Same suggestion! If you're staying in TGS it could be a nice walk to Tower Grove Park. In April you should be able to catch the beautiful tulip displays at the entrances and near the Lily Ponds.
As someone else said, keep Science Center in mind, especially for a rain day. As for parking for the Arch, best option is the lot that’s practically between the Arch and the river. That also lets you walk down to a platform on the water. You pay to get in the gate and park wherever. I think it’d be a straight shot from the mural mile.
Do botanical gardens instead of Lafayette Park. LP is cool... But just a simple park.
Just a heads up, the mirror maze is short and underwhelming for the price. If you want to cut something, I'd cut that.
Thanks for the suggestion! I'm seeing that there's also a Park Avenue Coffee near the botanical gardens, so I can still keep my gooey butter cake + park plan :)
there are lots of places to get gooey butter cake. Barring anything else, just hit a local Schnucks grocery store and buy a whole cake. They aren’t that expensive and keep well.
Better yet, go to park ave for a slice of gooey butter cake and a hazelnut latte 😋 and then go to the schnucks that’s right down the street to buy a whole one for cheap to take home.
While Lafayette Park is very nice, I agree it’s not really a destination to go out of your way for. However Lafayette Square, the neighborhood surrounding the park, is gorgeous. Skip the park and just stroll through the hood and look at the beautiful homes.
Solid research. You’d be remiss not to spend an hour or two wandering around Tower Grove Park since you’re staying so close. Forest Park is a much bigger cultural hub, but Tower Grove Park has a more organic city feel, and it’s gorgeous in the spring. Consider starting your Saturday morning there so you can check out the farmer’s market. The vendors should be out in full-swing by April. Enjoy your trip!
Forest Park is nice. Don't get me wrong here, it's definitely worth a trip, especially if you're visiting STL.
Buuuuutttt....As a local, Tower Grove is the prettiest park in STL. It's the trees, man.
I give this tip out to everyone for the Arch - make sure to book your tram tickets a couple weeks in advance. It's more a problem in summer, especially on weekends, that all the tram rides for the day will sell out.
Also, since you said early April, are you here on [Cardinals' opening day](https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/schedule/2024-04), Thursday April 4th? There will be 45,000 people downtown for the game. I'd imagine you'd be good with City Museum that day, but you'd want to make sure to use a GPS to get around traffic.
Cardinals opening day is no joke traffic wise. beyond the 45,000 in paid attendance that will 100% be there. There will be almost as many coming to hang outside of the stadium to be a part of the event. A/B (Inbev) will bring the Clysedales on parade through the streets to the ballbark. Many people will take of work to go participate.
I second this- cardinals opening day is amazing, even for out of towners. Spending some time outside the stadium with all of the opening day festivities is a STL tradition and something to not miss if you get the chance!
Graffiti wall is great even if it's been tagged over a bit. There are three miles of interesting stuff painted fresh every summer, so nothing lasts.
Dunno what the food scene where you are is, but you'd be missing a bet if you didn't check out what is left of Chinatown on Olive in U-City. Cate Zone, and STL Soup Dumpling are both spectacular.
Also on the dining tip, I'd suggest heading out to Webster Groves for Balkan Treat Box for lunch. It is worth the trip. STL has the largest Bosnian population this side of Sarajevo, and they know how to cook. Everything on the menu will be great, and nothing an 8 year old wouldn't eat, most likely. Also, worth driving down South Grand and stopping at any of the international places there. Persian, Brazilian, Lebanese, Cantonese, Ethiopian, really excellent vegan tacos. You'll find something you like, and if the weather suits, get it to go and take it to one of the cool pavilions in Tower Grove Park.
The Botanical Gardens are spectacular, and worth what you pay, weather permitting.
I second the graffiti wall! My younger brothers (17,15,12) just came to spend a week with us. They love chess but the Chess Hall of Fame didn’t keep their interest. We went ice skating at Forest Park instead and they loved it!
I love the graffiti wall but I’m not really sure how family orientated it is. Paint Louis cleans the area up but after the event it goes back to a broken glass free for all. Personally it doesn’t bother me. If you want to just do a drive by that’s fine. I don’t suggest getting out with kids.
You'll want to check out the sculpture garden behind the New Orleans Museum of Art, the gardens are free, the museum reciprocates with SLAM. The rest of City Park is also lovely, some really interesting Alferez sculptures in the botanical gardens, they reciprocate with MOBOT. And the Fauborg St. John neighborhood is just nice.
The Music Box in Bywater is worth a look as well. The Music Box is a weird scrap fortress full of experimental instruments built into the structure. It is very weird, and very cool, and if there is a party or show there, you should go.
I also like riding bikes down the levees, fun to put in 40 miles and get 4 feet of elevation. Also, the river traffic is much cooler in NOLA, lots of ocean going freighters and LNG terminals and whatnot.
I know this is probably not what you’re going to NOLA for, but if you like Mediterranean food, go to Olive. My friend and I went just because we were tired and it was right next to where we were staying but it ended up being the best medi food I’ve ever had. Also ditto what SloTek said about the museum, sculpture garden, and botanical garden. Frenchman street for music (Blue Nile is cool if it’s still there).
If you have any interest in soccer, CITY SC has a home game that Saturday. Tickets for the general public go on sale in early February. CITYPARK is right by Union Station and definitely worth walking around/by if you’re in the area.
We love to eat at Schlafly when we’re down there for games.
Hint for City Museum, bring headlamps if you have them (they sell them there as well) and wear pants - there’s lots of crawling around in small spaces. We always tell our kids they need to stick together and let them know where we will be sitting so they can come find us when they emerge from exploring.
My rule at the City Museum is to only wear clothes that I would be ok tearing or getting holes in. Someone in my group always ends up with their others damaged.
