Explore St. Louis

Take an archeological treasure hunt courtesy of the Saint Louis Art Museum’s spectacular new exhibition, Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur. The incredible exhibit opens today in the renowned art institution that served as the Palace of Fine Arts during the fabled “Meet Me in St. Louis” World’s Fair. Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur runs through January 16, 2006. The Saint Louis Art Museum is located in beautiful and historic Forest Park.

On view are dazzling Ancient Sumerian icons of the Mesopotamian culture dating to 2600 B.C. The 160 objects in this collection are part of the historic find of early 20th century archeologist C. Leonard Woolley. Woolley’s discovery is considered among the greatest archeological unearthings of all time. It was as astounding and significant as that of his contemporary Howard Carter’s finding of King Tut’s tomb and its contents which also happened in the 1920s.

Gorgeous gold and lapis lazuli encrusted jewelry and statuary, elaborate headdresses and rare Sumerian works of art and ceremonial objects are on display.

Admission to this special exhibit is $6.00 for adults; $5 for students and seniors and $4 for children 6 to 12 years of age. Thanks to a generous grant by the Ford Motor Company, the exhibit is free on Fridays when the museum is open until 9:00 p.m. Regular hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Friday, 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. The museum is closed on Monday. General admission to the Saint Louis Art Museum is always free.

Crisp air, bright blue skies and gorgeous fall foliage await visitors to St. Louis during October and early November. The Gateway City landscape is a kaleidoscope of colors this time of year and visitors can enjoy the colorful scenery, fall festivals and special events during an autumn getaway.

In St. Louis, leaves start changing around mid-September and produce their colorful show for six weeks or longer. The great variety of trees, shrubs and vines in the St. Louis region create foliage displays that offer vivid and subtle shades of red, orange, yellow, gold, green, ochre and brown – a considerably more mixed palette than more yellow tones found in New England.

Experts at St. Louis’ renowned Missouri Botanical Garden track the best and the brightest of the fall display and direct you to the showiest plants, shrubs and trees found within it’s 79-acres. Make a pre-visit click on the Garden’s web site at http://www.mobot.org/, then select “Plants in Bloom” to discover which species are ablaze with color.

Here’s a list of other St. Louis area spots where you’ll find the brightest colors in Mother Nature’s autumn wardrobe:

No need to go far afield to find fabulous fall foliage. St. Louis’ Tower Grove Park, adjacent to the Missouri Botanical Garden, shows off nature’s seasonal change in style. The park has the most diverse and interesting urban forest in the central United States with a greater variety of trees and shrubs than any other urban park in the country – which means there’s a greater palette of fall shades on view. The grounds of the 289-acre park are punctuated with 10 whimsical pavilions, lily ponds, statuary, fountains, and mock classical "ruins." Tower Grove Park was established in 1868 by Henry Shaw, the founder of the Missouri Botanical Garden. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a National Historic Landmark, one of only four municipal parks in the country to achieve that status. Carriage rides through the lovely park are available on weekends.

Incredible fall color awaits at Shaw Nature Reserve, a 2,500-acre nature reserve with tracts of tall grass prairie, glades, wetlands, savannas and woodlands. The reserve, located off I-44 about 60-minutes from downtown St. Louis in Gray Summit, Missouri, also has 14 miles of trails, a wildflower garden, a pine forest and a visitor center.

You can gaze down at turning leaves from 630 feet above St. Louis by taking a tram ride to the top of the glorious Gateway Arch. The nation’s tallest monument sits on beautifully landscaped parkland that is dappled with shades of autumn. Hop aboard a Gateway Arch Riverboat cruise to see trees transform into their fall hues while cruising along the Mighty Mississippi. Cruise options include an upriver Lock and Dam excursion on Saturdays during September and October and an Oktoberfest cruise on October Sundays featuring an authentic German buffet and live German band. For cruise schedules, click on www.gatewayarch.com.

Famed Forest Park, known for its free cultural attractions including the Saint Louis Zoo, Art Museum, Science Center and Missouri History Museum, is no slouch in the autumnal landscape department. Pick up a free Forest Park Voyagers Backpack filled with tree guides so you can I.D. the bright bushes and trees, bird-watching tips and binoculars from the park’s Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center. Experience the colors of Forest Park in the fall by foot, bike, boat or Segway. New walking and biking paths meander through the 1,300-plus-acre park. Self-propel around Forest Park’s lakes on paddle or rowboats at the Forest Park Boathouse or take a hip tour via motorized, upright Segway scooters available through the Saint Louis Science Center’s Planetarium. While in the park, don’t miss hundreds of chrysanthemums on sparkling display in the aptly named Jewel Box floral conservatory.

