Best Free Things To Do In St. Louis According To Me

Best Free Things To Do In St. Louis

1. #1 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

   Saint Louis Zoo

   5/5 Rating /

   Saint Louis Zoo Takeaway. The Crown Jewel Of St. Louis Attractions. It's free!!! One of the best things to do in St. Louis. Get here early and park on the north side for easy access.

   The Zoo and the Arch are the most prominent tourist attractions in the city. One of the best places to take family when they visit for a weekend. If you live here, take advantage of it being free by stopping by whenever you want for as long as you like. Our average trip here is only about an hour.

   Penguins are my favorite, but they stink, literally. Polar bears are a big draw. Zebra, giraffes, lions, monkeys, and elephants round out the big event animals.

   Train, carousel, and petting sting rays cost money. Parking in the dedicated lots is $10, but you can find free street parking on the North side, particularly if you get there early. It's important to note what parking lots are open during certain times of the year. Like everything in St. Louis, the hours can be weird, so check ahead.

   

   Website Living World Building-St. Louis Zoo, Government Dr, St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 781-0900
2. #2 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

   Gateway Arch National Park

   4.85/5 Rating /

   Gateway Arch National Park Takeaway. America's Amazing Arch and Other Gateway Glories. Check this one off your St. Louis bucket list. Two parts to the park.

   Part 1 - Great park below The Arch for a family picnic or an adult walk. No playground equipment means you need to bring a ball, frisbee, or some outside entertainment for kids. Adults can take a long walk around the park.

   Part 2 - $71 for a family of four to go to the top of the arch. A free museum below the Arch to take in the history without paying. The line + background + ride + view takes about one hour. Buy tickets ahead of time online. Pro Tip: Ask to be in a lower number group. You'll get an extra five minutes at the top in group 1 vs group 8. You also need to be able to walk up a flight or two of stairs.

   You can park for free on the weekends if you get there early, but expect to drive around for five or ten minutes. You can reserve parking ahead of time for $10 with validation. Can cost more otherwise. I've parked on the street or in a lot around 4th and Pine the four or five times we've gone.

   

   Website 11 North 4th Street St. Louis, Missouri 63102 (877) 982-1410
3. #3 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

   Saint Louis Science Center Review

   4.8/5 Rating /

   Saint Louis Science Center takeaway. Great weekend activity. Family fun for all ages. Free basic admission. Easy parking. It is our go-to on Saturday mornings when my wife is working. Tip: bring some pennies if you have little kids.

   

   Website 5050 Oakland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 289-4400
4. #4 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

   The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis Review

   4.75/5 Rating /

   The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis Takeaway. Another Uniquely St. Louis Treasure. Appreciated by adults, not by kids. I stopped going to these kinds of museums after being dragged around by my parents. If you're like me and my buddies, you've driven past here hundreds of times and never gone in.

   Go in.

   It takes thirty minutes to walk around. It's an over-the-top, Trumpian display of ridiculous papal wealth, but it's pretty cool. Make sure to head to the basement for a quick tour of the Mosaic Museum to see how they built the Cathedral's ceilings.

   You can stop by between 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. ith a lot in the pack and plenty of street parking.

   

   Website 4431 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108 (314) 373-8200
5. #5 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

   Saint Louis Art Museum

   4.7/5 Rating /

   Saint Louis Art Museum Takeaway. Great for adults, not so great for kids. Free admission, another St. Louis gem. I love the contemporary art wing. Older stuff is hit-and-miss. Got "yelled" at three times with kids in one hour. Planned kid activities on Sunday afternoons. Main exhibitions are free on Friday. Very helpful staff. Can't bring any food or drink. They check backpacks. Coat check for when it's cold outside. Sculpture garden is a dud. Parking in lots or a short distance away. Paid parking for $15 if you're really fancy. Free wi-fi. Cafe in the basement. On-premises restaurant called Panorama.