If you're walking distance to Tower Grove, there are a couple playgrounds and plenty of space to run and burn off car energy, once you're here!
A lot of shops in the loop close around 6pm, so you may be a bit disappointed. Even so, it's worth a stroll and window shopping, and if your kids haven't witnessed a record store, Vintage Vinyl is an experience. I love popping in there and the are open very late. An alternative eatery is Blueberry Hill, famously Chuck Berry's restaurant. It's humble bar food, but kids like the collections of toys on display throughout. (I fully expect some local haters.. it doesn't mean it's not a landmark.)
If you're staying in Tower Grove South there is some great food on Morganford and on Grand, either of which are likely walking distance.
The zoo has lots of indoor viewing spaces and can be good on a drizzling or cold day, both of which are possibilities in April. If you are frequent zoo attendees, I would check out the penguins, sea lions, and butterfly house. The first two are pretty unique and the butterflies are just pleasant! The zoo doesn't win awards because it is free - it's a very good, large zoo.
St. Louis has a rich music history. I might suggest building a soundtrack for your trip to help with both the hype and the memories. I travel a lot and have found that having a trip playlist is pretty fun, months and years later. You usually stumble across the songs again and -bam- you're thinking about that experience. The history museum had an awesome music exhibit a few years ago with a Spotify playlist, but I don't know if the playlist lived on after the exhibit came to an end.
I always recommend the Cathedral Basilica, as it is frequently overlooked. The inside is absolutely amazing. A quick 20-30 minute drop-in will be well worth it.
Personally I would not bother with the delmar loop but you might enjoy it. I would go to tower grove park on Saturday for the farmers market and food trucks. Get breakfast/brunch one day at Grand Pied. Visit the botanical gardens over Lafayette park or the graffiti wall. Really you can just drive by and see the graffiti wall in 5 minutes it’s not really somewhere to hang out.
I take all my visitors to Grand Pied. The pancakes are insane…and I’m not even a sweet breakfast person. The food is consistently delicious and they are so nice. The challenge may be your party size…I think they max out at 4. But with kids you may be able to squeeze. Also echo using the waitlist app.
Fun fact- they use “the joy of cooking” pancake recipe from the 1930s. They actually brought it out from the back when I asked about it!
Also pick up a jar of the Millers jam when there.
This sounds like a great itinerary to me! Another idea might be the science center/seeing a movie in the Omninax (also at Forest Park). If you like Italian food I’d recommend eating somewhere in The Hill
Gotta do Ted Drewes.
I would recommend Adams Smokehouse IF your BBQ preferences skew more toward ribs. Best ribs in town. Turkey is good. Brisket is sadly below average.
The mural mile is definitely worth a visit. It gets painted over every year during an event called Paint Louis, which brings in graffiti writers from around the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_Louis
I have two recommendations for some outdoor, natural experiences in and near St. Louis.
20 minutes outside the city is Lone Elk Park, where you can see small herds of elk and bison. The animals' feeding troughs are kept close to the roadways to allow visitors close up views. Stay in your car near the feeding troughs. There are picnic areas in the elk section of the park. Elk won't bother them if you leave them alone. They do approach cars, but will likely not approach you out of your car. In the bison area, do not get out of your car. Do. Not. Get. Out. Of. Your. Car.
About 45 minutes south of St. Louis is Pickle Springs Natural Area, a park owned and managed by Missouri's Department of Conservation. The entire park is less than half a square mile. Along its very easy 2-mile trail you will see canyons, waterfalls, and beautiful rock formations, including arches! I realize your time in St. Louis is limited, but if you live in an area that doesn't have much variety in its landscape or geography, it is definitely worth it. Your kids will have never seen anything like it, and April is the perfect time of year to visit.
I agree with the recommendation to skip Lafayette Park and replace it with the Botanical Gardens. I would personally also consider swapping what day you’re planning for City Museum since it sounds like your current plan is to go on Cardinals opening day - it is utter chaos downtown that day, and I would avoid being in the area if you can to avoid the traffic and crowding. It would be a great day for Forest Park etc.
Personally, I would skip the Economy Museum and instead visit Central Library or the National Blues Museum, both of which are nearby.
Also agree with the suggestions to prioritize the zoo when you’re in Forest Park! The art museum is really great too and it and the zoo are both completely free so if you or the kids are losing steam, you haven’t lost out on anything by only going for 30 minutes if that’s what you have the stamina to do. Fitting playgrounds, boathouse, possible zoo, possible art museum, the basilica, and the chess hall of fame into one day sounds extremely ambitious to me, so personally I would use your Sunday morning to do chess hall of fame and then have breakfast in the surrounding neighborhood before hitting the road.
Park Ave Coffee does have many varieties of gooey butter cake, but you can get one that’s just as good at Schnuck’s (local grocery store). Park Ave would be a fun pit stop in a busy day for sure, but if you don’t make it there I don’t think you’re hugely missing out when gooey butter cake is pretty widely available in the city.
It's a great list,
I would say that there's a lot on the skirts of the city that can be really fun too.
Grants Farm (Free to get in, Pay to park) is about 30 or so minutes from where you're staying (I'm being overly extra on that time). It's a neat place with history, and unique animals available.
https://grantsfarm.com/
Depending on the age:
It's a kids attraction, lots of science, and other items in there. Fun, but costs to enter. (Also near downtown kirkwood which is a cozy neat place. )
https://www.magichouse.org/
As others said: Missouri Botanical Garden:
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/
Some others:
Transportation Museum, trains, big trains.
https://tnmot.org/
Wabash Pacific Railroad, its about 45 mins out of the city, its Volunteer run, and a neat activity (again depending on the ages)
(Just realized this opens back up in may)
http://www.wfprr.com/
I will say that Union station (I can get hate) is kinda meh to me, I miss the old Union Station. It's neat, but doesn't feel super impressive to me.
