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A couple weeks ago I went to a conference attended by a bunch of U.S. and Canadian tourism bureaus. I asked most of them I met with, “What can a weekend visitor do for cheap in your city?” The St. Louis rep didn’t miss a beat. She smiled and handed me a seven-page list titled, “St. Louis’ Free Attractions.”
The city claims to have more free attractions than any other U.S. destination outside of Washington, D.C., so I’m only ticking off a few below. See the St. Louis Tourism website for more.
I’ve been to this city a few times and always enjoyed it. It’s fairly easy to navigate, there’s a good public train system serving a lot of the main downtown areas, and prices are reasonable. It’s also a Southwest Airlines market, which is always a good thing. Here is a rundown on the bargains.
Freebies
Starting with those freebies, they range from the silly to the spectacular. In the latter category is the collection of great attractions in pretty Forst Park: the St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Art Museum, and the Missouri History Museum. Special exhibitions carry a charge, but even then there are designated free days. The zoo has more than 6,000 animals and is considered one of the best in the U.S., while the art museum, housed in a building from the 1904 World’s Fair, has some of the best pre-Colombian and German Expressionist art collections anywhere. The Laumeier Sculpture Park has 70 modern sculptures scattered across 105 acres. If you’re with kids, hit up the St. Louis Science Center, an attraction that in most cities will cost you at least ten bucks.
Like beer? If the answer is “not really,” then you can visit the Budweiser brewery for free and get a sampling. If the answer is “Oh yeah!” then visit the Schlafly Bottleworks Brewery instead. There are also some decent wineries on the outskirts if you have wheels, including Stone Hill. For a bit of kitsch, see the Museum of Western Expansion under the Gateway Arch, complete with historic tales from “life-like animatronic figures.”
Transportation
The airport is pretty far out of town, but you can catch a train from there to the center—nice. Once you’re settled anywhere around downtown you can get around for cheap. The Metrolink train is $2.25 (weekly pass available) and the bus is $2. Taxis are reasonable for getting somewhere further out. For a city smack in the car-happy heartland, it’s surprisingly easy to do without your own wheels, even if you’re going to a pro football or baseball game: the stadiums are in the center.
Good Hotel Prices
A couple years back I scored a suite at a Sheraton for 80 bucks and a friend stayed at a Courtyard for half that. When I pulled up Hotwire for St. Louis and plugged in next weekend, I found a 3.5-star hotel with a pool downtown for $59 a night (plus taxes and fees). The most expensive one available—4.5 stars in the ritzy Clayton area—was $144. There’s actually a Ritz-Carlton in that area and I’ve seen it written up before as having the lowest rates for a Ritz-Carlton anywhere in North America. If you’re traveling alone, $25 will get you a bed at the Huck Finn Youth Hostel.
For much more, see the Explore St. Louis website.
[flickr photo by benspark]
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