Just west of St. Louis along the beautiful Missouri River Valley, a bounty of fall color and lush vineyards dot Missouri Wine Country. Here, immigrants from Germany’s Rhine River planted vineyards, constructed wine cellars and created America’s first wine region. During a short day trip from St. Louis, take in a winery tour and tasting then settle in at one of the beautiful winery terraces or patios. In Augusta, Mount Pleasant Winery overlooks the river valley laid out in its fall colors. Bikers and hikers can enjoy the autumn views along the KATY Trail, a former railroad right-of-way converted into a scenic path through the valley. Nearby, the wine town of Hermann celebrates its German heritage with Oktoberfest activities including grape stomping at Stone Hill Winery.

Nature’s autumn artistry meets man’s at Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis County. More than 80 contemporary sculptures by internationally known artists blend in the landscape of this 98-acre outdoor sculpture garden. The park’s hiking trails lead visitors along tree-lined paths that bend and twist to expose views of artwork along the way. Nearby, three nature trails at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center provide the opportunity to hear the crunch, crunch, crunch of fallen leaves beneath your feet and to see chipmunks, wild turkey, deer and other woodland creatures prepare for winter. Admission to both the sculpture park and the nature reserve are free.

Got pumpkin? How about apples? Fall’s famous fruits are yours for the gathering at Eckert’s Country Store & Farms in neighboring Belleville, Illinois. Hayrides, apple cider, country
games and fresh produce and country gift shops make this spot a fall family favorite. Pumpkin
and apple pie are served up Route 66-style at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. After a hard day on the hunt for fall foliage, relax with a “concrete” – a milkshake so thick they serve it to you upside down – at this iconic concession stand on the Mother Road. Pumpkin or apple pie, flaky crust and all, is blended with delectable vanilla frozen custard to create this seasonal delight.

A little further out the Mother Road, the foliage isn’t providing autumn’s only show. Nestled within the picturesque forests off I-44 are three of St. Louis’ natural environments for wild animals: The Wild Canid Survival & Research Center, World Bird Sanctuary and Lone Elk Park. Howl with wolves at the Wild Canid Survival & Research Center. Better known as the Wolf Sanctuary, this renowned captive breeding facility for endangered wolves from around the world hosts great campfire programs with storytelling and wolf howls on crisp fall evenings and throughout the year. Reservations are required for campfire events. Call 636-938-5900 or click on www.wolfsanctuary.org.

Fallen leaves share the grounds of Lone Elk Park along with herds of elk, white tail deer, American bison and other woodland critters. The free drive-thru animal preserve is a fun place to spot brilliant fall color and creatures great and small. Nearby, the World Bird Sanctuary’s naturalists can help you discover feathered friends residing within the 130-acre woodland park via hiking trails and bird-watching areas. Get up close to live eagles, hawks, owls and learn how to attract birds to your own yard at this free environmentally friendly attraction.

Got the travel bug? Are the kids itching for a weekend of fun? Take the sting out of travel by buzzing over to St. Louis where you can indulge in a variety of creepy/crawly, educational and fun activities featuring the perennial kid favorite – insects. Plus, there’s a decidedly adult theatre performance sure to give grown-ups the heebie jeebies.

Get a bug’s eye view of the world via Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure Film on the giant OMNIMAX screen at the St. Louis Science Center. Creepy crawlers include an aggressive praying mantis and a beautiful butterfly fill the massive screen for a fascinating look into a bug’s daily life. This cinematic insect journey through the rainforest is on view now through January 5, 2006. Tickets are $7.00 for adults; children and seniors are $6.00.

The St. Louis Science Center is also home to one of man’s least favorite but most fascinating insects: the cockroach. A colony of hairy-legged Brazilian cockroaches is tended with loving care by the Science Center’s Discovery Room staff who will let visitors hold the big bugs. Among the many facts roach wranglers will learn: cockroaches have 18 knees and only six legs; the world’s largest roach is six inches long with a wing space of one foot; and roaches can swim and hold their breath for up to 40 minutes.

