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Want To Explore St. Louis? This Will Keep You Busy!
With Fall coming on, it's a great time to get out and see St. Louis before you hibernate for the winter.
Date: September 19, 2008
Category: Everything Else
117 Different Ways To See, Enjoy St. Louis
Recently St. Louis Magazine printed a list of 101 Things To Do In St. Louis. It was an intriguing list of some expected, and a number of unexpected, ways to learn about — and enjoy — what has often been called the "Biggest Little City in America, " and do it without destroying your family budget.
We have reviewed and edited their list a bit, and asked a cadre of our own employees to tell us what they experienced and enjoyed. We've split the suggestions into two parts:
PART 1 - Fifteen places, things to do from St. Louis Magazine's list that our staff found fun and exciting.
PART 2 - Another 92 suggestions to make your weekends spectacular and fun as offered up by St. Louis Magazine.
PART 1: Recommended by our informal staff sampling:
1. At least once in your life, see a Blues Game at the Scottrade Center.
2. Look and learn at the World Bird Sanctuary located near Lone Elk Park. It’s one of the of the largest conservation facilities in the world. The Sanctuary offers a variety of special events and innovative programs. Visitors along the trail to the bird feeding stations can observe numerous species of local 
songbirds.
3. See 16 three-ft. high fiberglass teeth at the Dental Health Theatre on Laclede’s Landing. The only one of its kind in the world, it presents entertaining and educational programs on dental health care at no charge.
4. Take a hike in Castlewood State Park. Seven well-marked trails take you through 1,800-acres of beautiful scenery on both sides of the Meramec. Fall is especially recommended.
5. View art from a different perspective at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington. The architecture of the building is as intriguing as the astonishing exhibitions.
DINING OUT
6. Sip a tasty margarita with homemade Tex-Mex food at Nacho Mama's in Rock Hill.
7. Eat artsy at the Venice Cafe on Pestalozzi Street near the brewery. Mosaics cover the whole space; paintings, mannequins and other objects hang on the walls; sculptures pepper the rooms. The music booking follows a similar approach: If it sounds good, host it. Western swing, blues, country and rock are all covered on any given night. A Caribbean-themed menu (think jerk chicken) and outdoor patio add to the diverse atmosphere.
8. Bite into some real roadside food at Wally's Drive Inn on Fourth Street in Breese, Ill. One fan claims it is the best burger you’ll ever eat. The fries, shakes and onion rings are five-star rated, too.
9. Order cold treats at the window of the Custard Station near the train station in Kirkwood. It’s more than the ice cream; it’s a great way to spend a summer evening.
10. Enjoy spectacular views of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers from scenic overlooks at Pere Marquette Park Lodge near Grafton, Ill. Then rest in front of the 50-foot-tall fireplace in the lodge, eat a big dinner and spend the night in one of the cabins.
11. Stand by the life-sized statue of Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in history at nearly 9 ft. tall. A native son of Alton, Ill., you’ll find his likeness at 2800 College Avenue.
12. Drive to Collinsville, Ill., the birthplace of Brook’s Ketchup, to gape at the World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle. The 170-ft. water tower is a genuine relic of roadside Americana. Join the fan club and receive a membership card and T-shirt.
13. Explore the Great Corn Maze in Godfrey, Ill. The 2.4-mile maze is open Fri., Sat. and Sun. through Oct. 26.
14. Spend a lazy day at the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, at the Loading Dock Bar & Grill in Grafton Ill. Live music on the weekends. Its motto: No Shirt, No Shoes, Great Service!
15. The Alton (Ill.) Downtown Block Party for live music and family-friendly activities (in late September). Free.
PART 2: The Rest Of The St. Louis Magazine List
1. Browse the innovative westward expansion museum, free, at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, a/k/a the Arch. Watch the movie, “Monument to a Dream” for dazzling shots of its construction.
2. Build an arch of your own at the Science Center. Then walk out on the skywalk over I-64/Highway 40 and point a radar gun at speeders. Stand on the glass circle over the highway, if you dare.
3. Experience Union Station as an architectural marvel, starting at the grand entrance. En route to the gilded decor and the Tiffany stained glass windows of the hotel lobby, test out the magical whispering arch.
