10 Fun Things To Do In St. Louis MO | Top Things To Do In St. Louis This Weekend

St. Louis is a dynamic, buzzing city with steamboats, baseball, hockey, breweries, and a plethora of free activities. Because of the closeness of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, St. Louis has always been a hub of activity for hundreds of years as the Gateway to the West.

First as a trading post for Native American tribes living along the rivers, then as a fur trading post when European settlers moved in, then as the starting point for Lewis and Clark’s Louisiana Purchase Expedition, and finally as an explosion of city growth when immigrants moved here in mass during the middle 1800s. St. Louis rose to prominence in the early 1900s as the site of the 1904 World’s Fair and the Olympics.

It was made famous by the song See Me in Saint. Louie, Louie. St. Louis has continued to reinvent itself to become what it is today. These are some of the top activities in St. Louis.

Visiting other places in Missouri? Check out our other tasty guides:

• 20 Best Restaurants In St Louis
• 9 Best Lake Of The Ozarks Restaurants
• 8 Must-Try Restaurants In Springfield Missouri

The Top 10 St. Louis Attractions

Ride to the Gateway Arch’s Top

The Gateway Arch National Park is a must-see on every trip to St. Louis. Did you know that the Gateway Arch is the highest structure in the United States? The mirror-like steel arch is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the exterior. As you wait for your scheduled trip to the top, you may visit a museum under the arch that commemorates America’s pioneers, including Lewis and Clark. You may study everything about St. Louis’ involvement in the United States’ westward expansion. If you’re looking for a thrill, add this to your list of things to do in St. Louis.

When it’s time to board the tram, keep your head up. The tram is egg-shaped and narrows somewhat towards the summit. The whole journey takes 45 to 60 minutes. For individuals who are claustrophobic, the journey to the top will be sluggish. The beautiful view from the summit is well worth the effort required to get there. On a clear day, you can see about 30 miles across the Mississippi River and to the west. If you have extra time, enjoy a Riverboat Ride on the Mississippi River as part of the Gateway Arch Experience.

At Ballpark Village, you may watch the game.

+13147977530601 Clark Avenue

Baseball is the trendiest ticket in town, according to the St. Louis Cardinals. If you are not in the stands at Busch Stadium to watch the Cardinals, you may watch the game in St. Louis Ballpark Village, which is located just adjacent to the stadium. The Ballpark Village is the newest addition to downtown St. Louis and has seven venues, an outside 40 LED TV with over 200 bench seats to watch the game, five unique music stages, and over 125 different beers on tap in the village’s restaurants and bars.

Apart from watching the game on the large screen, you can also play corn hole or visit the neighboring Cardinals Hall of Fame. Even if no games are being played, this is a pleasant spot to bring your family. It’s one of the busier things to do in St. Louis, but it’s also one of the most rewarding.

Investigate the City Museum.

+13142312489750 N 16th St

Exploring the City Museum was one of my first recollections of visiting St. Louis. This 100-year-old 10-story warehouse has an incredible playground for kids and adults alike, with kilometers of tunnels, caverns, bridges, aircraft, and castles to climb and explore.

The City Museum contains hidden tunnels, playgrounds, ball pits, a skate park, a circus, a little railway, a Ferris wheel on the roof, and a 10-story-long slide. There’s also a pinball arcade with over 35 games to choose from.

On the second level, there is also a café serving sandwiches, salads, and pizzas. When the City Museum converts into a no-kids-allowed playground at night on Friday and Saturday evenings, there is a complete bar with a DJ playing music.

In Missouri Botanical Garden, you can smell the flowers.

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The Missouri Botanical Garden is the country’s oldest public garden and one of St. Louis’ most beautiful spots all year. It’s nice to go around the gardens in the spring and summer to view and smell all the floral blooming. The Garden Glow is something to see in the winter, with the paths decked up, Christmas trees colorfully lighted, and all the wonderful festive touches placed around the garden.

The Japanese Garden, one of the biggest in North America, is my favorite. It includes 14 acres of Asian flora, zen gardens, waterfalls, beaches, and islands. You may spend hours in this region without seeing another person, adding to the garden’s serenity and tranquillity.

Another nice garden place to visit is the Climatron. As you enter the grounds, you will see this massive greenhouse. The Climatron is the world’s first geodesic dome conservatory. It is distinctive in that there is no visible inner support from floor to ceiling. This gives plants more light and area than traditional greenhouse designs. It’s perhaps the only site in the Midwest where you may feel like you’re strolling through a tropical wild rainforest. The botanical garden is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays through Sundays. You must include the garden on your list of things to do in St. Louis.

At Forest Park, you may enjoy nature.

5595 Grand Avenue

If you’re searching for something to do outdoors, Forest Park is the place to go. Forest Park is one of the biggest urban parks in the United States, greater than Central Park in New York! The park spans over 1,300 acres and includes forests, nature reserves, lakes and streams, fountains, trails, and recreational pathways, as well as five St. Louis cultural institutions, including the Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Science Center, The Muny, Missouri History Museum, and the Saint Louis Zoo, all of which are free to the public.