Kids can climb in a giant spider web at the animal-theme playground within the Children’s Zoo section of the St. Louis Zoo. They also can meet turtles, pet goats and bunnies, slide through an otter exhibit and feed colorful parrots a nectar treat. Located near the Science Center in St. Louis’ beautiful Forest Park, the Zoo is home to more than 6,000 animals, not counting the six-legged varieties found within the Monsanto Insectarium. You'll find more than 100 species of insects, spiders, centipedes, and other spineless wonders in the Insectarium along with a tropical butterfly dome filled with delicate butterflies. And don't forget to stop by The Living World for an up-close look at a colony of 500,000 leaf cutter ants. These hard-working bugs can be viewed going about their daily tasks behind a huge plate glass “ant farm.” A TV monitor provides a video close-up of the ants’ activities as they gather leaves, chew them and cultivate the leaf fungus for food. Voracious eaters, a leaf cutter ant colony can defoliate an orchard or coffee plantation overnight.

Gardeners seeking ways to control the insect population in their own backyard can stop by the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Kemper Center for Home Gardening for tips on keeping Japanese beetles, red spiders and other plant-destroying bugs at bay. Experts on duty also can describe how the friendly ladybug and other insects offer effective and environmentally sound help for a troubled garden. Meander through the Butterfly Garden, one of the many demonstration gardens on view.

Visitors to St. Louis can enter the world of the most delicate and beautiful of bugs – the butterfly – at the Butterfly House. The three-story crystal palace conservatory, located in St. Louis’ Faust Park, is filled with lush tropical plantings that provide a natural environment for more than 2,000 of the colorful insects who live there in free flight. Watch as pupa transform into gorgeous butterflies at the Miracle of Metamorphosis display and learn how to attract butterflies through garden design. Displays, films and educational programs detail the life cycles, habitats and unique characteristics of these fascinating creatures.

A giant praying mantis sculpture stands guard on the roof of City Museum. Described as a warehouse of adventure, the museum is located in the Downtown Loft District just a few short blocks from the festival marketplace of St. Louis Union Station. Visitors with “bugs on the brain” can search the museum’s patterned tile floors for intricate butterfly and flying insect designs. Other exhibits include architectural artifacts and ornaments in the St. Louis Architectural Museum, a working Glass Studio, a giant fish tank and a humorous collection of artwork created from recycled products such as watchbands and electronic parts. A sculpted bowhead whale invites guests to climb through its mouth for a journey through a maze of cave-like nooks and crannies filled with hidden reptile and insect sculptures.

Theatre-loving adults can scurry to the Grandel Theatre in Grand Center to see a hallucinatory story crawling with pests and paranoia as the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents "Bug." The play puts a sci-fi twist on its trapped characters' feelings of isolation and delusion, adding a touch of terror and a dash of humor. In short, it'll get under your skin and give you the creeps. October 16 through November 6.

Gear up for Big League Fun in the Gateway City during the NLCS.

You’ll be seeing red in St. Louis this week as the National League Central Division Champion St. Louis Cardinals head home for the League Championship Series against Central Division rivals the Houston Astros.

Whether you’ve score coveted playoff tickets or not, you can still get in on the baseball action at the following red hot baseball sites:

1. At the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum, fans can explore more than a century of St. Louis baseball history in a unique sports museum shared with the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. The baseball galleries display artifacts, mementos and trophies depicting the proud story of the Cardinals, the most successful National League franchise in baseball history, and the team’s many star players. Museum highlights include items from Stan Musial’s personal collection, World Series memorabilia and historic photographs and uniforms from the St. Louis Stars Negro League team and the old St. Louis Browns.

2. St. Louis’ baseball greats are honored along Delmar Boulevard in The Loop neighborhood along the St. Louis Walk of Fame. Brass star-shaped plaques embedded in the sidewalks honor famous St. Louisans who have made their mark in baseball and the arts, science and history. Baseball is duly represented with markers and biographic plaques for Stan Musial, Yogi Berra, Joe Garagiola, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Cool Papa Bell, Dizzy Dean, Rogers Hornsby, Branch Rickey and Red Schoendienst. Honorees also include fabled baseball broadcasters known for their work in St. Louis: Jack Buck, Harry Caray and Bob Costas.

3. Baseball personalities Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola grew up on The Hill on the 5400 block of Elizabeth Avenue and Hall-of-Fame announcer Jack Buck lived there early in his radio career. The block’s street sign now bears the name “Hall of Fame Place” in their honor. The Hill is St. Louis’ Italian neighborhood that is filled with great Italian eateries, bakery shops, bocce clubs and even fireplugs painted in the Italian tri-color.