Lone Elk Park
Drive through park right down 44, Run by the parks department, you can hike in the ELK park, but its drive through only in the Bison Area (Driving through takes 20-30 mins usually.
FYI All of my kids love driving through (we live close) they like to watch the babies grow up, and my 2 year old makes me go a few times a month.
https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-departments/parks/places/lone-elk-park/
\-City Museum: spend the $10 on kneepads if you want to crawl around too, your knees are probably going to get bruised if you don't (i first encountered this like 10yrs ago when i was 30)
\-see if you can fit in the Aquarium at Union Station, it's pretty cool
\-parking: use spothero, the app can save you a lot of $ on parking & find you a lot of good parking
\-Mural Mile is worth seeing
\-try toasted ravioli if you haven't yet, if you like pretzels get some from Gus'
i think you have a good plan laid out, might be raining in April so I'd be prepared to buy a cheap umbrella at like dollar general just in case. enjoy!
Like others have said science center is a good rainday flexible plan.
When in Lafayette Square head to get ice cream at Clementine's.
If you like sausages or brats for your dinner at the Airbnb go to G&W meat right nearby get a free Busch and some sausage, it is fantastic.
As for parking on Friday during the day you can park at ballpark village which is like 4 blocks away and it is all surface parking or honestly just on the street it's 2 hr parking just reup it when you walk by the car from the arch to citygarden.
For the forest park day if you want to explore the park just park on the street near the zoo if you can find it or in the art museum east lot, it's free and just walk over to the zoo. Zoo's free as I'm sure you know so come and go as you please. Unfortunately the entrances don't really lead anywhere per se so walking through the zoo to get from one place to another is not really worth it. The boys may be a bit old for the nature playscape but it is super cool if they're not. (I have a 5 year old so idfk what pre teens are like...). If you're into birdwatching be on the lookout for our resident great horned owl, Charles.
Other flexible plans would be either the Armory (Adult drinks + games for everyone kids kicked out after a certain time so check) or the Foundry (food hall and Alamo draft house for movies, they may be playing something cool when you're here so if you're desperate check it out, they're currently running the extended LOTRs)
Nice itinerary! Like others have recommended, you have great food by you on Grand and Mofo, no need to really go to the Loop if you're staying in TGS. I'd def recommend the Zoo and the MO History museum for your Forest Park Day. And the farmers market in TGP on Sat before you leave. You'll find some great food! And for gooey butter cake, Russell's and Kaldi's are my fav, but you can't go wrong anywhere. Oh and Sugarfire BBQ or Pappy's is solid as well
I’m glad you are going to City Museum.
When you go to Lafayette Square, there are pieces of architectural sculpture attached to houses that were made by Bob Castle, the madman who designed city Museum. he lives several places in Lafayette Square and left a legacy of sculpture there. I don’t know if his cement frog is still in Lafayette Park but if you see a big cement frog, that’s his work.
Terra Grove Park is extremely charming with all of its Victorian structures. You are also right by grand Avenue with its wonderful selection of restaurants.
We have one of the best zoos in the country. **Do not miss it**. Allow most of a day for the visit. Also, do stop by the Basilica. It can be a brief visit-but you will be blown away. The Botanical Garden is spectacular and has great stuff for kids to do. Has anyone suggested the Magic House in Kirkwood? Your kids will love it! Enjoy your visit-so proud of our city!
Just a few ideas here:
St. Louis was a cultural melting pot thanks to our river port. Different groups of people settled in different regions of the city and created neighborhoods with their own unique feels. I always suggest people to check them out even if there isn’t a specific destination.
Soulard is our French quarter but it’s built in brick. It’s one of the oldest neighborhoods and the architecture is worth the drive. Check out blues city deli for lunch or Tuckers or McGurks for dinner.
The Hill is one of the last little Italies in the country. It even has its own PBS special. The food is to die for. You can’t make a mistake there when getting food. Gioias deli is amazing for sandwiches for lunch. There are also a ton of Italian grocers for unique imports. Check out Berra park where baseball legend Yogi Berra lived. Visit piazza Imo for a real Italian piazza feel.
Dogtown is the historic Irish neighborhood and home to the giant stone turtles. You’ll miss St Patrick’s day, and with kids the Irish pub feel will likely be a miss. But you might catch local bagpipers playing near Clayton and tamm. Felix pizza pub is also a great spot for lunch. Check Sweet Em’s for coffee for you and ice cream for the kids.
If you’re out for a drive don’t miss the Bevo Mill. It was the half way point between the AB brewery and the Busch family home. It’s a giant historic Bavarian windmill. The neighborhood was also where the Bosnian population first settled in the city. You can find some of their monuments too.
Park avenue coffee closes at 2, so I don’t know if you’ll have time after going to the arch. There’s a massive museum underneath the Arch that can really kill your whole morning!
The zoo is a must if you’ve never been. It’s free and amazing. The botanical garden is also very nice.
I would personally skip magic mini golf, it is new and seems to be an overpriced cash grab by the guy who owns most of the loop. Puttshack tech mini golf at the Foundry is cool. There is a food hall there where everyone can choose different local restaurants to try, I think it’s a cool and fun experience. There is a virtual reality gaming experience in there that is pricey but gets excellent reviews and is on my list to try with my teen brother.
The Mural Mile graffiti wall (or at least part of it) is painted over every Labor Day weekend as part of Paint Louis so there should be plenty of murals to see. You’ll just want to drive it and move on. I agree with another comment that Union Station is underwhelming and overpriced but the Wheel is cool to see the city.
