Friday Fives: St. Louis Activities

St. Louis has many fun unique attractions that both locals and tourists must visit and try at least once, and with Spring Break just a week away, you should plan to visit some of these places over the break.

1. Forest Park

Forest Park itself is beautiful, but it also is home to some fun activities besides having a nice picnic or going for a run. The St. Louis Art Museum, History Museum, Planetarium, Muny and Zoo are all located in Forest Park. Also, instead of going on the highway, you can take Clayton Rd and stop by the City House Creperie or other popular restaurants on the way there or back, so one drive out holds a wide variety of options. The best part of this is you can walk around the Muny, Zoo and Museums for zero dollars, as they all have free admission. 

2. City Museum

One of St. Louis’ most unique features is the City Museum. This giant jungle gym is so fun for both kids and adults. There are multiple rooms with structures for you to explore and climb. There is an entire outside part with a bus, plane and ball pit. There are lots of slides including a 10-story slide, and they are opening a new aquarium section you can climb through. This is a fun day activity and inexpensive with tickets being only $16 for a day pass.

3. The Loop

Home to many great restaurants and shops, the Loop is a great place to spend a night. The Loop has Fitz’s, Blueberry Hill, Mission Taco, Blue Ocean Sushi and more are located in the main strip and close by are shops including Vintage Vinyl and Pitaya. There are great stops for photos as well as the St. Louis Walk of Fame. You can also finish out a fun night with delicious desserts like Insomnia cookies or Snow Factory rolled ice cream.

4. Try Toasted Ravioli, Thin Crust Pizza, and Gooey Butter Cake

St. Louis is the birthplace of many tasty foods that you must try while you are here. Make a stop by Imo’s Pizza to try the thin crust pizza (ask for extra sauce) and toasted ravioli with red sauce. After, have some gooey butter cake as a nice dessert. These St. Louis classics aren’t too expensive either. St. Louis is also known for St. Louis Style BBQ, where it is grilled then sauced. St. Louis has many great restaurants around town, but these specific foods are a must try.

5. Downtown St. Louis

If you are spending time in the city that is the Gateway to the West, you must see the Arch. You can stop by or, even better, you can go inside and tour the museum and visit the top for $8 to $16. The 63-story high view of the city and river is beautiful, and with you can get a ticket combo with one Riverfront Cruise and Documentary Movie. While you are downtown, you can also stop by Union Station to visit the new St. Louis Aquarium, try the crazy Soda Fountain and ride the 200-ft high St. Louis Wheel. The aquarium is $18 to $25, the 22oz Freak Shakes are $17 to $18, and a 15 minute ride on the ferris wheel is $10 to $15.