4. Watch history-in-the-making as the new Busch Stadium rises next to the vintage 1966 Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis. The Redbirds’ new roost will open with the start of the 2006 baseball season. Sidewalk superintendents will see the design take shape that represents St. Louis’ rich baseball history, created with the unique red brick architecture synonymous with St. Louis.

5. The Cardinals have been sensational this season. Experience a baseball-inspired taste sensation at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. The iconic refreshment stand on the St. Louis stretch of Route 66 dishes up a Cardinal Sin – creamy vanilla custard topped with tart bing cherries and rich hot fudge. Or, purists may want to create their own Baseball Sundae served in a replica Cardinals baseball cap with the toppings of your choice.

6. With more than a thousand one-of-a-kind restaurants, is there any wonder some dining hot spots serve up a sports theme along with tempting morsels? Just a homerun-length from Busch Stadium, hungry baseball fans can find sustenance amidst baseball memorabilia at Mike Shannon’s Steaks and Seafood and Al Hrabosky’s Ballpark Saloon. Both restaurants are operated by former Cardinals players who now do play-by-play on Cardinals’ radio and television broadcasts. Former football Cardinal greats Jim Hart and Dan Dierdorf preside at Dierdorf & Hart’s for great steaks and seafood at a downtown and West Port Plaza locales. Two more trendy sports-themed dining experiences can be had at the two J. Buck’s sites – one in trendy Clayton and the other in the Westfield West County shopping mall. As the eponymous name implies, the restaurants are owned by the Jack Buck broadcasting clan - sports announcer Joe, his radio personality sister Julie and their late father, the great Hall-of-Famer, Jack Buck. A fun collection of Cardinals’ Mark McGwire memorabilia is on display on the pop-culture laden walls of Blueberry Hill in The Loop neighborhood.

7. You can come out on top just like the Cardinals did in the Central Division with a trip to the top of the magnificent Gateway Arch. Get a bird’s-eye view of the two Busch Stadiums – the old and the under-construction new – from 630-feet high above the Mighty Mississippi. The Arch, officially named the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, honors President Thomas Jefferson, his dream of a continental United States and the thousands of men and women who helped open the American West. Beneath the Arch, in the Museum of Westward Expansion, the opening of the American West comes alive through displays that tell the story of explorers Lewis & Clark, pioneers, Native Americans and Buffalo soldiers who shaped America as a nation “from sea to shining sea.” This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Gateway Arch.

Take a short but glorious autumn drive from St. Louis to the Missouri River valley town of Hermann to celebrate the harvest season in Missouri Wine Country. Hermann bountifully showcases it’s German and wine-making heritage during the Holiday Fare Wine Trail, a moveable feast of food and spirits that takes place Saturday and Sunday, November 19 and 20.

Expertly chosen and prepared food and wine pairings – including some new dishes created for the occasion – will be presented at seven of the Hermann area’s wonderful wineries which are resplendent in Nature’s autumn colors. Here’s a sample of what’s on the menu:

Robller Winery in New Haven: appetizers paired with Traminette and Villa Rouge

Hermannhof Winery in Hermann: Smoked turkey with cherry wine sauce paired with Vin Gris

Adam Puchta Winery near Hermann: Eunice’s German Country dressing paired with Hunter’s Red

OakGlenn Winery in Hermann: Spicy Baked Pork Loin paired with Chardonel

Bias Winery near Berger: Cranberry Orange Nut Bread paired with River Bluff Rouge

Stone Hill Winery in Hermann: Caramel-drizzled sherry walnut squares paired with Cream Sherry

The Hermann Wine Trail meanders along the Missouri River for some 20 miles between Hermann and New Haven, Missouri. The trip offers beautiful, picture-postcard autumn scenery.

Tickets are $15 per person and advance purchase is recommended. Buy tickets online at http://www.hermannmo.info/.

Join the fun taking place both in and out of the ballpark as baseball’s hottest team, the St. Louis Cardinals, takes to the field during the National League Division Series.

St. Louis is a legendary baseball town but did you know that the Gateway City offers visitors more winning activities and attractions than just America’s pastime? St. Louis serves up a triple play of options including more than a thousand one-of-a-kind restaurants, a vibrant music and nightlife scene and great family and cultural attractions. As a matter of fact, St. Louis boasts more world-class, free attractions than almost any destination in the nation.

