Play Like a Tourist in Downtown St. Louis

When it comes to downtown St. Louis tourist activities a lot of locals say, “been there, done that.” Really? When? Many native St. Louisians haven’t been up in the Arch or sailed the Becky Thatcher since they were kids.

Here’s a list of favorite St. Louis tourist attractions that are worth visiting, even if you don’t have out-of-town guests in tow.

The Gateway Arch. Ok, maybe you swore that you’d never stuff yourself into that cramped little capsule for the ride to the top again. But have you been to the Malcolm Martin Memorial Park viewing platform on the other side of the river? It’s right next to the Casino Queen, so it’s very easy to get to from the Eads Bridge, which is a tourist attraction in its own right. This park is also the home of the Gateway Geyser, so plan to go when the 630 foot fountain goes off for the best show. Best of all, the park is free.

Tour A-B. Anheusur-Busch Brewery is open to the public for tours seven days a week. Come see the history behind the beer on a walking tour of the brewery, complete with Clydesdales. Afterward, sample a few free brews in the hospitality room. Free.

CityGarden. This city park is one of the newest tourist attractions in the city, and it’s a lot of fun. The park is filled with modern sculpture and is like strolling a hip museum with a carpet of grass. Bring a towel if you have kids—the fountains here were meant for splashing. It’s a great park for picnics, but grown-ups might like to check out the Terrace View Café for grilled trout salad or shitake and bleu cheese pizza. Free admission to the garden, but metered parking.

City Museum. If you’ve only sent your kids to this art-meets-mad-welder playground on a field trip, then grab your knee pads and pack up the kids. You must experience the City Museum for yourself. You’ll want to follow your kids into the human habitrails and manmade caverns that fill this place, mainly because it’s fun and built to handle grownups. But also, because you just might lose them in the maze if you don’t. Best fun for bigger kids to teens, not recommended for toddlers. Admission is $12 for everyone over 3, plus $5 for access to the rooftop area.

Eugene Field House and Toy Museum. This museum is awesome for fans of the Antique Road Show, or maybe for fans of Wynken, Blynken, and Nod. The lonely Victorian row house on South Broadway was the childhood home of children’s poet Eugene Field. It’s filled with antique toys and furnished as it might have been in when little Eugene played here. The museum also preserves the memory of Eugene’s dad, Roswell Martin Field, who was the attorney for Dred Scott. Admission is $5 for adults, $1 for kids under 11 and free for children under 3.