St. Louis Attractions: Enjoy Family or Adult Fun in St. Louis

Families seeking attractions geared toward children, adult specific or for the entire family should consider St. Louis, Missouri, as a location worth visiting. Centrally located, St. Louis acknowledges the "Gateway to the West" nickname as a tourist enticement (Stapen, n.d.). Best known for the Gateway Arch, standing 630 feet overlooking the Mississippi River and bridging both the Missouri and Illinois state lines, St. Louis relies on tourism to help spread the word that they also have many other known landmarks to their credit.

Other recognized landmarks include TUMS, the world-class antacid, and Anheuser Busch Brewery, makers of Busch beer, both manufactured in the city of Saint Louis. Little known landmarks include Laclede's Landing, a 9-block entertainment district located on the riverfront, Gus's Pretzels, and Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard.

Tourism plays a critical role as a provider for jobs and income in all cities including St. Louis (Loenes, 1999). Perhaps this is one reason that St. Louis prides itself in all that it has to offer, including its entertainment, with both numerous fairs and events. St. Louis city as well as its surrounding counties host art and book fairs throughout the year. Events include Pridefest, the Komen Race, Autusim for a Cure, as well as hosting the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon each summer.

Besides entertainment, St. Louis offers a diverse mixture of food. The most recognized event, held in early spring, is the Strassenfest, which lures visitors from surrounding states. St. Louis also has other choices that are not season specific. Delmar Loop, a 6-block area with over 100 restaurants, and the historic area known as The Hill, settled in the early 1900 by Italian immigrants, both offer a wide mixture of culinary delights.

If shopping is of interest, St. Louis has Union Station, a Romanesque-style building built in the late 1800's, which housed the largest railroad terminal in the world, covering 11.5 acres, currently containing a hotel, several shops and restaurants as well as a lake. The Galleria, located a few miles from downtown, also offers hundreds of shops to choose from. Outdoorsman can take advantage of Cabelas, a 3-acre sports store which is also located within driving distance from downtown.

Speaking of sports, St. Louis is also known as a sports town, home of Cardinals baseball, Rams football, Blues hockey, and Billiken basketball. Other sports include Fairmont City Racetrack and Gateway International Raceway.

Attractions geared for children of all ages include; the Science Center, which offers a life-size Tyrannosaurus Rex, simulated space launch shuttle elevator, and the Omnimax Theatre that hosts adventuresome documentaries on a three-story screen. In addition, the Museum of Transportation offers 150 acres of antique automobiles, trains and planes.

The Magic House offers smaller children hands-on activities including a four-story slide that runs through the house. Larger children enjoy the City Museum, a wacky playground housed in the former International Shoe warehouse. Moreover, all local libraries in the St. Louis vicinity offer story telling for children.

Adults can enjoy the Fox Theatre, built in 1929, host to numerous musical and comedy acts. Architectural buffs will not want to miss the Cathedral Basilica, which contains the world's largest collection of mosaic tiles. Sightseers can drive the historic River Road, which offers a spectacular view of the bluffs over looking the Missouri River. History buffs can visit the Black History Museum. St. Louis also offers two wax museums as well as a bowling, dog and miniature museum. Gamblers can find four conveniently located casinos.

Family attractions include a tour of Grant's Farm, a 281-acre wildlife preserve that is home to over 100 exotic animals, President Ulysses S. Grant's cabin and the Budweiser Clydesdale horses, or the Missouri Botanical Gardens located on 79 acres contains, the Butterfly House, Children's Garden and the Climatron a rainforest conservatory.

Vacationers can also enjoy the 1371-acre Forest Park. This part contains the St. Louis Zoo, which is home to over 9000 animals. This zoo is ranked second in the country and is one of the remaining that still offers free admission. In addition, Forest Park is home to the Jewel Box, a greenhouse built in the 1930's, an outdoor Municipal Theatre, often referred too as the Muny, and an Art Museum built for the 1904 world's fair (About, n.d.).

Other family outings that Saint Louis has to offer include Six Flags, the Great Park Balloon Race, the Fair of St. Louis (held the 4th of July weekend), and Meramec Caverns located within driving distance near the Meramec River for cave dwellers and river rafters.

Tourists can find information about St. Louis activities in the St. Louis Post Dispatch newspaper or online at www.postdispatch.com. Listings include everyday activities as well as coming events. Library readings are also listed in the Post Dispatch. Other online sites worth visiting when planning a trip to the city include www.explorestlouis.com and www.beatouriSaintcom.

Travelers worried about the high cost of gasoline can enter St. Louis through Lambert Field Airport, which offers car rental, metro-link transit and bus access. Visitors not wanting to fly can travel by Amtrak or Bi-State bus. If automobile travel is the preferred choice of transportation, downtown St. Louis is the hub of Interstates 70, I-55, I-44 and I-64.

As with all major cities, St. Louis has its share of bad publicity. Recent information compiled by outside sources recognized St. Louis as one of the top ten cities within the nation for its crime. In addition, being centrally located near two major rivers brings vulnerability to the area with the possibility of tornados and floods. When talking about weather, St. Louisans often say that if you ever get bored with their weather, "just stick around for a couple of days, because it is certain to change" (About, n.d.). Therefore, travelers should continue to research areas of interest for possible travel, weighing the pros and cons equally.

St. Louis has much to offer. Whether adults are planning to travel alone or bring their families, this is an area worth visiting. St. Louis has activities year round and hosts numerous national events; moreover, the length of stay does not prohibit activities available. St. Louis is the place to come for fun and relaxation.

About (n.d.). Attractions in St. Louis. Retrieved on July 13, 2009 from, http://stlouis.about.com/od/atttractions

About (n.d.). Weather in St. Louis. Retrieved on July 13, 2009 from, http://www.stlouis.about.com/library/blweather.htm

Be a Tourist (n.d.). Be a tourist in your own town. Retrieved on July 13, 2009 from, http://www.beatouristcom

Explore Saint Louis (n.d.). Explore St. Louis. The complete getaway. Retrieved on July 13, 2009 from, http://www.explorestlouis.com

Leones, J. (1999). Strategies for monitoring tourism in your community's economy. Retrieved on July 13, 2009 from, http://www.ag.arizona.edu/pubs/marketing

Stapen, C. H. (n.d.). Overview - St. Louis, Missouri. Retrieved on July 13, 2009 from, http://www.away.com/destination-overview/family/st-louis-missouri

Saint Louis Post Dispatch. (n.d.). Saint Louis Post Dispatch Newspaper. Retrieved on July 13, 2009 from, http://www.postdispatch.com