Attractions

Art Hill is a picturesque landmark located at the heart of Forest Park. This expansive hill provides easy access to the Saint Louis Art Museum and offers stunning views of the Grand Basin. During the warmer months, Art Hill is an iconic spot for relaxing, enjoying picnics and watching the sunset while also serving as a fun place to go sledding during the winter. In addition to being a scenic gathering place for picnics and outdoor events, Art Hill also serves as the backdrop for the annual Festival of Lights and the St. Louis Symphony’s summer concerts.

There are two really fun cat cafes in St. Louis. One is on Cherokee Street and is called The Cheshire Grin Cat Cafe. I think their coffee and other beverages are very tasty, and they usually have younger kittens up for adoption. It is also a fun stop if you’re spending a half-day out on Cherokee Street looking at antiques, and it is accessible by bus from campus. The other one is called Mauhaus Cat Cafe; this one entails more of sitting down and enjoying food and drinks while playing with the cats! They also have cats up for adoption, but from my personal experience they tend to be older. Both cafes recommend you make a reservation before going in, but I have walked into both before.

I am faced with a conundrum: I want nothing more than to gush about how incredible City Museum is, but I also know that the less you know about it going in the better, so if you’d like to be surprised just trust me and check out this unique St. Louis landmark ASAP. For those who would prefer to know more, I will tell you that City Museum is nothing like any kind of museum you have ever been to before. Fever dream of mastermind Bob Cassilly, City Museum is like a gigantic, deranged playground populated by fantastical sculptures and found-object architecture, with countless slides so long and climbing areas so seemingly dangerous that you might not believe your eyes. Fun surprises lurk around every corner and through every tunnel, like the world’s largest pencil, the world’s largest pair of underpants, a parkour zone, a beautiful aquarium area tucked away where you could easily miss it, a playable piano, a castle turret, a rideable ferris wheel, a fighter jet, and a school bus perched precariously on the edge of the fully-explorable rooftop. For the entire month of October, City Museum gets a spooktacular makeover which culminates with a one-night-only Halloween EDM festival that must be seen to be believed.

Just a short drive into southern Illinois, Eckert’s Farm is the ultimate fall hangout spot. For only $10, you can hop on a wagon ride that takes you to the apple orchards and pumpkin patch. You can pick as many apples and pumpkins as you can carry, all while enjoying the gorgeous fall vibes. Don’t feel like picking? No problem! The farm has tons of great spots for photos or just chilling with your friends. It is a great break from the city (and school stress), and it is a super fun way to spend a weekend. Trust me, Eckert’s is one of those spots that makes fall in St. Louis even better!

Forest Park is, in my opinion, the best amenity that comes with living in St. Louis. If you are like me and require a daily dose of the outdoors when you’re living in the city, Forest Park will be your best friend. It’s literally right across the street from the medical school and is full of beautiful landscaping and free things to do. Some of my favorites are going for walks/runs (daily requirement/getaway), picnicking on Art Hill (also a great place to be for sunset), attending the annual Forest Park Hot Air Balloon Race (very cool), and paddleboarding in the Grand Basin.

Grant’s Farm has everything. Baby goats. Camels. Owls. Adult goats. A tram ride through an animal reserve with deer and water buffalo. Free beer. Oh, and I should mention that the entire thing is free (except for the parking). For two bucks a milk bottle, you can even feed the baby goats. Open May — October, Grant’s Farm is a must for anyone who’s a fan of beer, petting zoos, and the combination thereof.

If you’re looking for a great local bookstore, go check out Left Bank Books! They always have the most thoughtful displays, including books shelved by staff recommendations and diversity of perspectives. Whether you’re looking for the latest #Booktok novel, a signed poetry collection, or even a literary-themed gift, Left Bank has it all. My favorite area of the store is their Used Books Collection, down in the basement – if you get lucky, you can often find recent bestsellers for a quarter of their regular price. And if you get really lucky? Maybe you’ll get to meet Orleans, the bookstore cat!

