Explore St. Louis

Want to enjoy your holiday shopping experience and find great St. Louis-oriented gifts for friends and family? For fabulous gift finds, follow the Top Ten St. Louis Holiday Shopping Secrets guide to take the stress out and put the fun in a pre-holiday shopping spree in the Gateway City. You’ll be saying, “That’s a wrap!” in no time.

1. Museum Gift Shops: St. Louis’ fantastic museums not only provide a cultural escape for weary shoppers, but the museum shops stock unusual, unique and trendy gift items that are sure to match your shopping list. At the Saint Louis Art Museum gift shop, you’ll find exquisite note cards, an amazing collection of unusual and artistic jewelry, silk scarves and home décor items sure to delight the most discerning on your gift list. For the history buff, look no further than Louisiana Purchase. This appropriately named shop within the Missouri History Museum overflows with history-related games, toys, jewelry, books and collectibles covering subjects as wide-ranging as the Lewis & Clark expedition to the 1904 World’s Fair.

Discover the tiniest gifts to fill the rooms of that special someone’s dollhouse at the Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis. If there is a transportation enthusiast on your shopping list, a
stop at the Museum of Transportation will yield a bounty of holiday gift ideas from model trains to Route 66 memorabilia. After shopping, be sure to explore one of the largest collections
of transportation vehicles in the world, including the Museum’s star attraction - over seventy real locomotives representing the rail power that built America.

2. Creature Comforts: Find the purr-fect present for animal lovers at the Saint Louis Zoo’s Holiday Zootique. The Zoo not only has great critter-related items and games for kids, but shop for hand-painted African pottery, clothing, home and garden items, puzzles, books, toys, vases, picture frames, candles and many items only available at the Saint Louis Zoo. Need to buy for a bird-watcher? The shop at the World Bird Sanctuary can feather the nest of bird-watchers with birding books, birdhouses and feeders and popular eagle and owl collectibles. You can even Adopt-A-Bird in someone’s honor.

The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog has a charming gift shop with hundreds of gift items in a variety of breeds. Indulge in jewelry, stationary, ceramics, books, children's toys, games such as Dog-Opoly, Dalmatian Dominoes, Dog Bingo, UNO – a canine version of the popular UNO card game, and a very unusual and affordable selection of items including the popular Dog Tricks Kit "How To Teach Your Dog To Dance and Dazzle."

At the Butterfly House’s Madame Butterfly gift shop, butterflies adorn handbags, custom-designed throws, wall sculptures, decorative garden items, silk ties (the newest tie features an all over design of blue morpho wings) and ornaments. The museum offers also a huge selection of insect-related toys for boys and girls, plus an array of unique jewelry. This season’s featured jewelry artist is Susan Packard who creates lovely pins and earrings from patinated brass, paint metallic foil, beads and wire.

3. Presents from the Past: Need a real radio from the 1930’s? Are you a collector of antique doorknobs? If you’re buying for antique collectors or retro fans, St. Louis’ antique districts are filled with potential presents from the past. Historic Cherokee Street Antique Row features more than 30 shops offering affordable selections from fine antiques to peculiar collections,Victorian hardware to vintage radios, first edition books to estate jewelry. Fabulous furniture and art glass can be found in the elegant Central West End neighborhood’s many antique dealers and vintage items brought back by the trunkload from European flea markets are the rage at shops such as Elizabeth House in cozy Maplewood.

Need a suit of armor or a Victorian-style terrarium? It can all be had at Gringo Jones, a magical shop located near the Missouri Botanical Garden. Shopping is like a treasure hunt at Gringo Jones, where hard to find items are stacked everywhere. A good deal of the merchandise is metal, though you will also find concrete window boxes, ceramic pots, imported garden art, interior and exterior fountains and exotic jewelry. Continue your shopping next door at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Little Shop Around the Corner. Little Shop features artwork, accent furnishings, garden ornaments, silver, china, vintage jewelry and other objets d'art in an upscale storefront.

4. From Limited to One of a Kind Finds: Head to The Loop, one the hippest neighborhoods in The Lou, for handcrafted jewelry, decorative items from around the world, trend setting clothing, music stores packed with vintage vinyl, underground sounds and hot-off-the-burner CDs. With clothing and accessory shops with names like Hot Pink, Rag-O-Rama, Runway Fashions and Sole Survivor Leather, you’ll find the latest styles for ‘tweens, teens and twenty- somethings. The Loop also is home to dozens of cafes, ethnic restaurants and coffee houses - providing fuel for your shopping foray.

Webster Groves and Kirkwood neighborhoods offer a cozy, quaint selection of unique boutique shops. Salt of the Earth, Daisy Clover, Empty Nest and Initial Design are a few shops in Webster where visitors can find everything from custom jewelry and handbags to home décor items to contemporary fashions. The Kerry Cottage, complete with thatched roof, is a huge Irish shop located near Webster Groves.In Kirkwood’s shopping sanctuary, visit Down by the Station to create personalized note cards and discover festive holiday ornaments or the Shannon Shop for that perfect Irish–themed gift. The Hobby Station is a great place for the collector on your list vying for a new dollhouse or train.

