Short Visit to St. Louis

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Short Visit to St. Louis

Posted: 7/7/2017 6:06:27 PM EDT

I'll be spending a day or a day and a half In St. Louis this summer. I'll have two kids with me and I am looking for fun things to do and safe places to stay. I was there 40 years ago and my understanding is the city has changed.

It looks like the Arch, the Zoo and the Children's Museum are all activities we will try out. Anything else?

Any good places to eat where the kids will also enjoy it?

Where should we stay that's a safe neighborhood? Some place near the freeway because when we leave town we'll be driving west. I know to avoid Ferguson and East St. Louis.

Posted: 7/7/2017 8:12:57 PM EDT

[#1]

Science Center

National Museum of Transport, lots of cool trains.

Catch a Cardinals' game.

I would stay in the St. Charles area.

Posted: 7/7/2017 8:27:28 PM EDT

[#2]

Plan on going to the zoo when it opens... (avoids the cost to park & children's zoo is free both till 10am I think) The science center is good as is the city museum
I'll second the idea to stay in St. Charles. There are fewer issues than in the city...

Posted: 7/7/2017 8:32:51 PM EDT

[#3]

How old are the kids?

Posted: 7/7/2017 8:53:09 PM EDT

[#4]

Dinner at Ballpark Village during a Cards game is always a fun evening.

Depending on where you stay, Pappy's Smokehouse and Sugarfire are some of the best BBQ joints in town. I'm also a fan of Pi (~deep dish) and Dewey's pizza.

Posted: 7/7/2017 10:31:15 PM EDT

[#5]

Anywhere in west/southwest county should be good to go for lodging.magic house(I think it's over priced but, fun) lots of state parks to hike or fish in, zoo is good(don't keep anything of value in your car.) avoid the delmar loop, east stl, north, parts of south and west stl.... pretty much avoid the city unless you're heading somewhere fun. For food try Pastaria in Clayton, mission taco, or sugarfire smoke house.

Posted: 7/7/2017 10:40:25 PM EDT

[#6]

I hear that the Zoo is now on the no carry list.

Posted: 7/8/2017 1:00:02 AM EDT

[#7]

No metal detector at the zoo (yet), unlike Busch Stadium. That's my biggest issue going to a Cards game now... A cop is to damn heavy to carry around

Posted: 7/8/2017 4:56:22 AM EDT

[#8]

City museum has car security issues.

Someone suggested Pappy's which makes me question their ability to differentiate between shoe leather and food.

You can carry on the arch grounds but NOT into the arch. Be aware that there is still construction happening at the arch, you may want to call ahead to be sure.

Not a crime to carry at the zoo and I do every time.

Science Center is free and fun.

Posted: 7/8/2017 10:47:50 AM EDT

[#9]

You didn't mention the kids ages, but I'd recommend lunch at Crown Candy. Get a real milkshake and the BLT. Grants farm is also good for kids if you need something else to do.

Posted: 7/9/2017 6:58:46 PM EDT

[#10]

Thanks everyone. The kids are 8 and 13.

I won't be carrying for various reasons.

Posted: 7/10/2017 7:25:31 AM EDT

[#11]

grants farm tour is a nice couple of hours.
the old spaghetti warehouse in downtown st louis is a fun place to eat and is very kid friendly.

Posted: 7/10/2017 3:15:00 PM EDT

[#12]

The art museum in forest park is fun as well. It is very near zoo. You can walk from on to the other. Be careful about leaving anything valuable out. There have been some issues. You may want to look at Clayton or Chesterfield to stay. St. Charles is other good idea. Chesterfield has lots of restaurants and new outlet malls. It is easier to get to zoo and downtown from there then St Charles IMO. Their are lots of tour options at Budweiser, but that may be more fun for you then kids. If you want to go up in the arch get tickets early it sells out. There is also boat tour next to arch that is fun. They also do helicopter tours, its expensive but cool

Posted: 7/11/2017 9:51:14 AM EDT

[#13]

MoDot has a site where you can check for road closures/construction, so you'll know what to expect in the area you're visiting;

http://www.modot.org/stlouis/road_construction/weeklyupdate.htm

Posted: 7/15/2017 10:25:55 AM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
I hear that the Zoo is now on the no carry list.

View Quote

I believe it is.

But as previously mentioned, there is no metal detectors and concealed means concealed.

6 Flags had metal detectors last time I went which was probably about 10 years ago. I wont be back.

Magic house is fun.
As far as City Museum goes....

Bring comfy clothes, leave your dignity behind. If there is a hole your kids can fit in, they can go anywhere else in the museum. It is not sectioned off like normal kid friendly places...

