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St. Louis Travel Guide By A Native St. Louisian

So you’re planning a trip to St. Louis. Great decision! I happen to love the city and not just because it’s where I was raised. St. Louis has so much culture, art, and beauty. It’s a wonderful city to visit.

Places To Go

Ballpark Village

Photo Credit: Ballpark Village

Ballpark Village is located in downtown St. Louis and is a large development that hosts a variety of restaurants with enormous tv screen at its center. Crowds pile in to cheer on whichever local team might be playing. The facility is open year-round, and it is a great place to feel the St. Louis pride.

Budweiser Brewery

Photo Credit: Budweiser

The historic Budweiser brewery gives tours of its facility, complete with beer tastings. The tour includes viewing natural cave formations that were used to store beer before refrigerators were commonly used.  The brewery is located in the Soulard neighborhood and is the oldest brewery site of Anheuser-Busch. The brewery hosts “Bud Light Happy Hours” in The Biergarten on select days.

St. Louis Zoo

Photo Credit: St. Louis Zoo

The St. Louis Zoo is a winner for young and old alike. The zoo is free to visit and has more than 17 thousand wild animals to see and learn about. Many of these animals are rare or endangered. The zoo is also nationally recognized for its work in animal research and education.

St. Louis City Museum

Photo Credit: City Museum

Here is another family-friendly option. The St. Louis City Museum is a playhouse museum where you can touch, climb, and explore the exhibits. It is recommended that you wear comfortable clothing and closed toed shoes so that you can get the most out of the experience. The museum is internationally recognized and was named one of the “greatest public spaces” by the Project for Public Spaces.

St. Louis Art Museum

Photo Credit: St. Louis Art Museum

The St. Louis Art Museum is just awesome. I am amazed by the exhibits every time I go. It has three stories of beautiful historic paintings, sculptures, and artifacts. The museum offers both permanent and rotating exhibits, so check on the website what will be there during your visit. The museum is located in Forrest Park, and admission is free.

Riverboat Cruise

If the weather is nice, I recommend going on a riverboat cruise. We did one this summer and loved it! There are morning, afternoon, and dinner cruises. We did a sunset dinner cruise and the skyline at sunset was just beautiful. Depending on what cruise you do, there may even be a live band on board to provide you some extra entertainment.

Places To Eat

The Hill

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons / TMS63112

Ok, The Hill is an area, not a restaurant, but it’s too tricky to pick just one restaurant from all of the fabulous ones located there. The Hill is an Italian-American neighborhood with tons of small family-owned Italian restaurants. There are delis, bakeries, and fine dining restaurants all available to enjoy.

Three Sixty STL

Three Sixty STL

This one’s pricey, but the experience is hard to beat. It is located on top of the Hilton St. Louis and offers a beautiful view of the city. The restaurant features indoor and outdoor seating for its fabulous meals. It also has a large bar outside, perfect for grabbing a drink with some friends.

Pappy’s Smokehouse

Photo Credit: Google Maps

Pappy’s Smokehouse is a casual BBQ joint located in midtown St. Louis. People come from far and wide just to taste some Pappy’s BBQ. At Pappy’s, you order at the counter and then sit at one of the restaurant’s picnic-style tables. Beware, lines can be long, and tables can be hard to come by depending on what time of day you go. I recommend going at an off time to make sure you don’t have to wait too long.

Mission Taco Joint

Photo Credit: Mission Taco Joint

Ah, love this place. Mission Taco Joint is one of my favorite local restaurants. It has four locations throughout the St. Louis area, so you’re sure to find one near you. The restaurant obviously serves tacos, but its unique take on street tacos is just unmatched. Combine the delicious food with its reasonable prices, and we have a winner.

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