St. Louis: See
Obviously, the Gateway Arch is a must-see attraction; even if you can't handle the ride to the top, you should at least gaze upward and ponder the arch's majesty. But St. Louis has plenty else to see, too, and several of the attractions offer free admission. (That doesn't mean parking is free, or that you can do everything within the attraction without extra charges... but still: free!)
1 Anheuser-Busch Brewery, 1200 Lynch St, ☏ +1 314-577-2626. The place where all Anheuser-Busch beers are made for the mid-west U.S. Free tour, with free beer samples for those 21+, of one of the world's largest breweries and bottling factories, housed in beautiful red-brick buildings. The Clydesdale horses and their historic truck and stables are one of the biggest attractions on the tour, as are the brew house and packaging facility. The adjacent beer garden serves really good food and offers cheap samples of most Anheuser-Busch branded beer, from Goose Island to Hoegaarden.
2 Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, 4431 Lindell Blvd (at Newstead Ave in the Central West End neighborhood), ☏ +1 314-373-8200. 7AM-7PM. This Roman Catholic church contains the most mosaic art in one site in the world—83,000 square feet, installed by a family of artists who used more than 41 million tiles with more than 7,000 colors.
3 Citygarden, 801 Market St (walk down Market Street five blocks from the Arch). Sunrise to 10PM. Citygarden gives kids fountains to play in and sculptures they can related to (Pinocchio, big heads, etc.); art lovers the chance to experience 24 sculptures by some of modern art's great masters (Leger, Herring, etc.); and everyone an award-winning garden in the midst of the city where you can relax and beat the heat. If you'd like to eat in the gardens, there is a cafe that is open for lunch or you can pick up something from the many takeout places nearby. Free. (updated Sep 2016)
4 City Museum, 750 N 16th St, ☏ +1 314-231-2489. Mon-Thu 9AM-5PM, Fri Sat 9AM-midnight, Sun 11AM-5PM; closed Mon Tue in winter. For the young, the young at heart, or anyone who thinks a five-story playground made of salvaged materials sounds awesome. Don't let the name fool you; this place is a blast! The City Museum is a huge playground built in an old 11-story warehouse made largely out of architectural artifacts from around St. Louis collected by an eccentric millionaire. There are concessions inside the museum as well as bar service by local brewery Schlafy. While there are plenty of artifacts on display, it's not so much a museum as it is a collection of mazes, obstacle courses, tunnels, airplanes suspended in midair, and chutes and ladders. There's a Ferris wheel on the roof, a ten-story spiral slide, an enormous pipe organ, and lots of ways to get lost. Take care when parking; lots of nearby lots tout the "City Museum" on their signs, but only the one on the east side of 16th street (guarded by huge snake sculptures) is officially associated with the museum. …