Things to do in St. Louis

Ride a tiny tram pod 630 feet up America's tallest monument for sweeping views of the Mississippi and the city skyline.

One of America's top-rated zoos, 14,000 animals in beautiful Forest Park habitats, and admission is always free.

A 10-story playground of caves, slides, tunnels and a rooftop Ferris wheel built from salvaged city treasures. Pure magic.

79 acres of horticultural bliss, a grand Victorian glasshouse, a serene Japanese garden and blooms in every season.

World-class art, from Monet to Max Beckmann, in a stunning Beaux-Arts palace atop Forest Park's Art Hill. Always free.

Free hands-on science fun, dinosaurs, a planetarium dome and a glass bridge over the highway where you can clock traffic.

From Lewis & Clark to Lindbergh and the 1904 World's Fair, St. Louis's epic story, told brilliantly and admission-free.

Tour the historic home of Budweiser, famed Clydesdales, gorgeous 1800s brewhouses and a cold one at the end. Free!

Cruise the mighty Mississippi on a classic paddlewheel replica with the Arch towering overhead. Skyline views guaranteed.

Sharks, rays and 13,000 aquatic animals inside a grand 1894 train station, plus a 200-foot Ferris wheel next door.

Bigger than Central Park and packed with free museums, lakes, trails and gardens, St. Louis's magnificent backyard.

One of America's oldest public markets, trading since 1779, produce, spices, mini donuts and pure St. Louis character.

A jaw-dropping 1929 movie palace hosting Broadway tours and big-name concerts. The interior alone is worth the ticket.

The legendary Route 66 custard stand serving "concretes" so thick they hand them to you upside down. A St. Louis rite.

The Busch family's 281-acre estate: free admission, a tram through roaming deer and bison, goat-feeding chaos, and the famous Clydesdales.

A Victorian mansion turned hands-on wonderland, three-story slide, hair-raising electrostatic ball, and a kid-sized town kids never want to leave.

Step inside 41.5 million glass tesserae, one of the largest mosaic installations in the Western Hemisphere, free to visit daily.

Walk the warning track, sit in the Cardinals dugout, then dive into 11 World Series titles at the team's Hall of Fame in Ballpark Village.

America's oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre, Broadway-scale shows under the stars in Forest Park, with nearly 1,500 free seats every night.

The Route 66 legend painted on barn roofs across the Midwest: guided tours through 4.6 miles of limestone caverns and the towering Stage Curtain formation.

Free galleries celebrating chess in art and history, marked by the world's largest chess piece, a 20-foot king on the Central West End sidewalk.

60 monumental sculptures scattered across 105 wooded acres, anchored by a 65-foot scarlet steel giant. Free, open daily from 7 a.m. to past sunset.

America's oldest continuously family-owned winery, pouring Missouri wines since 1855.

Sprawling showroom of classic and muscle cars for sale near St. Louis.

The regional Federal Reserve bank's downtown St. Louis headquarters, with public economics exhibits.

Southeast Missouri county seat known for its German and French Catholic heritage.

Beaux-Arts landmark library in downtown St. Louis, free to explore inside and out.

Missouri's oldest permanent European settlement, with French colonial homes you can still tour.

Multi-dealer antique mall in south St. Louis County packed with vintage furniture and collectibles.

St. Louis' Italian-American neighborhood, dense with family-run restaurants and bakeries.

Regional visitor guide to 22 counties of south central Illinois, covering history, caves, and small town charm.

Family entertainment complex with mini golf, duckpin bowling, golf simulators and virtual reality.

One of the world's largest collections of trains, cars and other vehicles, near St. Louis.

A self-guided wine trail linking family-owned wineries along the Missouri River near Hermann.

The visitor center for Hermann, a Missouri River wine country town known for German heritage and historic wineries.

Historic antique and arts district on St. Louis's south side, home to Cherokee Street Antique Row.

Small southern Illinois city with a historic downtown, a landmark carillon tower and an annual balloon festival.

Working pewter studio and shop hand-casting heirloom pieces with colonial-era tools and techniques.