The Not So Hidden Attractions:
1. City Museum: Located at 750 N. 16th Street in downtown St. Louis, the City Museum is one of the coolest places you can go. It is basically a giant playground made from recycled materials that is perfect for kids and adults. If you live in STL and have never been you are not a true St. Louisian, if you are from out of town this needs to be on your list of places to visit. The City Museum offers an indoor and outdoor area to climb around and explore, going in the summer is optimal so you can enjoy both. I have been to a number of times and I guarantee I have not experienced the whole place, I have witnessed 50 year old men climbing around on their hands and knees with their kids following right behind. From the 10 story slide to the enchanted caves it is a place you have to visit, it is impossible to explain in words just how awesome this place is. https://www.citymuseum.org/2. Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village: "Welcome to baseball heaven!" are some of the first words you will hear when you enter the ballpark and it is no surprise. The stadium is beautifully built and is relatively new so taking in a game is one of the best things to do during the season. There is always something going on at the ballpark as well with tons of cool giveaways and theme nights on the schedule. Get some tickets, sit back with a cold frosty one, and enjoy one of the best sports around. https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/ballpark
After the game walk right across the street and keep the party going at Ballpark Village. Built on the grounds of Busch Stadium II you can enjoy multiple bars or take in a concert during the winter. BPV is always hopping and you are guaranteed to have a good time, during the day you can check out the Cardinals Museum which gives you an in-depth look at the history of the Cardinals organization.
http://www.stlballparkvillage.com/
3. Six Flags: A quick 30 minute drive from the city, you can be riding roller coasters and enjoying the lazy river at Hurricane Harbor all located insider Six Flags. My family and I go to Six Flags at least once a year, we don't even go to Hurricane Harbor and we are there all day riding all the rides. They have numerous roller coasters, water rides to cool you off from the hot STL summer, games, and attractions to take in. Six Flags is always adding new rides to, so if you haven't been recently it's time to go back! https://www.sixflags.com/stlouis
4. St. Louis Arch: If you have never visited St. Louis, then you have to head down to the Arch grounds to check out this historic landmark. Built in the 1960's the Arch is something you have to see to believe and with the newly renovated grounds it is a beautiful place to go for the afternoon. You can buy a ticket and take a tram to the top of the Arch, the view will blow you away. You can see for miles and miles through windows located at the top and get some really cool pictures. After your tram ride you can enjoy the interactive exhibits which show you how the Arch was constructed and a little background on the landmark itself. This is a must see if you have never done it before. https://www.gatewayarch.com/5. Forest Park: Art Museum, Zoo, Science Center, Golf Course, History Museum, numerous lakes, The Muny; Forest Park has it all. Check out one of the largest urban parks in the country which is 500 acres larger then Central Park in New York! Play some golf and walk over to the Zoo and see one of the best attractions in the whole country. With new exhibits at the Art and History museums you are guaranteed to see something cool every time you go. Want to catch a musical? Check out what the Muny is putting on and go enjoy yourself. Or want to go to a music festival? Come to STL in September and go to Loufest, a 2 day music festival that featured Weezer, Snoop Dogg, and Cage the Elephant last year. It was awesome last year and we can't wait to see who will be there this year.
https://www.forestparkforever.org/
6. Ted Drewes: After your adventures in STL, stop by Ted Drewes and enjoy the best frozen custard you will ever have that's a promise. Around since the 1930s they serve thousands, maybe millions of customers every year with their frozen custard. When friends come from out of town it is a staple of every visit and they always ask if we can go back, with a number of menu items, flavors, and toppings you will never run out of options. http://teddrewes.com/The Hidden Attractions:
http://www.stlouiscurlingclub.org/
2. The Axe House: Located in Valley Park this is a hole in the wall type place you can go to throw (you guessed it) AXES! The weekend before curling we went to the axe house and had an absolute blast. You get a quick tutorial from an experience axe thrower and then you are on your own throwing axes at targets. There are a bunch of games you can play or you can just throw the axes to work on your form. Not only do they have numerous types of axes you can throw they also have ninja stars and knives in case you want to try something new. The Axe House also has leagues you can join and they are pretty intense from what we saw. This was another awesome way to spend a few hours and get some frustration out if you need to. https://theaxehousestl.com/
3. Route 66 Park: Get out and enjoy the best mother nature has to offer! A beautiful 400+ acre state park with multiple bike and walking trails you can really get lost in nature out here. Want to bring your horse out for a ride? Go ahead there a trails for horseback riding as well. Fish for bass, catfish, panfish, and trout in the Missouri River while you are at the park. Keep an eye out for wildlife as well, you might spot some deer, various bird species and other wildlife in the park. https://mostateparks.com/park/route-66-state-park
4.World Bird Sanctuary and Lone Elk Park: Did you know you can see Elk and Bison in St. Louis? Head out to Lone Elk Park and drive through to see these magnificent creatures and walk the trails located in the park to get some exercise as well. It is a really neat place to visit if you have never seen some of these animals before and it is right in our backyard! After you enjoy Lone Elk head over to the World Bird Sanctuary and see some of the birds they have. They are responsible for taking in injured or sick birds, nursing them back to health, and releasing them back to the wild. However, these are not your normal everyday birds, they have owls, eagles, hawks, and falcons just to name a few species. They have classes and other materials to teach you about the birds and why they are so important to the world. http://www.worldbirdsanctuary.org/ https://www.stlouisco.com/parksandrecreation/parkpages/loneelk5. Ambush and St. Louis FC: Have you ever been to a professional soccer game? If not St. Louis has two styles to offer: indoor soccer and outdoor. The Ambush are the professional indoor soccer team of St. Louis and their games are an absolute blast. I highly recommend checking them out if you have never been before. Constant entertainment and non-stop action are a few words that come to mind when I think about Ambush soccer. St. Louis FC is in the United Soccer League, which could be described as the Division II league to the MLS. These games are located at Worldwide Technology Soccer Park and have a great atmosphere with the St. Louligans getting the crowd fired up for the games. If you have never been to a professional soccer game I recommend check out St. Louis FC to take in a game. http://www.stlambush.com/ https://www.saintlouisfc.com/
There are a few great places I hope you will check out whether you live in STL or are just planning to visit. I could write an extremely long post on all the attractions STL has to offer but I don't think everyone would read it for that long. Check out these places and let me know some of your favorite places to visit!