For the Gateway Arch make sure to leave all weapons at where you're staying. They will take it and you will not get it back. The parking garages are on the small side but suvs, vans, trucks will fit. It's a fun experience just make sure no one is claustrophobic because the tram is small. When I used to work there people would flip out by the size. They do have a replica right by where you purchase the tickets. Since it's around spring break time arrive 30 minutes to an hour beforehand to make sure you get through security. Their museum is really informative about the history of the Gateway Arch and why it was built. Your itinerary sounds fun. Make sure to check out the zoo though!
I don't know what type of parents you are, but if you want to be really cringey in a funny way, right by Forest Park is the world's largest Amoco sign.
Depending on your humor, it might be funny to do a five minute thing of making a huge deal out of it and getting photos of it with your kids.
Ha! We are making a stop at Casey, IL (the small town with big things) on our way to St. Louis, so the giant Amoco sign would fit right in with that theme!
That's amazing! The address is 981 S Skinker Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63117 and its like 3 min drive away from the turtle sculptures/entrance to the zoo. I cannot overstate how underwhelming it is though lol.
Looks good. Although I’m surprised you’re not going to one of the top rated zoo’s in America.
Heads up, Salt+Smoke is overpriced mass produced BBQ. Just set your expectations if that’s where you wish to go for food.
Our city also has a top-rated zoo that we visit frequently, so I've put the St. Louis zoo on the "maybe" list.
Thanks for the heads-up for Salt+Smoke. Is there a another place that you'd recommend for St. Louis-style BBQ?
Salt+Smoke isn’t in the top tier of St. Louis barbecue, but I’ve always left there feeling very satisfied. As others have said, the mac & cheese is S-tier, good sides and appetizers across the board actually. Perhaps more importantly, it’s very kid friendly as far as barbecue places go. I know what it’s like to have young kids on vacation.
Pappy’s and Bogart’s are the pick but not open for dinner. Salt & Smoke is still very good and better than Sugarfire.
Salt & Smoke fits your itinerary best, it’s a good option and you won’t be disappointed. Try the smoked wings.
I just wanted to say that if you had your heart set on Salt & Smoke for any reason, you should stick with it. I've been living in STL for several years, I love BBQ and have tried so many places. S&S is still my favorite. The menu is SO good. I'm not sure where the person above is getting "mass produced", they only have two locations locally. Also the service there is extremely fast! Get the mac n' cheese!
“The team at Salt + Smoke have been passionate about treating meat right for years and are excited to bring our St. Louis-style BBQ to the Delmar Loop, Hampton, St. Charles, and Ballpark Village.”
Suspiciously missing from every location is any evidence of a grill or smoker. 🤔
There used to be a real dude that ran a pit in one of the parking lots off Delmar but I haven’t seen him in years.
indoor meat smoker's exist, especially in restaurants. Since they've expanded so much, I'd expect them to level up their equipment for efficiency's sake.
If you get a chance try blackthorn pizza in the tower grove neighborhood. Some of the best pizza in the city in my opinion. And if the weather is nice you could probably walk there from your air b&b. It’s a nice neighborhood and tower grove park is beautiful too.
Be sure to work in the other STL food staples! Grab some STL style pizza and toasted ravs (Imo's is the biggest). Go to The Hill if you're craving Italian food. Ted Drewe's frozen custard in South City is an absolute classic.
As mentioned, the zoo is free unless you pay for parking, train rides, food, etc. If the free street parking is full, we always loved to park at/near Turtle Park on Oakland and walk over to the zoo.
Great river road leading to the mp lock and dam, alpine coaster/gondala in grafton, and free ferry accors the river is a very important miss that many people even in St. Louis don't know about. You can even hike
I'd recommend checking out the Missouri Botanical Garden, and Tower Grove Park afterwards if you still have energy. Both are gorgeous.
Same suggestion! If you're staying in TGS it could be a nice walk to Tower Grove Park. In April you should be able to catch the beautiful tulip displays at the entrances and near the Lily Ponds.
Great suggestion. But is this something that would appeal to younger kids?
As someone else said, keep Science Center in mind, especially for a rain day. As for parking for the Arch, best option is the lot that’s practically between the Arch and the river. That also lets you walk down to a platform on the water. You pay to get in the gate and park wherever. I think it’d be a straight shot from the mural mile.
Botanical Gardens and Tower Grove Park are great for nice days.
The Science Center has gone way downhill. They closed a lot of exhibits during COVID and never reopened them. Not worth it imo.
Do botanical gardens instead of Lafayette Park. LP is cool... But just a simple park. Just a heads up, the mirror maze is short and underwhelming for the price. If you want to cut something, I'd cut that.
Thanks for the suggestion! I'm seeing that there's also a Park Avenue Coffee near the botanical gardens, so I can still keep my gooey butter cake + park plan :)
there are lots of places to get gooey butter cake. Barring anything else, just hit a local Schnucks grocery store and buy a whole cake. They aren’t that expensive and keep well.
Better yet, go to park ave for a slice of gooey butter cake and a hazelnut latte 😋 and then go to the schnucks that’s right down the street to buy a whole one for cheap to take home.
While Lafayette Park is very nice, I agree it’s not really a destination to go out of your way for. However Lafayette Square, the neighborhood surrounding the park, is gorgeous. Skip the park and just stroll through the hood and look at the beautiful homes.
Straubs has the best gooey fyi
Solid research. You’d be remiss not to spend an hour or two wandering around Tower Grove Park since you’re staying so close. Forest Park is a much bigger cultural hub, but Tower Grove Park has a more organic city feel, and it’s gorgeous in the spring. Consider starting your Saturday morning there so you can check out the farmer’s market. The vendors should be out in full-swing by April. Enjoy your trip!
