FREE | St. Louis Extended Weekend | Standard Itinerary
Itinerary
Friday
Afternoon / Evening
Catch a late afternoon or evening flight into the Gateway City arriving at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL).Ā Ā
Drop off your luggage at your hotel (Accommodation recommendations linked below), and then kick off the weekend with a stop at Up Down, a retro arcade bar. Serving drinks & pizza by the slice, this place is perfect for your first night in St. Louis.
SaturdayĀ
Morning
Start your day with brunch at Half & Half.
Early Afternoon
After brunch, head to the Forest Park where you'll find several options to fill your afternoon. Pick your favorite or spend a little bit of time at all three. Admission is free to all 3, and there is plenty of street parking in Forest Park.
Late Afternoon
Hop back in the car and make your way towards Gateway Arch National Park. You'll need to make advance reservations - details are linked below in "Advance Ticket Purchases.". Additionally, be sure to check out the schedule for the St. Louis Cardinals so you know what the parking situation may be!
Depending on your Arch Tram ticket time, either head straight to the line for the tram, or browse the exhibits and view the documentary film.
Evening
Check out the famous Italian Mama's on the Hill for dinner.
Sunday
Morning
Start your day with breakfast at one of these recommendations:
After breakfast, make a pit stop at Union Station to check out the building. Optionally visit the Aquarium right next door
Afternoon
Head to City Museum, a 4-floor, indoor & outdoor, kid & adult, immersive playground. Food available on site & more details in the card below!
After you've had your fill of jungle-gym fun, drive to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery for a tour. I would recommend purchasing tour tickets in advance - details are linked below in "Advance Ticket Purchases."
Evening
Optionally stick around for dinner at the Biergarten or head to any of the below restaurant recommendations:
Monday
Morning
Take a walk in Forest Park, stopping at the Jewel BoxĀ
Afternoon
Get lunch at Balkan Treat Box
Save room for a sweet treat after lunch at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
Explore the Missouri Botanical Garden & neighboring Botanical Heights District
Evening
Head to the airport for your evening flight back home!
Getting There & Getting Around
The most direct way to get to St. Louis is to fly into St. Louis Lambert International Airport. It's a very small airport comparatively, and you can expect both baggage claim and TSA to be very quick.
Accommodations
All accommodation recommendations offer free-cancelation and are positioned in optimal locations for planned activities.
BudgetĀ
Moderate
SplurgeĀ
Advance Ticket Purchases
Gateway Arch National Park
Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour
Packing List
Comfortable walking shoes
Athletic pants for City Museum
Wide-brimmed hat
1-2 dressy casual outfits for dinner
The products listed below are Amazon affiliate links. I may make a small commission if you choose to purchase a product via the link at no additional charge to you.
A portable neck fan that let's you keep your cool in the hot summer months:
OR a handheld multi-speed fan if subtly is more your thing (and you want a built in flashlight):
My favorite biker shorts (complete with pockets) to keep you comfy on your most active days:
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