit. This itinerary is completely flexible and allows for activities to be moved around. Depending on how you travel you may be able to add a few more activities to your day.

DAY 1

Arrive in St Louis and be prepared for a day of family fun! Check into the Drury hotel. From the Drury walk over to the Arch. You’ll have to clear a security line to enter the base of the arch, depending on the time of year the lines can be long, but it seems to move rather quickly. Don’t let crowds deter you from visiting. It really will be worth the effort.

Em, Alan & I made a quick stop earlier in the year at the Arch and I grabbed this image. Sadly, we only had time to go to the top of the Arch and continue to the drive home. This was in the line waiting for the lift to the top.

Once you clear security make your way over to the ticket line. There are a couple of options available to you. You can purchase a ticket to the top only or you can add a river cruise to your ticket. The choice is yours, but I really recommend adding the cruise to your experience.

The ride to the top of the arch happens in little pods and is quite interesting. The view, once you arrive, is amazing. You can see for 30 miles in every direction if the weather is clear. Even it is a bit cloudy I think it’s worth a trip to the top. After your ride to the top be sure to spend some time in the museum on the main level. It has a lot of great displays.

After your visit to the Arch head over to Morgan Street Brewery for dinner. It’s located just a few blocks from the arch and is an easy walk. After dinner you’ll meet just outside the brewery for your haunted walking tour of St. Louis. This walking tour takes you to some of the most haunted places in the area. There are many stops during the haunted tour and walking occurs within a few city blocks.

After hearing some ghostly tales its time to head back to the Drury and get some rest. Day 2 is going to be full of fun!

DAY 2

Start your day early by enjoying the breakfast provided by the Drury Inn. They serve a hot breakfast with lots of great options, and more importantly, lots of hot coffee.

First stop, City Museum. This museum, located near downtown St. Louis and not far from the hotel, is a fabulous museum for climbing, creating, and exploring. Constructed out of all recycled materials you can climb on an airplane, ride a ferris wheel (seasonal), create snowflakes, watch a circus or magic show, make music and so much more. Exploring the museum can take hours, but you’re having so much fun the time flies by.

Depending on how much time you spend at the City Museum, I can easily spend a couple of hours here, you can stop for lunch or head to the Budweiser Factory for a tour. Budweiser is a historic landmark in St Louis and the tour is informative and fun. Plus, who doesn’t love seeing how beer is made! During the tour you’ll also have a chance to see the Budweiser horses<<<—-awesome!

If you didn’t have lunch yet, be sure to stop and fuel up. I recommend going to 1111 Mississippi for a great meal.

After lunch it’s time to head over to Forest Park. The park is home to a variety of attractions and entertainment options. Art Museum, Science Center, Zoo, and History Museum are all located in the park. Additionally, there is a 7.5 mile biking, jogging and skating path and skating or paddle boating on the lakes. The best feature, in my opinion, is The Muny. One of the oldest outdoor theaters in America the Muny brings theater to life under the stars. However, it’s only available during the summer months so you’ll want to plan accordingly.

DAY 3

Today is a great morning to have breakfast at Rooster Cafe right around the corner from Drury.  After breakfast take some time to explore the Old Courthouse. Then it’s off to the Butterfly House and the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Be sure you are wearing bright clothes to attract the butterflies to you. The butterfly house is a 3-story tropical paradise that houses up to 2,000 butterflies in free flight. Make sure you camera is charged because you’ll have an opportunity to take lots of photos.

After enjoying the beauty of the butterflies and the botanical gardens head over to the Cathedral Basillica. Easily one of the most gorgeous cathedrals I have ever visited. The inside of the Cathedral is exquisite grandeur with over 83,000 square feet of mosaics depicting different bible stories. The mosaic collection is the largest in the world. I absolutely loved the ornateness of the Cathedral. Tours are also available.

That is just a taste of what you can do around the St Louis area. There is much more in the area if you have a few more days. Shopping, amusement parks, a day trip to Alton, IL, etc. Be sure to visit ExploreStLouis.com for more information.