Forest Park was also the location of the 1904 World’s Fair, and some buildings from the fair still stand today, including the St. Louis Art Museum and the large walk-through Flight Cage at the St. Louis Zoo. The Worlds Fair Pavilion, which overlooks the lake and Picnic Island, was created as a tribute to the 1904 event. On bright, sunny days, expect to see a lot of people riding, strolling the trails, and picnicking on the lawn in front of the art museum and around the pavilion. It is one of the more relaxing things to do in St. Louis.

The James S. McDonnell Planetarium, various golf courses, a boathouse, tennis center and courts, a cricket field, other athletic fields, and a fish hatchery are all located in Forest Park. Forest Park alone has so much to see and do that you may want to schedule a couple of days to see it all.

In the Saint Louis Zoo, you may see the animals.

+131478109001 Dr. Government

The Saint Louis Zoo, which boasts over 14,000 species living in natural settings over 90 acres inside Forest Park, was ranked fourth among the greatest zoos in the world by TourScanner in March. With over 3 million visitors each year, the zoo is one of the busiest sites in the park, so parking may be a problem if you arrive later in the day. Nevertheless, if you come early, you may park for free on the street. The zoo is open every day and is one of the few free zoos in the country.

The Rivers Edge and Red Rock areas are strikingly similar to African scenery and are home to elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and zebras. The 1904 World’s Fair Flying Cage is my favorite element of the zoo. The Flight Cage was the biggest aviary ever created, and it is still one of the world’s largest free-flight cages, with all the birds roaming and flying freely around the enclosure.

Check out Polar Bear Point and the newest Primate Canopy Trails, which are outdoor habitats for lemurs and monkeys. Spend a half to full day at the zoo to view all of the animals and participate in all of the activities. This zoo is a must-see on any list of things to do in St. Louis.

Geek out at the Saint Louis Science Center.

131428944005050 Oakland Avenue

The St. Louis Science Center began as a planetarium in 1963 and has since grown to encompass various buildings housing over 750 interactive exhibits, making it one of the biggest science centers in the United States.

You may study about electricity, agriculture, space travel, dinosaur fossils, Mars, building a duplicate of the St. Louis Arch, and much more. See the night sky sans city lights by attending a show at the James S. McDonnell Planetarium.

Visit the indoor/outdoor GROW agricultural pavilion and exhibition, or take in a movie at the four-story OMNIMAX Cinema. The Science Center is one of the country’s few free, non-profit science museums. Parking at the main building is charged, however parking near the planetarium is free.

Visit the St. Louis Aquarium near Union Station to see all of the fish.

+13149233900201 S 18th St

The St. Louis Aquarium is one of the city’s newest attractions, set to debut in the summer of 2020. The aquarium is housed inside St. Louis Union Station, a National Historic Landmark that was one of the world’s biggest and busiest passenger train stations in the early nineteenth century. There are six worldwide aquatic galleries with over 13,000 creatures to observe, including loads of fish, jellyfish, sea dragons, river otters, and sharks, of course. That is without a doubt one of the top things to do in St. Louis.

Around 80 sharks and Sting Rays swim in a 250,000-gallon glass enclosure where you can witness them swim around and above your head at Shark Canyon. The Confluence Gallery focuses on wildlife found around the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The other galleries take you on a journey across global rivers and deep seas. Youngsters will enjoy pressing their small faces up to the glass and seeing fish larger than them swim close past.

Play at the St. Louis Children’s Museum’s The Magic House.

S Kirkwood Road +13148228900516 S Kirkwood Rd

The Magic House at the St. Louis Children’s Museum is a full-day experience where youngsters may use their imaginations to create, invent, tinker, explore, and discover. This multi-floor, 60,000-square-foot museum has hundreds of interactive displays for children of all ages. The youngest children may play in a toddler-sized boat, while bigger children can pretend to be presidents, Jack in the Beanstalk, work in the Construction Zone, play in the huge Bubble Room, or be artists in the Art Studio. Outside, there are numerous displays where kids may participate, such as playing in a waterfall and an outdoor natural garden.

This summer, kids may even play on the beach due to 10 truckloads of sand delivered to the Magic House’s lawn. Youngsters will enjoy their time at the Magic House, and you will enjoy watching their joy and laughter. Here is the place to go if you’re searching for activities to do in St. Louis with your kids.

Visit the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis.

+131457726261200 Lynch Street

The hops are in the air the moment you get out of your automobile. The Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour is a must-do excursion for any beer enthusiast visiting Saint Louis. The 45-minute tour takes you through the whole 7-Step Brewing Process, including the opportunity to taste samples at the conclusion.

The opportunity to visit the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses in their historic 1885 barn was the highlight of the trip for me. Nevertheless it was fun to taste various beer samples and discover which ones were my sister’s favorites. The whole affair was a fun chance to try something new, and we all had a great time visiting Anheuser-Busch Brewery. One of my favorite things to do in St. Louis is this one.

To summarize: The Top Things To Do In St. Louis

If you like sports, art, history, culture, science, nature, and, of course, beer, St. Louis should be on your vacation bucket list. With many of the major attractions like the St. Louis Zoo, the Science Center, and the St. Louis Art Museum all offering free admission, budget travelers can spend several vacation days discovering the attractions of this gateway city without breaking the bank. Come to this wonderful city to enjoy these and other attractions. They’re all waiting for you at the Western Gateway!

Which of these best things to do in St. Louis will you try first? Please share your thoughts in the comments box below!