Weekend Trip: 10 Things to do in St. Louis

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I recently took a weekend trip in St. Louis. Although we went to a festival one day, we found other things to do in St. Louis. If you like music festivals, then I encourage you to check out Loufest. It’s one of the awesome things to do in St. Louis, however, it didn’t make the list since it only happens once a year.

We visited St. Louis in a weekend, but you could also do it as a day trip if you live close by. Read my article on taking a day trip before you do.

Here are 10 things to do in St. Louis:

1. Visit the City Museum

This was my only requirement on our itinerary when we visited and it did not disappoint. The City Museum is the most amazing place! It’s a giant obstacle course for adults (while still being kid-friendly). You climb through abandoned planes, tunnel under water, and go spelunking (I first heard about it through random pins on Pinterest. If you don’t believe me on how awesome it is, check out the photos for yourself!). Just be sure to wear your exercise gear instead of nice street clothes, because you WILL get sweaty.

2. Watch a Game from the 360 Rooftop Bar

At the very top of the Hilton downtown, is a full 360 degree, glass rooftop bar. We took advantage of the view overlooking the stadium and watched the Cardinals play while we were there. Even if there isn’t a game playing, all of the views are AMAZING and there are fire pits nestled on all four sides for you to cozy up around.

3. Walk through the zoo

One of the things to do in St. Louis that comes up most often is visiting the zoo. It’s located by the Art Museum in Forest Park, which is a great location to spend an entire day around. But the best part about the zoo is FREE admission! Especially if you’re working on a tight budget or are bringing the whole family. Be sure to add this to your list!

4. Go dancing in the Ball Park Village

Whenever we go to new places, we have to check out the nightlife. Most of the bars in St. Louis are down Washington Ave. or in the Ball Park Village. If you’re already downtown by the Arch, then I recommend checking out the Ball Park Village. It’s a huge collection of bars that reminds me of the Power and Light district in Kansas City. I also love that it has all different types of music, so you can bar hop into different vibes all night or just dance in the middle to one of their live bands.

5. Take photos by the Arch

The iconic site in the St. Louis skyline is the Gateway Arch downtown. It’s a famous attraction that is a fun experience to travel to the top and see the view. However, it’s a little more costly to go inside, so you can always stay on the outside if you have a tighter budget. I love seeing it at night with all of the lights because it’s BEAUTIFUL! There’s also a great view of it from the 360 Rooftop bar.

6. Sample at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery

Everyone will tell you that of all the things to do in St. Louis is visit the Budweiser Brewery. Even if you don't like Bud Light, it's an American icon that we all know AND you can pet the Clydesdales. I prefer to visit micro-breweries when I'm on vacation, but this was fun for the nostalgia.

7. Have a Picnic at Forest Park

The festival we went to was held in Forest Park, which is a beautiful space. The park itself is HUGE and offers many walking paths throughout the different areas. This is a romantic spot to bring a blanket and have a picnic just enjoying nature. Especially if you just spent time walking around the zoo or the art museum.

8. Go for a walk at Kiener Plaza

Another beautiful space downtown is Kiener Plaza. It's a newer addition and is close to the Arch. It has sprinklers for the kids (And grown-up kids) to run through if it's hot out and offers live street band performances. The plaza is also close to Ball Park Village if you're looking for an escape from the noisiness of the bars.

9. Dine at Chris' at the Docket for Breakfast

The Airbnb we stayed at was downtown (If you need tips on booking an Airbnb, you can read those here). We used Yelp to find a good breakfast place to walk to and found Chris' at the Docket. It was so good, we went there twice! Which is a huge no-no for us normally on a trip, since we like to try many different places. Google says they're known for their pancakes but we didn't find anything we didn't like.

10. Sneak Away to Hannibal

There are many more museums and parks you can visit in St. Louis, but if you have a car, I suggest sneaking off to the nearby town of Hannibal. It's the town that made Mark Twain who he is and is still full of his history. There are also caves, which I'm a sucker for on a trip. You can spend a full day here or just stop by for lunch and a quick stroll.

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This is a short list of all the things to do in St. Louis, but they are my favorites. Are there any places in St. Louis that are your must visit places? If you haven't already, read my article about taking a day trip. Then start planning today!