The following is a list of the Top 10 Things Baseball Fans Can Do in St. Louis to have a winning experience:

1. Halls of Fame: Fans won’t want to miss a visit to the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum for a historic look at the great Cardinal players and teams of the past. Located across the street from Busch Stadium, the museum is housed along with the International Bowling Hall of Fame Museum. The Cardinals museum commemorates more than 100
years of Cardinals history including Mark McGwire’s 70-homer season, the A.L. St. Louis
Browns and St. Louis Negro League teams. If you like quirky museums, the Bowling Hall of Fame is right up your alley (yes, the pun is intended). See the history of bowling from the time of cave dwellers, marvel at the world’s only bowling pin-shaped car and get some tips on your game from the masters of the sport.

2. Get the Blues…and Enjoy It: The Cardinals have been giving the blues to their
National League rivals all season long. You can get them, too, but in a good way by
strutting your stuff to the soulful sounds of live, St. Louis blues music. The blues were born here and continue to wail. W.C. Handy wrote the most famous blues song in the world about this city – the “St. Louis Blues.” You can discover just how good feeling bad can be in St. Louis’ many clubs and bars located in the Soulard neighborhood and along the cobblestone streets of the Laclede’s Landing entertainment district. There’s never a loss for good music: there are more working blues bands in St. Louis than any place on the planet. And, the original rock’n’roller, St. Louis’-own Chuck Berry, still performs live in the intimate surroundings of Blueberry Hill in The Loop neighborhood where you also can catch national touring acts at The Pageant, one of The Lou’s newest and coolest concert venues.

3. Reserve a seat at one of our training tables: Hungry for a good time? With more than
a thousand one-of-a-kind restaurants, St. Louis can pump up your tastebuds. On “The Hill,” gourmet Italian restaurants, trattorias and mom-and-pop delis offer delicacies just waiting to be discovered. St. Louis is home to the celebrated Tony’s – considered by many to be the best Italian restaurant in America. Get your licks on Route 66 at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. Try the concrete -- a milkshake so thick you can turn it upside down without spilling a delicious drop -- or a Cardinal Sin, a delectable sundae dripping with hot fudge and tart cherries. You can explore the flavors of the world at the virtual United Nations of eateries in interesting neighborhoods such as The Loop, Grand South Grand, the bistro-laden Central West End and toney Clayton. Or, simply bite down on a hot dog at Busch Stadium in honor of the culinary contributions made to concession stands around the world at the 1904 “Meet Me in St. Louis” World’s Fair where hot dogs and hamburgers were popularized and the ice cream cone and iced tea were first introduced.

4. St. Louis is for the Birds: While the Cardinals are the main attraction during October, our fine-feathered friends are always on view at the world famous Saint Louis Zoo. Home to more than 5,000 critters and ranked the #1 Zoo in the nation by Zagat Survey, the Zoo continues to follow in the footsteps of its most famous curator, Marlin Perkins, who was dedicated to presenting animals in their natural habitat exhibits. His legacy continues with the Zoo’s newest bird displays including the innovative Penguin and Puffin coast, where these exotic cold-climate birds reside and the newly renovated Flight Cage. The giant walk-through aviary – one of the largest in the world – was originally the Smithsonian Institution’s 1904 World’s Fair exhibit. Now the historic facility houses a state-of-the-art attraction called Cypress Swamp which recreates a habitat for birds native to the lower Mississippi River. Located in beautiful Forest Park, the Zoo is open free of charge. The Gateway City is home to another flighty attraction: the World Bird Sanctuary. Visitors to the internationally acclaimed sanctuary, another free attraction, can see hundreds of birds of prey and other woodland creatures and learn about conservation and environmental issues.

5. Come out on top: Just as the Cardinals did in the National League Central Division, baseball fans visiting St. Louis can come out on top, too….the top of the Gateway Arch, that is. You can’t buy a Big Mac there, but you can get one great view of Busch Stadium and the surrounding city from 630 feet above the Mississippi River. The Arch, officially named the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, honors President Thomas Jefferson, his dream of a continental United States and the thousands of men and women who helped open the American West. Beneath the Arch, in the Museum of Westward Expansion, the opening of the American West comes alive through displays that tell the story of explorers Lewis & Clark, pioneers, Native Americans and Buffalo soldiers who shaped America as a nation “from sea to shining sea.” The Arch celebrates its 40th anniversary on October 28, 2005.

