A Family's Guide to St. Louis

Hopefully what I’m about to say comes as no surprise but I love St. Louis. I love it so much I chose to live here. Why do I love it? For a multitude of reasons some of which I’m hoping you’ll discover if you get a chance to visit. A few weeks ago, I posted “A Runners Guide to STL” and I promised a Family Oriented version. If your family is heading this direction or you know someone that is, pass it along.

St. Louis is full of attractions to suite any number of personalities but before we get some of the more unknown attractions, let us touch on the biggest ones.

The Arch: If you’re not afraid of heights or tight spaces, this should definitely be on your list. You get an amazing view of the St. Louis area and just pretty cool.

St. Louis Cardinals: If you’re a baseball fan, you MUST go to a game. There are a few parks that can replicate the feel and excitement of baseball heaven.

Six Flags MidAmerica: With a water park, and the general park included in your admission, you can spend an entire day plus some here. Perfect place for families of all ages.

St. Louis Forest Park Houses some of our bigger attractions: St. Louis Zoo, Art Muesum, History Muesum, St. Louis Science Center and the Paddle Boats.

St. Louis Zoo Voted one of the Best Zoos in the Country. Did I mention Free? You can’t miss out on the Penguin Exhibit. It’s outstanding and air conditioned for these hot summer days!

St. Louis Science Center and OmniMax: A MUST for every family. All the “hands on” learning is fun for any age.

Forest Park Lake: Looking to do some cross-training? How about Paddle Boating with the kids? It’s so much fun and you’ll be surprised all the places you can go in these little things.

In addition to these big attractions, I wanted to make you aware of some of the things us locals love.

City Museum - An amazingly eclectic place you have to see to believe. No really! Where else are you going to find a roof top Faris wheel, a giant whale you can crawl through and an old massive bank vault? My only warning with this place is that you need to wear older clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. You will be crawling around tons and burning tons of calories without even knowing it. ADULTS: At night they serve alcohol. Check their schedule for fun events.

Botanical Gardens : The gardens are beautiful this time of year and they’ve recently added a children’s section. Right now, you can see the Lantern Festival! It’s gorgeous and going on through August 19th.

Transportation Museum: If you’ve got a “choo choo” fan in your family, you MUST make this stop. Packed full of Locomotives, planes and trains, you’re kids will have a great afternoon checking out the history of transportation.

City Garden: This is a huge attraction. It’s right downtown STL and don’t forget to bring your bathing suite. This outdoor art exhibit has plenty of cooling water displays that are considered interactive. (FREE)

Magic House: Another must if you have a little scientist in your family. E loves this place! You can see so much including the Oval Office.

Grant’s Farm: Where else can you get up-close and personal with a Clydesdale? This place is essentially a HUGE petting zoo. It’s near and dear to my heart since we love on the trail that leads you there. I get the joy of seeing the horses all the time.

If you’re looking for a pool to just kick back and let the kids burn some energy, be sure to check out the St. Louis County Pools. Many will let you pay a “Non-Resident” fee (Sunset Hills $9 non resident fee) to go hang out and who knows…you might see us there.

Ok, that just skims the surface. As you can see, tons of things that are perfect for the family. If you’re planning a summer vacation, consider St. Louis. I promise you’ll have a good time.  Come on in!