This is a MUST if this is your first time in St. Louis. This isn't a typical museum. Imagine an outdoor jungle gym made out of salvaged materials, for children AND adults, plus a thirteen story slide, a school bus hanging over the roof, caves, and so much more. This is walking distance from Magnolia Hotel and many other downtown hotels. Wearing closed toe shoes and clothes you don't care about recommended.
A beautiful park with miles of walking and biking trails and free museums. Enjoy a picnic on art hill, rent a paddle boat (and try not not to paddle into a fountain as Stephanie almost did), check out nature, art, history, and science, and so much more.
If you are attending the ceremony, you will get to experience part of Tower Grove Park. This is one of our favorite parks. Bring a book and a beer, check out the Tower Grove Farmer's Market on Saturday morning, or take a walk through the Ruins and the Cypress Grove. Fun fact: Bryan proposed to Steph at the Lily Pond by the Piper Palm House, and they started dating soon after they "met" when celebrating the recently removed Christopher Columbus statue.
Beautiful gardens located just blocks away from Tower Grove Park. Check out the koi pond in the Japanese garden and the Climatron, or if you're lucky, a free Wednesday evening concert.
Our favorite spots to see the river include downtown by the Arch, Bellerive Park, and the Confluence. Or if you don't want to settle for looking at the river, get on the river through Big Muddy Adventures: https://www.2muddy.com/
Check out the Graffiti Wall, miles of graffiti and murals along the Mississippi River flood wall. You're bound to find pieces from Screwed Arts Collective and other local and national artists. And be sure to come back Labor Day weekend for the annual Paint Louis, which Bryan helps organize! Also be sure to check out Screwed Arts Collective (and buy some art!) on Cherokee - contact Bryan for a tour. St. Louis also has several free art museums, including St. Louis Art Museum, Pulitzer Arts Foundation, and Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.
Cahokia Mounds is a historical site where you can see the archeological remains of the most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico. It is truly a remarkable and humbling place to visit. On your way, you can also check out one of the several Mexican restaurants in the nearby Fairmont City.
The Penrose Park Velodrome is one of only 27 velodromes in the country. It's a steep, oval racing track for track cyclists, but all are welcome to give it a whirl. If you're here on a Thursday, you might even be able to check out a race.
Small but mighty, with exhibits showcasing Black history and culture in St. Louis. There is even a wax figure of Percy Green, the St. Louis civil rights activist who climbed the Arch to protest discriminatory hiring practices during the construction of the Arch.
It may seem odd to include a cemetery on this list... but this isn't just any cemetery. It's a beautiful place to walk and explore, and you'll most likely see some familiar names, including Anheuser, Busch, Mary Meachum, and William S. Burroughs.
Check out this vibrant business district in South City. Home to Screwed Arts Studio, and lots of delicious food, fun shops, and art galleries. Some of our favorites include Teatopia for delicious teas and smoothies, Hop Shop for a wide selection of craft beers, Botanas de Michoacana for mango con chile and elotes, El Torito's taco stand, and shrimp tortas and paletas from La Vallesana.
Located a block away from the wedding ceremony location, this is one of the most diverse food strips in St. Louis. Want to try Brazilian, Persian, Turkish, Thai, Vietnamese, Lebanese, or Ethiopian cuisine? Find that and more on South Grand. Stop by Jays International or the Carpenter Library and you'll likely run into Steph. (If you're at Jays and looking for something, give Steph a ring and she will most likely know exactly which aisle and shelf it's on.)
Home to three of Steph's first jobs in St. Louis. One of the highest concentrations of 3 am bars in STL, if you manage to stay up later than Steph and Bryan. Check out favorites Sameem Afghan Restaurant, Chao Baan, Everest Cafe, and Gramophone (for their sandwiches!). Plenty of places to check out craft beer, including Rockwell Brewing Company and Urban Chestnut. This is also walking distance to Aloft Hotel.
Steph was very excited to include the Miniature Museum on this list. (She hasn't gone in years and you had to knock really loud on the door to get in, but it was worth it.) Besides that, check out Bosnian restaurants and bakeries, Mexican food, Silver Ballroom, which is home to pinball machines and Korean fusion pop-up Tiny Chef (her Korean crab-boil and pastas are highly recommended!) and Cluster Busters, delicious seafood boil. St. Louis is home to the highest population of Bosnians outside of Bosnia, with Bevo Mill as a cultural hub. You'll even find Sebilj of St. Louis, a replica of a landmark in Baščaršija, Sarajevo, Bosnia.
In the City: Broadway Oyster Bar (Cajun / Downtown) Sameem Afghan Restaurant (Afghan / The Grove) Lonas Lil Eats (Chinese Fusion / Fox Park) - Try the whole pompano! Indo (Southeast Asian, Japanese influenced / Botanical Heights) ($$$) - Try the Isaan Hamachi! Yemanja Brasil (Brazilian / Benton Park) - Great patio. Pescado Miranda is our favorite. Fritanga (Nicaraguan / McKinley Heights) Himalayan Yeti (Nepalese, Indian / Northhampton) Tree House (Vegan, Fusion - South Grand) - Great spot for brunch, tasty cocktails Taco stand outside of El Torito (Mexican - Cherokee) --- In the suburbs: UCity Grill (Korean diner - University City/Delmar Loop) - Bibimbap on a diner counter, cash only Cathy's Kitchen (American - Ferguson) Cate Zone (Sichuan - University City) Tai Ke (Taiwanese - Overland) Mandarin House (Dim Sum - University City) Sides of Seoul (Korean - Overland) Wudon BBQ (Korean BBQ - Creve Couer)
Favorite dive bar: B-Side (Cherokee) Place you'll most likely find Bryan: B-Side or Whiskey Ring (Cherokee) Place you'll most likely find Steph: Grabbing a craft beer and chips from Local Harvest and finding a spot in Tower Grove Park Favorite patio: The Royale (Tower Grove South) Most original / Favorite bar to bring out of town guests: Venice Cafe (Benton Park) Favorite fancy cocktail: Blood and Sand (Downtown) ($$$) Favorite shop: Hop Shop (Cherokee) Favorite rooftop bar: Angad Arts Hotel (Grand Center) Favorite rooftop bar with a pool: Last Hotel (Downtown) Favorite cocktails and art/music scene, and the best sign ever*: Sophie's Artist Lounge (Grand Center) *sign was designed by Screwed Arts Collective's very own Bryan Walsh and Jason Spencer!
Joe's Cafe is an intimate live music venue (decorated with salvaged materials and quirky objects), with live music most Thursdays. Skinker-Debaliviere. BYOB and BYO Snacks. Covers are usually around $15/person. Ages 25 and up. Thurman's Bar offers free jazz on Thursdays in the Shaw neighborhood. We'll add more live music listings closer to the date.
Check out some of our favorite St. Louis area hikes: Pere Marquette Rockwoods Reservation Lone Elk Park / Castlewood State Park / West Tyson If you have time to explore further from the St. Louis area, our favorites include: Hawn State Park (Whispering Pines Trail) Little Grand Canyon Castor River Shut-ins
St. Louis is known for old fashioned donuts, and John's Donuts used to be known for opening at midnight and being a great source for late night donuts. Unfortunately, since COVID their hours have changed, but that shouldn't deter you from getting a morning donut and checking out some Superman paraphernalia.