Things You Must Do in St. Louis, Missouri

With our last day in St. Louis quickly approaching, we decided it's time to go over some really cool FREE things to do in St. Louis. We stress the importance of free for two reasons: one, it's always a great feeling to save a buck, even if you can afford not to. Two, we want to emphasize the fact that anyone, ANYONE can travel and do it on the cheap. You don't need to stay in a fancy hotel and do all the touristy things for $30 a pop. But there are so many places to check out in every city, most of which we try to do for $10 or less. So with that said, if you're looking for what to do in St. Louis, Missouri we have you covered. Check it out.

1. Symphony in Forest Park

The Grammy award winning St. Louis Symphony performed for free in Forest Park this week and we had the privilege to sit with our toes in the grass and listen. Residents and visitors of St. Louis were invited to pack a picnic, bring their families, (and dogs!) and enjoy a night out with some fabulously orchestrated music. So, that's exactly what we did. We made a kale salad (recipe to come) a brown rice pasta pomodoro with squash and zucchini, plus a bottle of wine all packedin our picnic basket (thank you, Bryan!). The weather was phenomenal, the orchestra played the E.T., theme song, and at the end there was a gorgeous fireworks display on the lake. All for zero....I stress zero, dollars. Keep an eye out for more performances by the St. Louis symphony throughout their season, some free, some ticketed.

2. Laumiere Sculpture Park

Over 400 acres of abstract sculptures to peruse at your leisure all for..... You guessed it, free. Besides art enthusiasts visiting the park and enjoying the beauty of 80 degree weather, there were also picnickers, runners, and a couple canoodling on a blanket. The park is absolutely worth checking out, even just for a few hours. Each sculpture has an accompanying explanation for anyone who just doesn't get art. Which is fine. You don't need to be a connoisseur of fine art to appreciate the wonderment of creativity. The park is about 15-20 minutes from downtown, so prepare for a bit of a car ride.

3. Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant

You've heard it before, we'll stress it again-- any type of food involving eating with our paws, we're game. This Ethiopian spot was located right in an upcoming part of St. Louis. (trendy, vegetarian, artisan gelato type places). The prices were reasonable ($12 for a HUGE solo vegetarian combo plate that lasted us two nights, so ultimately that's $6 per meal per person if you're factoring it out like that. The restaurant itself was quaint with old St. Louis-styled architecture and ambiance. The food was tasty and in abundance. We would recommend Meskerem for anyone looking for a fun way to eat some delicious fare.

4. Soulard Laundromat

We don't have a washer or dryer in Maude so when we're not staying at an RV park, we need to find other ways to clean the clothes. Soulard Laundromat was a choice out of many that we decided on simply from Yelp reviews. The main reason why? Because they offer FREE drying. Now, the wash was a tiny bit more expensive, but the large machines that were quick, the free WIFI, and the engrossing soap opera playing in the background was well worth it. 

5. The Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour

If you're looking for some complimentary beers, then you must take the "Budweiser" tour down at the Anheuser-Busch brewery. Every 30 minutes a complimentary tour starts and lasts about 45 minutes. You get to learn all about how beer is made as well as sample from their selection with a free drink token. It's a great way to get to know some St. Louis history as well as learn a thing or two about beer. Did the draft taste better at the brewery? Honestly, I don't know. It could be just one of those mind tricks where I convince myself it does because I know the logistics behind it. But regardless, it was a refreshing amberbock on a warm day, and it tasted delicious.

6. St. Louis Zoo

This zoo is free, everyone! I've never heard of such a thing. Miami Metrozoo was charging upwards of $15 for a visit, which seems pretty steep to me. We went on a Sunday so if you're looking to stay away from sticky hands and screaming children-- go during the week. Otherwise, the zoo was a blast. It was huge, surprisingly huge for being free. The enclosures were very large, which is something important to Vanessa and me. We normally don't like zoos or circuses for the way they treat and hold captive their animals, but we did some research on the St. Louis zoo beforehand and their conservation efforts are astounding. They really do care about their animals. Just look at their medicinal herb garden.

8. Tree House Vegetarian

Our friend Max from Futurgarb told us about this vegetarian spot that we needed to try located off Grand street, about 15 minutes from the Arch. Thankfully, we took his word because Tree House was easily the best meal we had in St. Louis. Here's a breakdown of what we ordered:

Fried Beets

"Crab Cakes"

Pan de Queso

Mushroom beer soup

Tree House Wellington

"Cheese"cake

Let me just tell you--- wow. The fried beets were like French fries but thicker, with a sweeter finish. Less oily which was great. The aoli sauce too, was incredible. Crab cakes, which had zero crab, pan de Queso with a superb chimmichurri sauce on the side. (Although amazing, they still don't beat Luisa Schmidt's pan de Queso!!). The Tree House Wellington was not made of beef, but instead homemade seitan, which was absolutely outstanding. Paired with roasted bok choy and a delectable sauce, we went crazy for this Wellington. And then the non-cheese cheesecake. Probably the best I've ever had. I didn't even realize there was no cheese it was that delicious. Paired with a cherry compote and date/nut crust, I would go back for the cheesecake alone. And the Furlough Fashioned because that was mixed well, too. Tree House was a highlight for me. They stayed open later for us since we also came in a bit late, and showed zero complaints. If you're looking for great vegetarian food in St. Louis, then Tree House is your answer.

9. The Gateway Arch

Vanessa and I walked about 2 miles to get to the Arch on the first day off from LouFest. It was gorgeously crisp outside, and we set off since I've never seen the Arch before. We walked through downtown which had so much charm in their old brick buildings, and lofts galore. When we got to the Arch however, it was closed, plus there was an abundance of construction going on because they have big plans in store. So, we were disappointed that the hours of operation on the website were different from in person, but the Arch was still just a beautiful. It truly is mesmerizing to stand under, especially during the sunset. If you do plan to visit the top, buy tickets to the Arch online first, because they're only $3. Which is amazing.

I have to say, I really loved St. Louis. There are so many free things to do that bring the community together in a fascinating way. Between the symphony in the park, the Shakespeare in the streets, the festivals every weekend, there was never a dull moment. If you're looking for things to do in St. Louis, you'll never come up empty handed.

On to Chicago, stayed tuned for some deep dish pizza and possibly new tattoos/piercings (sorry Mom).