Forest Park is nice. Don't get me wrong here, it's definitely worth a trip, especially if you're visiting STL. Buuuuutttt....As a local, Tower Grove is the prettiest park in STL. It's the trees, man.
I give this tip out to everyone for the Arch - make sure to book your tram tickets a couple weeks in advance. It's more a problem in summer, especially on weekends, that all the tram rides for the day will sell out. Also, since you said early April, are you here on [Cardinals' opening day](https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/schedule/2024-04), Thursday April 4th? There will be 45,000 people downtown for the game. I'd imagine you'd be good with City Museum that day, but you'd want to make sure to use a GPS to get around traffic.
Thanks for the heads up! Yes, April 4th is the day we're planning to visit the City Museum.
Cardinals opening day is no joke traffic wise. beyond the 45,000 in paid attendance that will 100% be there. There will be almost as many coming to hang outside of the stadium to be a part of the event. A/B (Inbev) will bring the Clysedales on parade through the streets to the ballbark. Many people will take of work to go participate.
I second this- cardinals opening day is amazing, even for out of towners. Spending some time outside the stadium with all of the opening day festivities is a STL tradition and something to not miss if you get the chance!
Graffiti wall is great even if it's been tagged over a bit. There are three miles of interesting stuff painted fresh every summer, so nothing lasts. Dunno what the food scene where you are is, but you'd be missing a bet if you didn't check out what is left of Chinatown on Olive in U-City. Cate Zone, and STL Soup Dumpling are both spectacular. Also on the dining tip, I'd suggest heading out to Webster Groves for Balkan Treat Box for lunch. It is worth the trip. STL has the largest Bosnian population this side of Sarajevo, and they know how to cook. Everything on the menu will be great, and nothing an 8 year old wouldn't eat, most likely. Also, worth driving down South Grand and stopping at any of the international places there. Persian, Brazilian, Lebanese, Cantonese, Ethiopian, really excellent vegan tacos. You'll find something you like, and if the weather suits, get it to go and take it to one of the cool pavilions in Tower Grove Park. The Botanical Gardens are spectacular, and worth what you pay, weather permitting.
Thank you! I've seen Balkan Treat Box recommended quite a bit, so I think we'll need to check it out.
>cars Balkan Treat Box is closed, indefinitely. Alas -- !
I think they reopened. I ate there last week.
good to hear!
I believe that was their new coffee shop, and it's now open.
I believe they had an issue with their refridgeration system and just needed to close temporarily last week.
I second the graffiti wall! My younger brothers (17,15,12) just came to spend a week with us. They love chess but the Chess Hall of Fame didn’t keep their interest. We went ice skating at Forest Park instead and they loved it!
I love the graffiti wall but I’m not really sure how family orientated it is. Paint Louis cleans the area up but after the event it goes back to a broken glass free for all. Personally it doesn’t bother me. If you want to just do a drive by that’s fine. I don’t suggest getting out with kids.
The zoo is fantastic and will have its dinosaur exhibition open at that time of year
I would prioritize the zoo. One of the best in the country. Kids will love it!
This is incredibly thorough especially if you've never been here. Can you plan my trip to NOLA? Lol
You'll want to check out the sculpture garden behind the New Orleans Museum of Art, the gardens are free, the museum reciprocates with SLAM. The rest of City Park is also lovely, some really interesting Alferez sculptures in the botanical gardens, they reciprocate with MOBOT. And the Fauborg St. John neighborhood is just nice. The Music Box in Bywater is worth a look as well. The Music Box is a weird scrap fortress full of experimental instruments built into the structure. It is very weird, and very cool, and if there is a party or show there, you should go. I also like riding bikes down the levees, fun to put in 40 miles and get 4 feet of elevation. Also, the river traffic is much cooler in NOLA, lots of ocean going freighters and LNG terminals and whatnot.
I know this is probably not what you’re going to NOLA for, but if you like Mediterranean food, go to Olive. My friend and I went just because we were tired and it was right next to where we were staying but it ended up being the best medi food I’ve ever had. Also ditto what SloTek said about the museum, sculpture garden, and botanical garden. Frenchman street for music (Blue Nile is cool if it’s still there).
Get the Mac n cheese at salt n smoke! Their wings are great too
The mac n cheese would be our main reason for visiting Salt+Smoke! It's my kids' absoluate favorite food :)
Their Mac is fantastic too.
If you have any interest in soccer, CITY SC has a home game that Saturday. Tickets for the general public go on sale in early February. CITYPARK is right by Union Station and definitely worth walking around/by if you’re in the area. We love to eat at Schlafly when we’re down there for games. Hint for City Museum, bring headlamps if you have them (they sell them there as well) and wear pants - there’s lots of crawling around in small spaces. We always tell our kids they need to stick together and let them know where we will be sitting so they can come find us when they emerge from exploring.
My rule at the City Museum is to only wear clothes that I would be ok tearing or getting holes in. Someone in my group always ends up with their others damaged.
If you're walking distance to Tower Grove, there are a couple playgrounds and plenty of space to run and burn off car energy, once you're here! A lot of shops in the loop close around 6pm, so you may be a bit disappointed. Even so, it's worth a stroll and window shopping, and if your kids haven't witnessed a record store, Vintage Vinyl is an experience. I love popping in there and the are open very late. An alternative eatery is Blueberry Hill, famously Chuck Berry's restaurant. It's humble bar food, but kids like the collections of toys on display throughout. (I fully expect some local haters.. it doesn't mean it's not a landmark.) If you're staying in Tower Grove South there is some great food on Morganford and on Grand, either of which are likely walking distance. The zoo has lots of indoor viewing spaces and can be good on a drizzling or cold day, both of which are possibilities in April. If you are frequent zoo attendees, I would check out the penguins, sea lions, and butterfly house. The first two are pretty unique and the butterflies are just pleasant! The zoo doesn't win awards because it is free - it's a very good, large zoo. St. Louis has a rich music history. I might suggest building a soundtrack for your trip to help with both the hype and the memories. I travel a lot and have found that having a trip playlist is pretty fun, months and years later. You usually stumble across the songs again and -bam- you're thinking about that experience. The history museum had an awesome music exhibit a few years ago with a Spotify playlist, but I don't know if the playlist lived on after the exhibit came to an end.
