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Some of the best and most popular attractions are available at NO CHARGE in St. Louis, so why not take advantage of them! The following are just a few of the free admission attractions in the area.
TIP- If you want to take FULL advantage of the ‘FREE’ aspect, be prepared to walk a distance to get to your destination and to not have access to all the attractions within the facilities.
Goats at Grant’s Farm. Photo Courtesy of Crickett Leber.
Located on 281 acres and housing more than 100 species of animals, Grant’s Farm is a must see for any animal lover. Admission to the farm, tram rides and all shows are free, but still some attractions you or your family may want to engage in cost a small price. These include: riding the Carousel, goat feeding and feeding other animals. Before you leave, make sure to enjoy your 2 free complimentary Anheuser-Busch products and check out the Clydesdales located near the parking area!
Summer Hours (May 1st- August 12th): Tuesday-Friday: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Saturdays: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays: 9:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. Closed on Mondays.
Fall Hours (August 17th- November 4th): Fridays: 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Saturday and Sundays: 9:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.
Location: Grants Farm
10501 Gravois Road
St. Louis, MO 63123
(314) 843-1700
Penguins at the St. Louis Zoo. Courtesy of Crickett Leber.
The Saint Louis Zoo, located on 90 acres and housing 655 species of animals, is one of the few free zoos in the nation! Even though admission to the Zoo is free, some of the attractions within the zoo are not. Some of the attractions that have a small fee are the Children’s Zoo, the Zooline Railroad, movies, Stingrays at Caribbean Cover featuring sharks and the Conservation Carousel. None of these attractions cost more than $5 per person, so attending one or a couple is not going to necessarily break your bank. Visiting the zoo FREE and not paying to see any extra attractions can still be an all day affair! From May25th- August 31st 2012, on Friday evenings starting at 5pm, there are FREE ‘Jungle Boogie’ concerts for everyone to enjoy!
Summer Hours (May 25- September3, 2012): Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday-Sunday 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
For Fall Hours call: 314-781-0900
Location: Saint Louis Zoo
One Government Drive
St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 781-0900
Tour of Anheuser-Busch Brewery
Take a complimentary tour of the oldest and largest Anheuser-Busch Brewery located right here in St. Louis! On this tour you will see first-hand the steps of their brewing process! As long as you are 21 years of age and older you will get the opportunity to taste some of Anheuser-Busch’s products! You will also get to meet the famous Budweiser Clydesdales that appear in the Super Bowl commercials! Not only are these offered on this complimentary tour but you will also be educated on the practices and initiatives that allows Anheuser-Busch to recycle more than 99% of the solid waste they generate, feel the cool Lager Cellars, see some of their kettles they brew in and hear the loud ‘thunder’ of the cans and bottles flying by on the high-speed packaging line! Remember to wear your tennis shoes because you will be WALKING from building to building, totaling about seven blocks of up and down hill! If you want to receive a more in-depth tour of this process or attend Beer School you will have to pay a small price. One perk to this FREE attraction is that parking is also FREE! This tour is offered all throughout the year but to make sure you are not wasting money on gas, make sure to call in advance to get the times and availability of the tour: 314-577-2626.
Location: Anheuser-Busch Brewery
12th & Lynch Street
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 577-2626
Visit the Art Museum in Forest Park for FREE every day of the week, and, on Fridays, take advantage of the free admission to featured exhibitions! Tuesday-Friday at 10:30 a.m. and Saturday-Sunday at 1:30 p.m., free one hour tours are offered of the collection. There are also free tours offered on Sundays for families that include different art projects each week, concerts, festivals offered from time to time and other opportunities for everyone for FREE. Activities like the Study Room Seminars are not free. Call or check their website for a calendar of events and pricing.
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Friday they stay open until 9 p.m.
Location: Saint Louis Art Museum
One Fine Arts Drive
Forest Park, St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 721-0072
Visit the History Museum in St. Louis for free and explore museum exhibitions at your own pace! Parking is also available at no charge. Visiting special exhibitions, receiving guided tours, having private curator talks and attending a program in their theatre may cost a price. Call or visit the Museums website to learn more about events and pricing.
Hours: Monday-Sunday 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. and on Tuesdays they stay open until 8 p.m.
Location: Lindell and DeBaliviere in Forest Park
5700 Lindell Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63112
(314) 746-4599
Visit the St. Louis Science Center for a thrilling yet educational experience. General Admission to the Center is Free but if you want to attend special exhibitions, the OMNIMAX Theater, the Discovery Room, the Space Show, Lego MINDSTORMS or Segway courses you will have to pay a price. Don’t forget your college ID here because you can receive a small discount for certain attractions with it! If you decide that you don’t want to pay for special attractions or just can’t, don’t worry- you will still be able to explore many exciting attractions. Make sure you cross the bridge over the interstate and watch the cars go by! Call or check out the calendar on their webpage for a list of events, times and pricing.
Summer Hours (May 26- September 3rd): Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and on Saturdays OMNIMAX and Special Exhibition stays open until 7 p.m.
For Fall hours call: 314-289-4400
Location: Saint Louis Science Center
5050 Oakland Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63139
(314) 289-4400
This is just a short list of FREE places to visit in St. Louis, visit http://stlouis.about.com/od/freethingstodo/Free_Things_to.htm for more!