The Missouri Botanical Garden is considered one of the top three botanical gardens in the world, and it is definitely worth the hype! Spanning 79 acres, you could spend an entire day here exploring all of the beautifully-landscaped garden paths, greenhouse exhibits in the Climatron and sensory gardens that encourage you to touch, feel and smell the various plants. There’s also a cute spot to feed ducks and fish! One of my favorite memories at the Missouri Botanical Garden is their winter Garden Glow event that is offered annually, in which the garden is transformed into a dazzling light show display for visitors to walk through, beginning in November and running through January.

The Art Museum is a great way to spend an afternoon. Like most attractions in Forest Park, general entry is free and the main exhibition – the one that’s regularly switched out – is free on Fridays. Apart from being a beautiful building and a great place to watch the sunset, the museum houses a larger collection than you’d expect, spanning nearly every medium and artwork from many of the greats. I know nothing about art, but my favorites include: a green Sumerian bull head, the mummy, a burnt violin titled Paganini’s Soul (he was so technically skilled that people thought he’d sold his soul to the devil), and Sadak in Search of the Waters of Oblivion.

Like many other things, the Saint Louis Zoo is conveniently located in Forest Park and is free to the public. It is also open throughout the seasons with varying hours. If you drive there, you can park in their lots for $20 or park for free on the streets of Forest Park. Along with seeing diverse wildlife, there are other experiences like giraffe feedings or the winter Wild Lights, which are fun to experience with your friends and/or family!

If you’re planning a visit to Union Station, I would highly recommend checking out the St. Louis Aquarium. The aquarium is located inside of a former historic train station that is beautiful and is easily accessible by the MetroLink Lightrail. Tickets to the aquarium can be purchased online or as part of a combo pack, which bundles it with access to other surrounding attractions. While there are many cool exhibits in the aquarium, my personal favorite is located at the very beginning of the aquarium, where there is the opportunity to submerge your hand into a tank of swarming doctor fish, as well as to see archerfish shoot water out of their tank. The aquarium is also conveniently situated in downtown St. Louis, and it is close to other Union Station attractions such as the St. Louis Ferris Wheel, an indoor ropes course, mini golf, a merry-go-round and the St. Louis Union Station Soda Fountain, which is famous for their elaborate milkshake offerings.

The Fox Theater is an absolutely beautiful spot for a night out to see a show. The theater has over 200 shows a year and five floors of interesting architecture to explore. The theater is decorated based on influences from all around the world and even has an organ that is sometimes played as patrons are entering the theater. Whether you are interested in comedy shows, Broadway, or even a symphony playing the music from Avatar the Last Airbender, there is something for everyone.

Your parents, best friend, partner, etc. – who have never been to St. Louis – are staying with you and want to go somewhere iconic. Where do you take them? Easy, the Gateway Arch. This place really is as cool as it looks. For a fee, you climb into a small elevator that takes you to the top of the arch, where you can look east toward the Mississippi River or west over the rest of St. Louis. You can spend 10 minutes at the top taking in the view and taking pictures before heading back down in the same small elevator. As long as you have no fear of heights or of small spaces, this is a great experience for you. The base of the arch also has an interactive museum which was helpful in learning about St. Louis as the original “Gateway to the West.” Fun fact: The arch and the land it is on comprise the smallest U.S. National Park.

– Laura C., M1

The Gateway Arch is indeed a iconic and stunning landmark, and my favorite National Park (the country’s smallest!). A sleek and beautiful attraction, it’s a true testament to life in St. Louis. You can catch a glimpse from the arch all over campus, and its massive arms always reminds you of home! If you’re looking for a cool place to take pictures of the arch, check out the “Mississippi River Overlook” on the other side of the river!

– Jeevan R., M1

The Muny is an outdoor theater in Forest Park that puts on professional musicals throughout the summer. The two shows I am most excited about for this upcoming season are Come From Away and Dear Evan Hansen. The venue is beautiful, the performances are amazing, and best of all, it is very affordable. Tickets start at around $20, but the last nine rows of the theater are available for free on a first-come, first-served basis. One of my favorite ways to enjoy a show at the Muny is to get to the theater early with a picnic and listen to the live music from local St. Louis bands that is always available before the show.