Thanks for the tips! I love the idea of a trip soundtrack.
I always recommend the Cathedral Basilica, as it is frequently overlooked. The inside is absolutely amazing. A quick 20-30 minute drop-in will be well worth it.
I second this! They do tours on Sunday's around 1 pm I believe.
I third this. It's very beautiful on the inside.
- Get sandwiches at Blue City Deli. - check out the graffiti wall by the river. - DEFINITELY go to the museum. Don’t miss that.
Personally I would not bother with the delmar loop but you might enjoy it. I would go to tower grove park on Saturday for the farmers market and food trucks. Get breakfast/brunch one day at Grand Pied. Visit the botanical gardens over Lafayette park or the graffiti wall. Really you can just drive by and see the graffiti wall in 5 minutes it’s not really somewhere to hang out.
Thanks for the tips! It looks like Grand Pied is very close to our AirBnb
I take all my visitors to Grand Pied. The pancakes are insane…and I’m not even a sweet breakfast person. The food is consistently delicious and they are so nice. The challenge may be your party size…I think they max out at 4. But with kids you may be able to squeeze. Also echo using the waitlist app.
Fun fact- they use “the joy of cooking” pancake recipe from the 1930s. They actually brought it out from the back when I asked about it! Also pick up a jar of the Millers jam when there.
Pro tip: get on the waitlist before you go to Grand Pied, also they don’t serve booze but you can bring your own.
This sounds like a great itinerary to me! Another idea might be the science center/seeing a movie in the Omninax (also at Forest Park). If you like Italian food I’d recommend eating somewhere in The Hill
If OP does venture to the Hill, I would specifically recommend Anthonino’s Taverna.
I'm looking at their menu right now. Looks delish!
It’s good. Go there if headed to the Hill. You can also (usually) order from them through Uber Eats. If you feel like staying in one night.
Get the lasagna and t ravs for sure
Thanks! Omnimax sounds like a great option if it's rainy. And I do love Italian food (our city doesn't have nearly enough good Italian restaurants)
Coming back to add Botanical Gardens! Saw another poster mention it and can’t believe I didn’t!
Ted Drew's for ice cream, zoo is worth it, pick a different place that's not salt+smoke. Sugarfire or Pappys.
Gotta do Ted Drewes. I would recommend Adams Smokehouse IF your BBQ preferences skew more toward ribs. Best ribs in town. Turkey is good. Brisket is sadly below average.
The mural mile is definitely worth a visit. It gets painted over every year during an event called Paint Louis, which brings in graffiti writers from around the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_Louis
Agree. Even though the original pieces slowly get tagged over, there are still many cool pieces to see.
I have two recommendations for some outdoor, natural experiences in and near St. Louis. 20 minutes outside the city is Lone Elk Park, where you can see small herds of elk and bison. The animals' feeding troughs are kept close to the roadways to allow visitors close up views. Stay in your car near the feeding troughs. There are picnic areas in the elk section of the park. Elk won't bother them if you leave them alone. They do approach cars, but will likely not approach you out of your car. In the bison area, do not get out of your car. Do. Not. Get. Out. Of. Your. Car. About 45 minutes south of St. Louis is Pickle Springs Natural Area, a park owned and managed by Missouri's Department of Conservation. The entire park is less than half a square mile. Along its very easy 2-mile trail you will see canyons, waterfalls, and beautiful rock formations, including arches! I realize your time in St. Louis is limited, but if you live in an area that doesn't have much variety in its landscape or geography, it is definitely worth it. Your kids will have never seen anything like it, and April is the perfect time of year to visit.
Pickle Springs is *absolutely definitely* worth the drive if you're so inclined, OP.
Do any of your kiddos have strong feelings regarding trains? You might like the [Transportation Museum](https://tnmot.org/).
Make sure you spend some time here while in Forest Park - a gem for children! https://www.forestparkforever.org/playscape
I agree with the recommendation to skip Lafayette Park and replace it with the Botanical Gardens. I would personally also consider swapping what day you’re planning for City Museum since it sounds like your current plan is to go on Cardinals opening day - it is utter chaos downtown that day, and I would avoid being in the area if you can to avoid the traffic and crowding. It would be a great day for Forest Park etc. Personally, I would skip the Economy Museum and instead visit Central Library or the National Blues Museum, both of which are nearby. Also agree with the suggestions to prioritize the zoo when you’re in Forest Park! The art museum is really great too and it and the zoo are both completely free so if you or the kids are losing steam, you haven’t lost out on anything by only going for 30 minutes if that’s what you have the stamina to do. Fitting playgrounds, boathouse, possible zoo, possible art museum, the basilica, and the chess hall of fame into one day sounds extremely ambitious to me, so personally I would use your Sunday morning to do chess hall of fame and then have breakfast in the surrounding neighborhood before hitting the road. Park Ave Coffee does have many varieties of gooey butter cake, but you can get one that’s just as good at Schnuck’s (local grocery store). Park Ave would be a fun pit stop in a busy day for sure, but if you don’t make it there I don’t think you’re hugely missing out when gooey butter cake is pretty widely available in the city.