4. Look for St. Louis sculptor Ernest Trova’s creations tucked away in the wooded grounds of Laumeier Sculpture Park near I-44 and Watson Road. Trova’s gift of his 40 sculptures made it possible for the park to open.
5. Climb the Compton Hill Water Tower on Grand Blvd. near I-44 for a 360-degree view of the city. The 1898 tower is open only during special events.
6. With your book club, supper club or family, create your own indoor treasure hunt at the Saint Louis Art Museum. Each team member selects 1 or 2 favorites for a master list. (Go to the art museum website for a list of collections). Spend the day finding each treasure. Afterward, treat yourselves at the museum’s Puck’s Restaurant or at Steak ‘n’ Shake on Hampton.
7. Walk around, then through, the most beautiful greenhouse in the world: Forest Park’s Art Deco masterpiece, the Jewel Box conservatory. Open all year, it is a great retreat in winter.
8. Take in some jazz or blues at Spruill’s, Brandt’s, BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups; Jazz at the Bistro or the Sheldon Concert Hall.
9. Find your way to the Wainwright tomb at Bellefontaine Cemetery, considered one of the masterpieces of American architect Louis Sullivan, who created the modern skyscraper. Look also for the tombs of city co-founder Auguste Chouteau, explorer William Clark, brewer Adolphus Busch and Civil War generals Sterling Price (CSA) and Don Carlos Buell (USA).
10. Contemplate at the Altar of Answered Prayers at the Shrine of St. Joseph, 1220 N. 11th St., erected by parishioners who were spared from the cholera epidemic of 1866.
11. Watch the penguins at the Saint Louis Zoo. Their amusing antics are welcome relief in July, but if you go on a dreary, drizzly day in the fall, you can watch them waddling, swimming and playing for hours.
12. Bring your binoculars for a walk onto the Chain of Rocks Bridge in January to watch the magnificent bald eagles.
13. Buy a toy from the Eugene Field House gift shop in the three-story row house, which sells tin windup toys and other memorabilia. The writer Eugene Field, born in this house, was the son of Roswell Field, an attorney for Dred Scott in Dred Scott v. Sandford.
14. Fill yourself with wonder at The New Cathedral, which houses the largest mosaic collection in the world. Lie down in the nave, if you can, and gaze up at the glowing world above.
15. Paddle through Forest Park’s waterways, starting at the Boat House and returning at sunset to eat and drink on the dock.
16. Pick a favorite festival to attend every year. Because of our international heritage, we have a lot to choose from. A partial list: French, Irish, Greek, Mexican, German and Polish festivals, Fair St. Louis or the Festival of Nations. Take the kids to a parade on Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and more.
17. Ride the third-to first-floor “Monster Slide” at City Museum, wholeheartedly.
18. Kick up your heels at the Casa Loma Ballroom. If you don’t dance, grab a table, order up a burger and enjoy the live big band music.
19. Experience Rams football in the Edward Jones Dome, a surprisingly different aura than an arena or outdoor field.
20. Go grass-sledding on a block of ice on a hot summer’s day at Sioux Passage Park on the Missouri River. Let the kids run around on the playground—one of North County’s best—until they’re tuckered out.
21. Feed the pygmy goats in the Tier Garten at Grant’s Farm, Affton’s 281-acre wonderland. Their single-minded devotion to eating will lighten even the gloomiest mood. Free.
22. Picnic at Tower Grove Park’s Fountain Pond, where “stone castle ruins” are really bits of the Lindell Hotel that burned in 1867 and the stone balustrade on the south shore came from the original U.S. Custom House downtown. The park is free.
23. Take a class at COCA or Craft Alliance—feel your blood thrum to African drumming, hear the hiss of the torch as you forge metal, slick clay around a wheel. It doesn’t matter if you are good at it; it’s good for your soul.
24. Stroll the grandest stretch of urban elegance our city boasts, from the College Church at Grand and Lindell west to Skinker, where Brookings’ towers come into view.
25. Walk across an engineering marvel at the Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River. When it was completed in 1874, it was the longest arch bridge in the world and St. Louis’ first rail and road link with Illinois.