   

   Website 1 Fine Arts Dr, St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 721-0072
6. #6 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

   Tower Grove Park

   4.7/5 Rating /

   Tower Grove Park Takeaway. The "Pavillion Park". A great park for adults. Not so great for kids. Excellent 3-mile loop for walking or running. Playgrounds surprisingly meh. Haven't been, but heard the Farmer's Market is great. So many little things to see add up to a really fun experience. Baseball fields, soccer fields, and even a clay tennis court. Parking is everywhere. A park worth being the neighborhood namesake.

   

   Website 4257 Northeast Dr, St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 771-2679
7. #7 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

   Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum

   4.6/5 Rating /

   Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum Takeaway. A small, free museum that punches above its square footage. I took in the museum in about thirty minutes. Each of the museum's three levels offers a different type of art. My favorite was the main level, which includes more contemporary art and the main exhibits. The upper level combines more classical art with some big names like Matisse and Picasso. The basement displays Greek artifacts and more avant-garde art.

   One of the best free things to do in the city for grown-ups. Not kid-friendly.

   Located on the entrance quad to Washington University across from Forest Park, finding free parking turned out to be quite difficult. There's a paid lot available. Amenities in the museum include a small cafe, gift store, bathrooms, and free wi-fi. The cafe's location has a great view of the main exhibit and would be a good place to spend an afternoon working. No food and no backpacks allowed. Odd hours, so check ahead.

   

   Website 1 Brookings Dr, St. Louis, MO 63130 (314) 935-4523
8. #8 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

   Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis

   4.5/5 Rating /

   Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis Takeaway. Another Free Art Offering That Will ‘Blow' You Away. At least for the next six months while Paul Chan's "Breathers" blow around the gallery. A small but uniquely fun experience. They rotate the main exhibit through one artist each season. The current Paul Chan exhibit runs through the end of August 2024.

   Did I mention that it's free?!? St. Louis is awesome. One of the best free things to do in the city.

   The staff was super helpful with questions and directions. You have to wear your bag on your front or leave it at the front desk. No food or drink except in the cafe. Bathrooms available. Kid Playspace is available for drawing and doing arts and crafts. It's probably not ideal for kids, but they might last thirty minutes without getting too bored. It took me exactly thirty minutes to take it in by myself.

   Park on the street. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

   

   Website 3750 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108 (314) 535-4660
9. #9 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

   Dennis & Judith Jones Variety Wonderland Playground

   4.4/5 Rating /

   Dennis & Judith Jones Variety Wonderland Playground Takeaway. The "Forest Park Playground". A strong playground that anchors the biggest, most famous park in St. Louis. Playground complete. Unique spinning gazebo / mary-go-round. Several solid slides. Fun main two-story playground. Small splash area. I've been coming here since before we moved to the area. Parking is easy across the street. Next to the information center with bathrooms. Small covered area for adults to sit.

   

   Website 5601-5653 Grand Dr, St. Louis, MO 63112 (314) 367-7275
10. #10 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

    Laumeier Sculpture Park

    4.35/5 Rating /

    Laumeier Sculpture Park Takeaway. Eyeball sculpture is one to remember. Fantastic way to spend a Saturday morning. It's free! Definitely better for adults than kids. There's a hiking trail that connects parts of the park. The park goes and goes and could be a couple of miles as a loop. Art exhibit at the entrance in a dedicated building with seating. Bathrooms in the front building. Even the parking lots have art exhibits. They closed the main building for our visit. Don't go in the freezing cold with kids.

    

    Website 12580 Rott Rd, Sappington, MO 63127 (314) 615-5278
11. #11 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

    Missouri History Museum

    4.3/5 Rating /

    Missouri History Museum Takeaway. Free Museum In Forest Park. The Missouri History Museum is another St. Louis gem in Forest Park. It's not the biggest or best museum we've been to, but it's free, with plenty to do for a weekend morning. They have four or so exhibits that rotate over the course of the year.

    Expect to spend maybe an hour here with small kids. The Kids Clubhouse is ideally aimed at 3 to 6-year-olds, so you can get more mileage if your kids are that age.

    We spent most of our time in the Kids Clubhouse. They also had a Coloring STL exhibit set up. My kids got through that surprisingly fast. They then ran over to the Soccer STL exhibit and had a blast there for a bit. We missed the "Seeking STL" exhibit on the second floor because it was time for lunch. The St. Louis soccer was the highlight for the kids.