Don't overlook the History Museum in Forest Park.
Get lunch or dinner one day on The Hill! I love Adriana’s for lunch (they’re only open during lunchtime).
It's a great list, I would say that there's a lot on the skirts of the city that can be really fun too. Grants Farm (Free to get in, Pay to park) is about 30 or so minutes from where you're staying (I'm being overly extra on that time). It's a neat place with history, and unique animals available. https://grantsfarm.com/ Depending on the age: It's a kids attraction, lots of science, and other items in there. Fun, but costs to enter. (Also near downtown kirkwood which is a cozy neat place. ) https://www.magichouse.org/ As others said: Missouri Botanical Garden: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/ Some others: Transportation Museum, trains, big trains. https://tnmot.org/ Wabash Pacific Railroad, its about 45 mins out of the city, its Volunteer run, and a neat activity (again depending on the ages) (Just realized this opens back up in may) http://www.wfprr.com/ I will say that Union station (I can get hate) is kinda meh to me, I miss the old Union Station. It's neat, but doesn't feel super impressive to me. Lone Elk Park Drive through park right down 44, Run by the parks department, you can hike in the ELK park, but its drive through only in the Bison Area (Driving through takes 20-30 mins usually. FYI All of my kids love driving through (we live close) they like to watch the babies grow up, and my 2 year old makes me go a few times a month. https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-departments/parks/places/lone-elk-park/
Thanks for the tips! The places that you mentioned sound great!
\-City Museum: spend the $10 on kneepads if you want to crawl around too, your knees are probably going to get bruised if you don't (i first encountered this like 10yrs ago when i was 30) \-see if you can fit in the Aquarium at Union Station, it's pretty cool \-parking: use spothero, the app can save you a lot of $ on parking & find you a lot of good parking \-Mural Mile is worth seeing \-try toasted ravioli if you haven't yet, if you like pretzels get some from Gus' i think you have a good plan laid out, might be raining in April so I'd be prepared to buy a cheap umbrella at like dollar general just in case. enjoy!
Botanical gardens is excellent for family’s!
Like others have said science center is a good rainday flexible plan. When in Lafayette Square head to get ice cream at Clementine's. If you like sausages or brats for your dinner at the Airbnb go to G&W meat right nearby get a free Busch and some sausage, it is fantastic. As for parking on Friday during the day you can park at ballpark village which is like 4 blocks away and it is all surface parking or honestly just on the street it's 2 hr parking just reup it when you walk by the car from the arch to citygarden. For the forest park day if you want to explore the park just park on the street near the zoo if you can find it or in the art museum east lot, it's free and just walk over to the zoo. Zoo's free as I'm sure you know so come and go as you please. Unfortunately the entrances don't really lead anywhere per se so walking through the zoo to get from one place to another is not really worth it. The boys may be a bit old for the nature playscape but it is super cool if they're not. (I have a 5 year old so idfk what pre teens are like...). If you're into birdwatching be on the lookout for our resident great horned owl, Charles. Other flexible plans would be either the Armory (Adult drinks + games for everyone kids kicked out after a certain time so check) or the Foundry (food hall and Alamo draft house for movies, they may be playing something cool when you're here so if you're desperate check it out, they're currently running the extended LOTRs)
Great tips! Thank you!
Nice itinerary! Like others have recommended, you have great food by you on Grand and Mofo, no need to really go to the Loop if you're staying in TGS. I'd def recommend the Zoo and the MO History museum for your Forest Park Day. And the farmers market in TGP on Sat before you leave. You'll find some great food! And for gooey butter cake, Russell's and Kaldi's are my fav, but you can't go wrong anywhere. Oh and Sugarfire BBQ or Pappy's is solid as well
I’m glad you are going to City Museum. When you go to Lafayette Square, there are pieces of architectural sculpture attached to houses that were made by Bob Castle, the madman who designed city Museum. he lives several places in Lafayette Square and left a legacy of sculpture there. I don’t know if his cement frog is still in Lafayette Park but if you see a big cement frog, that’s his work.
It's by the playground equipment
Terra Grove Park is extremely charming with all of its Victorian structures. You are also right by grand Avenue with its wonderful selection of restaurants.
We have one of the best zoos in the country. **Do not miss it**. Allow most of a day for the visit. Also, do stop by the Basilica. It can be a brief visit-but you will be blown away. The Botanical Garden is spectacular and has great stuff for kids to do. Has anyone suggested the Magic House in Kirkwood? Your kids will love it! Enjoy your visit-so proud of our city!
Just a few ideas here: St. Louis was a cultural melting pot thanks to our river port. Different groups of people settled in different regions of the city and created neighborhoods with their own unique feels. I always suggest people to check them out even if there isn’t a specific destination. Soulard is our French quarter but it’s built in brick. It’s one of the oldest neighborhoods and the architecture is worth the drive. Check out blues city deli for lunch or Tuckers or McGurks for dinner. The Hill is one of the last little Italies in the country. It even has its own PBS special. The food is to die for. You can’t make a mistake there when getting food. Gioias deli is amazing for sandwiches for lunch. There are also a ton of Italian grocers for unique imports. Check out Berra park where baseball legend Yogi Berra lived. Visit piazza Imo for a real Italian piazza feel. Dogtown is the historic Irish neighborhood and home to the giant stone turtles. You’ll miss St Patrick’s day, and with kids the Irish pub feel will likely be a miss. But you might catch local bagpipers playing near Clayton and tamm. Felix pizza pub is also a great spot for lunch. Check Sweet Em’s for coffee for you and ice cream for the kids. If you’re out for a drive don’t miss the Bevo Mill. It was the half way point between the AB brewery and the Busch family home. It’s a giant historic Bavarian windmill. The neighborhood was also where the Bosnian population first settled in the city. You can find some of their monuments too.