26. Ice skate at Steinberg Rink in Forest Park when it’s cold enough outside to see your breath.
27. Spend a Saturday afternoon on the Delmar Loop. Browse the Craft Alliance gift shop, R. Sole sneaker gallery and Compônere art gallery; sit on the wall around the parking lot at Fitz’s Dig for treasures in the boutiques and shops. Stroll the Walk of Fame. Finish at Blueberry Hill with its famous burger and cheddar cheese balls, and music in the Duck Room. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of Chuck Berry.
28. Listen to the Pink Sisters—a contemplative order that maintains silence and prays around the clock for the rest of us—sing an ethereal Midnight Mass at Mount Grace chapel.
29. Spend an hour with winged jewels at the Butterfly House in Faust Park. Bring your camera and children and snap one of the cutest photos ever – butterflies on their noses, fingers, or hair. As long as you’re there, you might as well take a ride on the restored antique carousel.
30. Whoop it up at the outdoor Muny Opera. If you’re opting for the cheap seats, get there early and make friends in line; it’s a community unto itself. Just be sure to bring your binoculars. If you’re buying, try for the middle of Terrace A.
31. Participate in the Missouri Botanical Garden’s ritual tea ceremony during the Japanese Festival, held each year on Labor Day weekend.
32. Flirt—with a date or a spouse—in the pricey, time-warped, David Lynch-esque diorama bar at Al’s Restaurant (on Laclede’s Landing, est.1925).
33. Enjoy the view from the deck of the Becky Thatcher steamboat as it cruises the Mississippi for an hour at a time, daily from March to November.
34. Check out the midnight hour: Show up for a midnight movie at the Tivoli Theater. Ride your bike at the Moonlight Ramble.
35. Enjoy an opening-night performance at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, after indulging at the Picnic on the Lawn. Sip champagne under the tent and prepare yourself for the vocal fireworks.
36. Saunter inside the spiral sculpture Joe at the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts. After you take the 50-plus steps inside, the world has been shut out, and you’re utterly absorbed by just two things: art and sky.
37. Hang out on The Hill: Drink the two-shot Italian-roast latte at Shaw’s Coffee, Ltd., watch old-timers play bocce ball at Milo’s Bocce Garden, buy the salami that made John Volpi famous at J. Viviano & Sons, stop for chocolate drops at Missouri Baking Company, dine fancy at Dominic’s or, if it’s nice, on the patio at Charlie Gitto’s. Stop by Zia’s for at least one plate of toasted ravioli with marinara. Cunetto’s House of Pasta. Or fall back on a gorgonzola bacon pizza and an icy fishbowl of beer at Rigazzi’s.
39. Ride the Ferris wheel at Washington University’s Thurtene Carnival, the nation’s oldest and largest student-run carnival. It’s held every April.
40. Fly high in one of the balloons in The Great Forest Park Balloon Race, held every September. Just don’t look down.
41. Pedal your bike on the Riverfront Trail, beginning at the Arch leading to the Chain of Rocks Bridge. Stop mid-river to admire the Mississippi and the two water intake towers.
42. Plunge from the Superman Tower of Power at Six Flags, a 230-foot plume at 60 mph. Everyone should do this once in their lifetime.
43. Put on your green and purple, scrounge up some beads, and trot your pooch down to Soulard for the Barkus Pet Parade during Mardi Gras.
44. Check out the Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion’s exhaustive World’s Fair collection, and then relax on its old-world patio.
45. Dress to the nines for one of the classic fundraisers—Zoofari or COCAcabana, the Wall Ball or the masked Mayor’s Ball. Or at least sweat in one of the charity runs.
46. Drive to Old North St. Louis to see the Mullanphy Emigrant Home, dubbed St. Louis’ Ellis Island and keep driving north to visit Taille de Noyer in Florissant, one of the oldest houses in St. Louis County.
47. Slide down Art Hill with as many of your favorite people as will fit on your toboggan.
48. Ride a miniature steam locomotive on a Sunday from May through October. The Wabash Frisco & Pacific Railroad will delight you with its 2-mile, 30-minute ride near Wildwood and the Meramec River.
49. Go bowling at classics like Saratoga, Tropicana and Olivette Lanes, or the retro Pin-Up and Flamingo Lanes. Visit the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame on Stadium Plaza.
50. Visit the Campbell House Museum and walk a couple of blocks east to take in the architectural beauty of the downtown public library.
51. Check out the fresh produce, meat and more at Soulard Farmers Market. The spectacle of the market’s 100-plus stands always supersedes the shopping. Bring your camera.