    Helpful service and kid-friendly, there's less to do here than somewhere like the Saint Louis Science Center. Parking all around the museum, we went on one of the busiest days of the year, and it was only a five-minute walk away.

    

    Website 5700 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112 (314) 746-4599
12. #12 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

    Anne O'C, Albrecht Nature Playscape

    4.3/5 Rating /

    Anne O'C. Albrecht Nature Playscape Takeaway. St. Louis's Best Playground Without A Playground. A series of exhibits built with sand, stumps, trees, water, and grass. A place for your imagination to run wild within a defined play space. Bring friends to make it an A+ experience.

    Better in the summer when there's running water, it's Playground Complete, using only objects and concepts you'd find in nature. Relatively unknown in the middle of Forest Park, you should add the Playscape to your park itinerary.

    There are year-round bathrooms and picnic tables available. Parking can be tight in the lot, but it's available on the street. It's Forest Park's hidden gem.

    

    Website Concourse Dr, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States nan
13. #13 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

    Francis Park

    4.25/5 Rating /

    Francis Park Takeaway. The "South City Place To Be Park". A great all-around park with things to do for people of all ages. From playgrounds to beer gardens to real gardens and everything in between. Doesn't excel in anything, but above average in everything. Home to pickleball, racquetball, and tennis courts. Solid set of walking paths bisects the half-mile-long park. Easy parking around the perimeter. Bathrooms at the playground and beer garden.

    

    Website Eichelberger St and Donovan Ave, St. Louis, MO 63109 (314) 622-4800
14. #14 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

    Citygarden Sculpture Park

    4.2/5 Rating /

    Citygarden Sculpture Park Takeaway. A Hidden Gem In The Shadow Of The Arch. Adults will appreciate the sculptures more than kids. However, there are several water features and pools for kids to play in during the summer. My favorite exhibits include the fallen head, the pink man without a head, zipper, the security cameras, and the big white bunnies. Unlike other sculpture parks, you can (are encouraged?) to touch the sculptures.

    It took me exactly 30 minutes to complete a loop of the park. Ten minutes of that were spent talking to Larry, the security guard. After working there for fifteen years, he's a living exhibit.

    The cafe was closed, and they are constructing the center portion of the park. Parking costs money in this part of downtown to the tune of $2/hr. All the meters accept credit cards.

    

    Website 801 Market St, St. Louis, MO 63101 (314) 241-3337
15. #15 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

    Lafayette Park

    4.2/5 Rating /

    Lafayette Park Takeaway. The "Old Person Park". Great park for adults, not so much three-year-olds to ten-year-olds. One of the oldest parks west of the Mississippi, dedicated in 1851. Playground is not Playground Complete. Features unique 20-30ft climbing net. Fantastic walking paths around the park reminiscent of Tower Grove Park. Highlights include a central pond, a walking bridge, and historical pavilions and buildings. Parking is easy around the perimeter at a 45-degree angle. Bathrooms were closed when we were there in early November. Note: The playground looked to be going under renovations soon, so could be better soon.

    

    Website 2023 Lafayette Ave, St. Louis, MO 63104 (314) 289-5300
16. #16 Best Thing To Do In St. Louis

    Saint Louis County Library Mid-County Branch Review

    3.6/5 Rating /

    Saint Louis County Library Mid-County Branch Takeaway. Our Local Library. Great place to bring the kids on a Saturday morning. Large, dedicated kids section has two computers with age-appropriate learning games. A big pipe marble run. Blocks. Books. And a bustling train set. Free to use. Easy way to spend a couple of hours.

    Several defined rooms in the Branch include a teenage reading room, a printing room, a computer room, and a meeting room available for reseravations. You can check out video games, audiobooks, and movies. And there's a magazine section in the back. Free wi-fi all around makes it a good place to get out of the house to work.

    The staff is super helpful and accommodating. Bathrooms are available for kids and adults. Parking is plentiful in the front.

    

    Website 7821 Maryland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63105 (314) 994-3300