FREE St. Louis
Unlike most larger cities, St. Louis is a meca for FREE attractions! If you are sticking to a strict budget, which most people are these days, then you really will find an inexpensive vacation in the city of St. Louis! Goin’ Cheap in St. Louis may be the easiest thing you have ever done! Here are 3 ideas to get you started.
1. Forest Park
Forest Park should be one of your first stops! It is the largest park in St. Louis and is home to the St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Science Center and the St. Louis Art Museum – ALL THREE ARE FREE ATTRACTIONS! There is no charge to enter the park and there is plenty of FREE street parking by all three of these attractions. The park has acres of green space for picnic lunches and many other activities to pack into your busy day! This beautiful park will fill your trip with memories without costing a dime!
http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/forestpark/
2. Gateway Arch Riverfront
No trip to St. Louis would be complete without a visit to the Arch! While there is a charge to go up in the Arch, $10/adults & $5/kids, the Museum Of Westward Expansion, located under the Arch, and the Historic Old Courthouse are both FREE! The trip to the top of the Arch is well-worth the ticket price. I would only pay for the other ticketed-attractions located at the Riverfront if you have a strong interest in them.
www.gatewayarch.com/Arch
There is a parking garage located at the Arch. Cost is $6 for the first 9 hours. You will be able to do every activity there in 9 hours. If you are early risers and can get to the garage by 9am, the cost is only $4!
3. Grant’s Farm
Another fabulous FREE attraction! Grant’s Farm is owned by Anheuser-Busch, Inc., but don’t worry about seeing advertisements for beer everywhere because they are not there. This farm, once owned by Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, has hundreds of animals to watch and play with. This is a must see when you are in St. Louis! It is a great place to spend several hours of your trip!
www.grantsfarm.com
While the admission to the farm is free, there is a parking fee of $11.
There are so many additional free things to do in St. Louis that you really need to plan ahead. A great place to visit is the Explore St. Louis website. http://www.explorestlouis.com/visitors/forFree.asp Here you can see a long list of FREE attractions that your family will love!
Have fun in St. Louis!