52. Play on Queeny Park’s immense playground, or walk its trails when the dogwoods are in flower—you can see deer very early and late in the day. If it starts to rain, shake yourself dry at the Dog Museum on the east side of the park.
53. Take the kids to the Magic House in Kirkwood, so named because it turns the everyday into the enchanting with its pint-sized mirror maze, art studio, science lab – and the 3-year old’s dream – a room full of water toys.
54. Watch Bob Kramer’s Marionnettes, one of the country’s few remaining puppetry theaters. For the past 44 years, Kramer has been making his marionettes dance to the beat of Prokofiev, Broadway and more.
55. Take a tour of Fabulous Fox Theatre, the over-the-top restored movie theatre when theaters were palaces. Plan your tour on one of the days that Stan Kann comes to tickle the organ ivories. To finish it Fox-style, return later for a show straight off Broadway after a buffet dinner in the Griffin Room.
56. Get your blanket and lawn chairs to Forest Park for the free summer outdoor Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis.
57. Root for the River City Rascals or the Gateway Grizzlies, independent ball clubs playing in the Frontier League. The Rascals play at the T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon, Mo.; the Grizzlies at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Ill. Both teams offer affordable tickets, great sightlines, easy parking and access, and family fun that’s not slick, sexy, sophisticated or extravagant. This is baseball the way it used to be.
58. See at least one show at the highly regarded Repertory Theatre of Saint Louis and the Black Rep, a company that’s fearless in its choice of material. St. Louis also offers culture at edgy musical theater company New Line or the superlative new Actors’ Studio at the Gaslight Theater.
59. Get your ticket for the Webster/Kirkwood Turkey Day Football Game. There are grudge matches, and then there are gridiron classics that transcend mere rivalry—like the one between the Kirkwood and Webster high school football teams. Held on Thanksgiving Day, it started in 1907 and is still going strong—if you want to go, you’ll need to buy tickets in advance. The winner gets the Frisco Bell; the loser, a little brown jug.
60. Watch the Cards take on the Cubs at Busch Stadium. Plan now to get your tickets for next season; they sell out fast and you don’t want to pay scalper prices.
61. Spend a weekend in the Central West End. Have breakfast at the Chase before buying a mystery at Big Sleep, a newspaper at Daily Planet, and hitting the antique stores. Browse at boutiques, sit outdoors and any number of fine restaurants and pubs. Have a fragrance mixed for you at Cassie’s and browse Left Bank Books.
62. Attend a lecture Washington University’s at acclaimed Assembly Series, which is free, open to the public and often held in the university’s beautiful Graham Chapel. The series roster runs the gamut—from Mo Rocca to Madeleine Albright, Karen Armstrong to Noam Chomsky, Cornel West to Stephen Jay Gould—but it’s always compelling.
63. Hear at least one of the following holiday classics: a Bach Society Candlelight Concert, the Symphony’s chorus singing Handel’s Messiah, the new but already-beloved Charlie Chaplin concert December 28 and 29 or Symphony conductor David Robertson’s surprise New Year’s Eve concert, at which the female musicians trade classical black for a rainbow of shimmery evening gowns.
64. Marvel at yourself “playing” the classic “Maple Leaf Rag” at the Scott Joplin House. Have a bite to eat at the new Rosebud Café, which replicates St. Louis’ most famous tavern at the dawn of the last century.
65. Bring a hankie when you attend the citizenship swearing-in on the Fourth of July. You’ll tear up when you see the Old Courthouse decked out in red, white and blue bunting and packed with people who are taking their oath of citizenship.
66. Host a slumber party at the Lemp Mansion. Rent the Lavender Lady Suite (two rooms with a huge private bath), bring wine, food, cameras and an overactive imagination, channel the Lavender Lady and watch the lights go off and on.
Dining Out
67. Order a basket at The Smokehouse Market in Chesterfield, filled with specialty condiments, marinades, BBQ sauces and the unforgettable homemade beef jerky. Then treat yourself to a gourmet lunch next door at Annie Gunn’s.
68. Enjoy a madrigal dinner at Cupples House, the Richardsonian Romanesque masterpiece on Saint Louis University’s campus.