The Third Degree Glass Factory offers an ever-changing selection of fine glass. Shoppers will find handmade gift items from traditional to experimental. Looking for a stocking stuffer? A hand-blown holiday ornament will be perfect.


5. Mall It: Mall hounds will feel right at home at St. Louis’ megamalls that boast some special options along with nationally known retailers. Westfield West County is home to Missouri’s only Nordstrom and cosmetic-fiends’ favorite store – Sephora – which offers a cornucopia of colognes and cosmetics by top name designers. The luxurious Plaza Frontenac provides the wonders of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman-Marcus, Banana Republic, Coach and other high-end retailers and boutiques. Chic shopping continues at the Saint Louis Galleria’s 160-plus stores where you’ll find big name, style-conscious retailers along with specialty shops like Mary Engelbreit, the original Build-A-Bear Workshop and exclusive stores including White House/Black Market, M A C, Z Gallerie, Restoration Hardware and Illuminations.

St. Louis Mills shoppers will find the hottest holiday gift items at the most affordable prices while enjoying the unique dining and interactive entertainment the center has to offer. Check out the new, and St. Louis-exclusive, Banana Republic Factory Store, Gap Outlet, and Tommy Hilfiger Factory Store for clothing that the whole family will love, at outlet prices. NIKE Factory Store offers active wear for that friend that’s always on the go, while Mikasa Factory Store, Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse and OFF 5th -Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet - offer upscale options that fit anyone’s style.

6. Yummy Gifts: Give incredible edibles this year. Shop for fabulous food finds on The Hill, St. Louis’ Italian neighborhood. Flavorful imported olive oils, aromatic cheeses, homemade pastas and salamis make bountiful gifts. Indulge your loved ones with fabulous handmade chocolates from Bissinger’s French Confections or get creative with gourmet food items from The Smoke House Market. Pick up the latest “must have” culinary tools from The Kitchen
Conservatory that will inspire the wanna-be gourmets in your life. Bring home a faux “concrete” milkshake from Ted Drewes Frozen Custard on historic Route 66 as a fun, foodie souvenir for the ice cream lover on your list. A gift certificate to one of the thousand one-of-a-kind St. Louis restaurants provides a delicious meal during your loved-one’s next St. Louis visit. Potential bonus: you might be invited to join them.

7. Spirit Filled Christmas: The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows is a spiritual oasis of healing for people of all faiths and denominations and the largest outdoor shrine in North America. This holiday season Our Lady of the Snows offers three unique holiday gift items available in the Shrine Gift Shop & Bookstore. Purchase a “Merry Christmas From Heaven Gift Set” that features an inspirational poem card and pewter ornament - a loving way to share the Christmas season with someone dear who has suffered the loss of a loved one. Other hot items include the “Kneeling Santa Nativity Set” and “Gloria Angel.” The “Gloria Angel” is from the exclusive Fontanini Heirloom Collection. The Shrine Shop carries the entire line of Fontanini Collectibles and one of just a few gift shop locations where a Fontanini family member will make an annual appearance to introduce their new holiday piece. The Shrine has a scheduled appearance set for November 27.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, built in 1907, combines Byzantine and Romanesque architecture styles with the largest collection of mosaics in the world. Be sure to visit The Cathedral Shop for a varied selection of religious items, candles, books, toys, puzzles and postcards.

8. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing: …and dance and entertain. Present your pals with tickets to one of St. Louis’ many theatrical and musical performances set for 2006. Classical music buffs will say “Bravo” for concert tickets to the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Broadway babies will thrill to the Fabulous Fox Theatre’s touring Broadway companies of Little Women, Bombay Dreams, Doctor Doolittle and Phantom of the Opera. Savvis Center gets in on the act with productions of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra Winter Tour 2005 and Sesame Street Live's "Super Grover - Ready For Action." Get jazzy with a gift of music from Jazz at the Bistro with tickets to see top names like Lou Donaldson, Ray Vega's Latin Jazz Quintet and other swingers in an intimate club setting.

9. Ho-Ho-Hotel Getaways: Send your family and friends on a much-needed escape from the everyday with the gift of travel. St. Louis’ great hotels offer getaway packages that fit a moderate budget and provide a priceless return of relaxation, rejuvenation and just plain fun. Check the list of hotel packages and deals and make your reservation online at www.explorestlouis.com/reservations/index.asp.


10. ‘Tis the Season: Sports are always in season for true fans. Indulge your sports fanatics with gift certificates to a St. Louis Cardinals’ 2006 season game in the new Busch Stadium. Bowl ‘em over with kitschy items from the gift shop at the International Bowling Hall of Fame/St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum and they’ll go rah-rah-rah with official St. Louis Rams NFL gear found all over town. Give the gift of icy excitement via tickets to a St. Louis Blues hockey game or the 2006 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The perfect gift is a Free Skate 4-Pak which includes four tickets for the same great seat for the four senior free skate events at Savvis Center: Senior Dance Free Dance, Senior Pairs Free Skate, Senior Men’s Free Skate and Senior Ladies Free Skate.