6. A St. Louis Brews Cruise: The Gateway City is as famous for its brewing heritage as it is for being a great sports town. During a free tour of the world headquarters of Anheuser-Busch, the world’s largest brewer, baseball fans can explore the historic Brew House, the elegant stained glass and brass decor of the Budweiser Clydesdale stables and the beechwood aging cellars. The tour ends at the hospitality center where visitors can tip a freshly brewed glass of one of the famed A-B products. Who knows -- you might even catch the ferret singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

7. Top off your beer tours by hopping to some great St. Louis microbrewies including Schlafly’s other locale, the St. Louis Tap Room, situated in St. Louis’ happening Washington Avenue loft district or the Morgan Street Brewery in the historic Laclede’s Landing entertainment district. Both serve delicious pub grub and a heady sampling of microbrewery fresh pilsners, ales and lagers. Those that fancy a non-alcoholic brew can root for the Cardinals at Fitz’s, St. Louis’ root beer microbrewery that also pours handcrafted cream, grape and other frothy soft drinks and has taken the root beer float to foamy and delicious new heights. Discover a new taste treat by trying the Lewis & Clark float, a Fitz’s exclusive.

8. Great Americans of Times Past: When you’re not at Busch Stadium enjoying the national pastime, experience St. Louis’ sites dedicated to great figures from American history. You can see two homes occupied by 19th president and Civil War hero Ulysses S. Grant; view the flight suit aviator Charles Lindbergh wore on his historic Spirit of St. Louis flight across the Atlantic at the Missouri History Museum; retrace the steps of intrepid explorers Lewis & Clark at 25 sites around town; relive Dred Scott’s dramatic freedom trial that took place in St. Louis’ Old Courthouse; be in the audience for a live performance by rock ‘n’ roll legend Chuck Berry and tour historic homes of frontiersman Daniel Boone, fabled fur trappers and gunsmiths who made their mark on the American West.

9. Become Star Struck: Stroll along Delmar Boulevard in The Loop neighborhood and experience the St. Louis Walk of Fame. Brass star-shaped plaques embedded in the sidewalks honor famous St. Louisans who have made their mark in the arts, science, history and sports. Among the stellar individuals honored are baseball’s Yogi Berra, Joe Garagiola, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and Stan Musial; playwright Tennessee Williams; musicians Chuck Berry and Miles Davis; Civil War generals and St. Louis residents U.S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman; scientists Masters & Johnson and entertainers John Goodman, Josephine Baker, Kevin Kline and diva Tina Turner, to name just a few.

10. FREE!: There are more free, world class attractions in St. Louis than anywhere in the United States outside our nation’s capitol. St. Louisans are proud of their tradition of opening the doors to our major cultural institutions at no charge to residents and visitors alike. The Saint Louis Art Museum, History Museum, Zoo and Science Center are all open free of charge. Here are a few of the places folks can enjoy at no cost: two St. Louis homes of 18th President of the U.S. and Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant – White Haven, his Victorian-style family house and Hardscrabble, the log cabin house he hand-built, now part of the Grant’s Farm animal preserve, petting zoo and Clydesdale breeding farm; the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour; the Museum of Westward Expansion located beneath the Gateway Arch; the world’s largest collection of mosaic art at the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis; the outdoor contemporary art museum at Laumeier Sculpture Park; Purina Farms, where visitors can interact with domestic animals; memorabilia from the heyday of automotive cruising at Route 66 State Park; National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows; Cahokia Mounds archeological site that contains the remains of the largest pre-Columbian city North of Mexico and many, many more.

Bonus #11: Get Your Kicks on Route 66: Lasting roadside attractions along the St. Louis stretch of the fabled “Mother Road” provide interesting detours. North of downtown, the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge was Route 66’s original crossing over the Mississippi River at St. Louis. The bridge, which is the longest pedestrian span in the world, is open each weekend from April through November as a hiking and biking trail. Catch spectacular views of downtown St. Louis from high over the Mississippi. Other icons along “66” are Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, where road warriors have been served frosty treats since 1929; Donut Drive-In, a vintage donut stand and Meramec Caverns, the oldest tourist attraction along the Route. Since 1933 the site has welcomed Route 66 wanderers for a fascinating underground look at the region’s history and geology. Missouri legends say that frontier outlaw Jesse James hid men, loot and horses in the massive cave. Cavern owners took American roadside art to new heights by turning barn roofs into billboards to promote the attraction all across America.