69. Go to at least one church fish fry during Lent. Whether or not you are Catholic, finding a seat in a church gym with a paper plate full of fried fish and slaw is good eating.
70. Buy one of Gus’ Pretzels, if not outside Busch Stadium then on one of the city streets (try Jamieson just south of I-44).
71. Indulge in the chef’s tasting menu at Tony’s. Sure, it’ll set you back more than $200 for you and your date, but it’s on the list of 101 things you gotta do!
72. Treat your mouth with warm gooey butter cake from Gooey Louie’s.
73. Stay out late for an ultra-thick burger at O’Connell’s, located near The Hill at Kingshighway and Shaw. Or you can dive into pecan pancakes at 3 a.m. at the original Uncle Bill’s Restaurant on Kingshighway.
74. Stand in line for a booth at Crown Candy Kitchen, where they make their own ice cream and chocolate candy and the table jukeboxes still work. Walk off the calories in the reemerging Old North neighborhood.
75. Try the coffee stout and dense, moist sticky-toffee pudding at the Schlafly Tap Room.
76. Order a Ted Drewes concrete when it’s so hot the sun welds the backs of your thighs to the trunk of your car.
77. Sip an Espresso Macchiato or Classic Mokka Java from the original Kaldi’s Coffeehouse on DeMun.
78. Drink everything you can on the free Anheuser-Busch tour. Before the current Age of the Microbrewery dawned, St. Louis had the nation’s undisputed “macrobrewery.”
79. Break bread—specifically, a miniloaf of lepinja, scrumptious, chewy Bosnian flatbread. You’ll find it at Bosna Gold, a small Gravois eatery.
80. Pick up a thin-crust Imo’s or Farotto’s deluxe pizza, just made and hot enough to burn the roof of your mouth.
A Little Further Afield
81. Speaking of eating, Fast Eddie’s Bon Air in Alton has to be on the list. This bar and grill is venerated on both sides of the river. Get your cheap, fun food and icy beers in an atmosphere that just plain feels good.
82. The Black Madonna Shrine and Grottos in Eureka. Though his materials were humble—cement, 1950s jewelry and Missouri stone—Brother Bronislaus Luszcz’s collection of sculptures is awe-inspiring as public art and spiritual testament.
83. Engage your five senses at the Shaw Nature Reserve without your camera, guidebook or binoculars. Allow your feet and curiosity to join your imagination as you explore the prairie, marshland, woodland, forest and glade areas.
84. Gaze on the Piasa monster (pronounced PIE-uh-saw, loosely translated as “the bird that devours man”). It’s been re-created high on the bluffs of the Great River Road, just north of Alton, Ill. The original, carved deep into stone and painted, was first recorded in 1673.
85. Rendezvous with faux-fur trappers, colonial soldiers, settlers, voyageurs and blacksmiths at Fort de Chartres in Prairie du Rocher, Ill. In the 18th century, the rendezvous was the peak of a fur trapper’s year; now the June Rendezvous is heaven for history lovers.
86. Drive down the river road in the fall and stop at Eckert’s Orchards in Grafton to pick your own apples. Orchard workers drive you out to the arbor on a tractor-powered wagon. No charge for the apples you eat while you’re picking.
87. Sit on the bluff at Mount Pleasant Winery in Augusta, Mo. with a charter-busload of friends, drinking the surprisingly fine port and basking in the colors of a Missouri fall.
88. Walk to the top of Monk’s Mound, alone, and you can almost feel that first, long-gone civilization surrounding you. The Cahokia Mounds collectively are the largest structure built by Native Americans north of Mexico, and the base of Monk’s Mound is bigger than the base of the Great Pyramid at Giza.
89. Drive unhurriedly through the Way of Lights at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, one of the oldest such displays in the country. It glows with more than 1.1 million lights.
90. Play at Raging Rivers, near Grafton, next summer. Rent floats and paddle out to the middle of the wave pool.
91. A humble, mighty barge lock through the dam at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam. Then check out the National Great Rivers Museum, which celebrates the meeting of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.
92. See a fully assembled mastodon skeleton and take a hike around the 425-acre Mastodon State Historic Site. Located near Eureka, Mo. Free.
EDITOR'S NOTE: If you can add some exciting new place to visit or eat and want to share it, please send details to newsletter@neteffects.com. We'll share your recommendations in a future newsletter.