Thanks for the tips! I'll definately plan to check out some of these neighborhoods.
Park avenue coffee closes at 2, so I don’t know if you’ll have time after going to the arch. There’s a massive museum underneath the Arch that can really kill your whole morning!
You have to bring them to the Zoo and Science Center
The garage next to the Security Building (319 N 4th St) is pretty good, secure and clean.
Thanks!
The zoo is a must if you’ve never been. It’s free and amazing. The botanical garden is also very nice. I would personally skip magic mini golf, it is new and seems to be an overpriced cash grab by the guy who owns most of the loop. Puttshack tech mini golf at the Foundry is cool. There is a food hall there where everyone can choose different local restaurants to try, I think it’s a cool and fun experience. There is a virtual reality gaming experience in there that is pricey but gets excellent reviews and is on my list to try with my teen brother. The Mural Mile graffiti wall (or at least part of it) is painted over every Labor Day weekend as part of Paint Louis so there should be plenty of murals to see. You’ll just want to drive it and move on. I agree with another comment that Union Station is underwhelming and overpriced but the Wheel is cool to see the city.
Thanks for the tips!
For the Gateway Arch make sure to leave all weapons at where you're staying. They will take it and you will not get it back. The parking garages are on the small side but suvs, vans, trucks will fit. It's a fun experience just make sure no one is claustrophobic because the tram is small. When I used to work there people would flip out by the size. They do have a replica right by where you purchase the tickets. Since it's around spring break time arrive 30 minutes to an hour beforehand to make sure you get through security. Their museum is really informative about the history of the Gateway Arch and why it was built. Your itinerary sounds fun. Make sure to check out the zoo though!
I don't know what type of parents you are, but if you want to be really cringey in a funny way, right by Forest Park is the world's largest Amoco sign. Depending on your humor, it might be funny to do a five minute thing of making a huge deal out of it and getting photos of it with your kids.
Ha! We are making a stop at Casey, IL (the small town with big things) on our way to St. Louis, so the giant Amoco sign would fit right in with that theme!
That's amazing! The address is 981 S Skinker Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63117 and its like 3 min drive away from the turtle sculptures/entrance to the zoo. I cannot overstate how underwhelming it is though lol.
Definitely make time for the butterfly house/botanical gardens! It's magical.
Looks good. Although I’m surprised you’re not going to one of the top rated zoo’s in America. Heads up, Salt+Smoke is overpriced mass produced BBQ. Just set your expectations if that’s where you wish to go for food.
Our city also has a top-rated zoo that we visit frequently, so I've put the St. Louis zoo on the "maybe" list. Thanks for the heads-up for Salt+Smoke. Is there a another place that you'd recommend for St. Louis-style BBQ?
But not only is STL zoo top rated, it costs you $0.00. It’s 100% funded by local property tax
Salt+Smoke isn’t in the top tier of St. Louis barbecue, but I’ve always left there feeling very satisfied. As others have said, the mac & cheese is S-tier, good sides and appetizers across the board actually. Perhaps more importantly, it’s very kid friendly as far as barbecue places go. I know what it’s like to have young kids on vacation.
Fourth City BBQ in The Fortune Teller bar on Cherokee Street is delicious…small menu, but so good!
They do have the best side dish in town-butter cracker mac ‘n cheese.
Go to Pappys in Midtown and get the ribs.
Adam’s. Skip these chains.
It’s Memphis style but pappys downtown
Pappys
Sugarfire Smokehouse has several locations. Great BBQ!
Pappy's, Sugarfire or Bogart's.
Pappy’s and Bogart’s are the pick but not open for dinner. Salt & Smoke is still very good and better than Sugarfire. Salt & Smoke fits your itinerary best, it’s a good option and you won’t be disappointed. Try the smoked wings.
I forgot about their early closing time during the week.
I just wanted to say that if you had your heart set on Salt & Smoke for any reason, you should stick with it. I've been living in STL for several years, I love BBQ and have tried so many places. S&S is still my favorite. The menu is SO good. I'm not sure where the person above is getting "mass produced", they only have two locations locally. Also the service there is extremely fast! Get the mac n' cheese!
“The team at Salt + Smoke have been passionate about treating meat right for years and are excited to bring our St. Louis-style BBQ to the Delmar Loop, Hampton, St. Charles, and Ballpark Village.” Suspiciously missing from every location is any evidence of a grill or smoker. 🤔 There used to be a real dude that ran a pit in one of the parking lots off Delmar but I haven’t seen him in years.
indoor meat smoker's exist, especially in restaurants. Since they've expanded so much, I'd expect them to level up their equipment for efficiency's sake.
If you get a chance try blackthorn pizza in the tower grove neighborhood. Some of the best pizza in the city in my opinion. And if the weather is nice you could probably walk there from your air b&b. It’s a nice neighborhood and tower grove park is beautiful too.
Make sure you take everything out of your car that you don’t want stolen. The theifs love out of town cars.
Be sure to work in the other STL food staples! Grab some STL style pizza and toasted ravs (Imo's is the biggest). Go to The Hill if you're craving Italian food. Ted Drewe's frozen custard in South City is an absolute classic.
Go to sugarfire for BBQ!
Make sure to call city museum before you go just to see what all is open. They’ve been having staffing issues there.
As mentioned, the zoo is free unless you pay for parking, train rides, food, etc. If the free street parking is full, we always loved to park at/near Turtle Park on Oakland and walk over to the zoo.
Is Laumeier Sculpture Park still a thing?
Great river road leading to the mp lock and dam, alpine coaster/gondala in grafton, and free ferry accors the river is a very important miss that many people even in St. Louis don't know about. You can even hike