We recently went to St. Louis for the first time. We had a great time, stayed well-below budget and want to go back soon! We arrived Friday night and settled in with pizza at our hotel. We got the kids to bed early (Thank you, melatonin) and prepared for an early departure from the hotel to get the most out of our day. Here was our perfect itinerary for a fun-filled day:
8 am St. Louis Zoo
12 pm Lunch
1 pm St Louis Science Center
5 pm Dinner
6 pm St. Louis Arch
ZOO:
We started in the cooler weather at the St Louis Zoo. The entry fee is FREE! I know, I couldn’t believe it either! Parking here was $15 a car and it was quite a long line to get in.
The zoo offered many exhibits and animals. My kids loved the polar bear, elephants, penguins, butterfly walk-through enclosure and the sea lions (walk under a see-through area of the aquarium!). This was honestly one of the best displays of getting close to the animals I’ve seen and it was free! 
There were several pay-to-enter locations. The Children’s zoo was $4 per person and seemed to have much to offer my younger kids, but we were able to spend 4 hours just exploring the free areas and still wasn’t able to see all the zoo. The other pay-to-enter areas were carousel, train, sea lion show, stingray feeding, and a 4-D theater.
Read more details about the Zoo here
LUNCH
It would’ve been nice to have a lunch at the zoo to see more, but we traveled in without a picnic, so we went out. Steak ‘n Shake was down the street from the zoo. Kids eat free on the weekends (for every $9 spent, get one kid’s meal free). This restaurant makes dining-in easy with kids. They provide coloring mats and crayons along with build-your-own cars with stickers. The menu is kid-friendly with pictures. The food came quickly right when the kids were finishing up their activities.
St Louis Science Center
It is in the same area as the zoo (Forrest Park) about a mile away and across the freeway road, so not close enough to walk. Entrance fee here was FREE for everyone! The parking here was $12/car (but we found a street spot).
When we arrived, my thoughts were, “You get what you pay for”. Since it was free, I figured an hour or 2 would be all the enjoyment we would get. However, this was a legit science museum; full of various exhibits and interactive learning. We spent 4 hours and didn’t get enough. As a mom, I love reading and learning different aspects of science alongside my kids who have so much to touch, do, discover and learn. Science museums really have something for every level. We were busy playing and interacting so we didn’t get many pictures. You’ll just have to experience it yourself!
Get more details of the Science Center here
St. Louis Gateway Arch
This was only 5 miles from Forrest Park. My kids loved finding it on the skyline as we drove that way.
We weren’t sure where to park or how to get to it. So we passed the first arch base and parked just passed the northern base. I don’t think it really matters though, just find a space or a parking garage. There was a Cardinals baseball game starting the night we were there so we wanted to get away from the stadium a bit. Where ever you park you will have to walk into the park, but it is made into a gorgeous park looking out over the Mississippi.
The visitors center is closest to the North Base. We paid for tickets right outside to get into the visitors center ($3 for adults/ Kids free). The tickets are time slotted, but we were able to get in right when we bought them (besides having to wait in a long screening line to enter).
The wait for going up the arch was 2 hours. Once we got inside the Center there is a theater, a Ranger Station (with Jr Ranger booklets) a gift shop and LONG lines to get up the arch elevator. Our kids were tired and I was glad we didn’t spend $60 to go up, but then again, we missed part of the experience. We watched a 20-minute movie about how the arch was made. I thought it was fascinating, even though it was made in the 70s and was so dated! It just added to the appeal. Because we had been walking and moving most the day, the kids were happy to sit and watch (and my preschooler fell asleep). When we went in 2017, much of the arch and grounds were under construction, but, according to the plans, it should be amazing when it is finished. The park in front of the arch, the museum entrance and the Museum exhibits inside ate all being updated.
Get more details of the Science Center here
More Things to do
If you have more time in St. Louis there is SO much more to explore! The Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, Grants Farm, World Bird Sanctuary and CityGarden are all completely free venues as well! The Municipal Opera offers free performances June-August. The number 1 mom-friend-recommended attraction in St. Louis is the City Museum. This museum cost $15 per person, plus $10 for parking. This will be added to our next trip there!
UPDATE: We went back to St. Louis and attended the City Museum. It was “better than Disneyland!” Read all about it here!
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1 Comment
There is so much to explore in St. Louis! There’s The Magic House, St. Louis Art Museum (free), Botanical Garden, Cahokia Mounds (just outside the city), The Muny (outdoor theater with major productions…offers free seats), the Fox Theater, Powell Symphony Hall, Ballpark Village, Lone Elk State Park (outside of city, free). You can visit where Lewis and Clark started off from, see a bonebed that once had mastodons, shop in Kimmswick and St. Charles. The possibilities are endless and can be as free or as expensive as you want them to be!