IE, your kid can climb down a hole, and then wander off to completely different parts of the building. They dont have to, (and IME, usually wont) come back to the hole they went out of. Everything you see can be climbed on.

Posted: 7/16/2017 10:32:20 PM EDT

[#15]

Op I have 5 and 7 year old boys and here's what they love

1. Zoo - but you better be there at 8am or whenever it opens and GTFO by noon (free)
2. Cardinals game - there's not a bad seat in the stadium, get some 400 level seats with the sun to your back (seats will shade you) and you'll have a good time
3. Transportation Museum in Des Peres (southwest side of metro area) - LOTS of real trains
4. Botanical Garden - south St Louis
5. FastLane Classic cars in St. Charles (free) off 70 west of STL
6. STL Science Center
7. Big Joels Safari in Wright City - off 70 western edge of STL regional area
8. the vintage Carousel in Faust Park in Chesterfield

I'll think of more shit later

As far as eating go to Downtown historic (brick roads) 5th street St Charles. Its all setup like it was when Lewis and Clark left to head up the MO river. Lots of great restaurants to chose from there. For downtown STL, go see the arch, the zoo, etc then retreat back to the west of 270 to stay at your hotel.

Posted: 7/17/2017 4:55:53 PM EDT

[#16]

Is Maryland Heights an okay place to stay? Alternatively, it looks like Illinois is cheaper is Fairview Heights okay?

Posted: 8/8/2017 11:02:31 AM EDT

[#17]

I had my stop in St. Louis. Stayed way out in St. Peters, which was fine. Visited the Gateway Arch (and museum) and City Museum. The City Museum was amazing and the kids spent almost six hours there. Best "children's museum" I have ever seen. Did a short stop at the Bass Pro in St. Charles. We didn't have time for anything else while we were there.

Looks like the Destroyer that used to be anchored in the river is gone.

I had not been to St. Louis for almost 40 years. Sad to see the city looking the way it does. It looks like Detroit on the north side (burned out and collapsing buildings) and even downtown is armored-up. Did St. Louis get a lot of Katrina refugees or something? Rural Missouri looks great.

Posted: 8/8/2017 11:13:36 AM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:

Looks like the Destroyer that used to be anchored in the river is gone.

View Quote

Broke loose in the flood for 1993, ran into the Poplar Street Bridge, and is now laying on its side on the west bank of the river just south of the McArthur Bridge. You can see the bow of the ship sticking out of the water most of the time, and when it's low water, you can almost walk out to it.

Posted: 8/8/2017 11:43:41 AM EDT

[#19]

Yes, there are a few hidden gems in the city. By in large, the city has gone to shit though. KC has been quickly surpassing the city in regards to attracting Forbes 500 caliber business and other small businesses. Lots to improve here.

Posted: 8/8/2017 4:29:12 PM EDT

[#20]

Glad you made it out in one piece!!!

Posted: 8/8/2017 6:18:17 PM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:
I had not been to St. Louis for almost 40 years. Sad to see the city looking the way it does. Did St. Louis get a lot of Katrina refugees or something?

View Quote

Steady decline all those years.

Posted: 8/9/2017 5:01:49 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
I had my stop in St. Louis. Stayed way out in St. Peters, which was fine. Visited the Gateway Arch (and museum) and City Museum. The City Museum was amazing and the kids spent almost six hours there. Best "children's museum" I have ever seen. Did a short stop at the Bass Pro in St. Charles. We didn't have time for anything else while we were there.

Looks like the Destroyer that used to be anchored in the river is gone.

I had not been to St. Louis for almost 40 years. Sad to see the city looking the way it does. It looks like Detroit on the north side (burned out and collapsing buildings) and even downtown is armored-up. Did St. Louis get a lot of Katrina refugees or something? Rural Missouri looks great.

View Quote

Nobody lives in the City anymore, areas next to the city nobody should be living there either. Almost everyone lives outside of the 270 loop. St charles county has exploded over the last 15 years mostly people evacuating from the above mentioned areas.

No Katrina veterans, those all went to Houston. They were going to bring a bunch of them here and place them right in the middle of one of the wealthest suburbs in St. Louis. let's just say that QUICKLY got nixed

Posted: 8/16/2017 11:05:27 PM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:

Nobody lives in the City anymore, areas next to the city nobody should be living there either. Almost everyone lives outside of the 270 loop. St charles county has exploded over the last 15 years mostly people evacuating from the above mentioned areas.

View Quote

Well, I live in the city...

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Short Visit to St. Louis

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