St. Louis, Missouri, Family Vacation

The port from which explorers Lewis and Clark set off to discover the west, St. Louis is a lively crossroad famed for its landmark Arch, its frozen "concrete" ice cream, and its brews (root beer among them). Kids will delight in riding the science fiction-looking pod cars to the top of the Arch, romping around City Museum's outdoor playground with its airplane suspended three stories above ground, and will never forgot their visit to the zoo, science center, and art museum in the 1,300-acre Forest Park. St. Louis is a town that welcomes families like few others.

Summer is high season in St. Louis, and most attractions gear up in anticipation with special exhibits, activities, and often expanded hours. But the Midwest—and St. Louis' sprawling Forest Park in particular—is at its best in the fall, when the leaves are changing color and when most attractions are far less crowded. Steep discounts on lodging entice winter visitors, but you will have to bundle up in anticipation of snow.

St. Louis feels like the south in the summer —hot and humid, with highs in the 80's and 90's. In the winter, it feels like the north, with low temperatures in the 20's during December, January, and February. In the milder seasons of the spring and fall, dress in layers, as the cool of morning can quickly warm and then chill again in the evening.

Approximately a dozen airlines fly in and out of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. From there the light rail system MetroLink whisks visitors to downtown and other popular neighborhoods and communities. Amtrak train service is a great way to reach St. Louis, which is on a well-serviced line between Chicago and San Antonio. Both Greyhound and the budget line MegaBus also serve the city.

Walking is a great way to take in city center sights such as the Gateway Arch, Busch Stadium, and City Museum. MetroLink does a good job of shuttling visitors to popular sights in downtown St. Louis and neighborhoods near Forest Park on the west side. But to reach many outlying attractions such as Grant's Farm, the Butterfly House, the Magic House, and the Museum of Transportation, a car is a necessity. The highway system makes it easy to scoot to these more distant points and back to downtown fairly quickly and directly.

The Loop Ice Carnival (January)
Mardi Gras, including a kid's parade (February)
St. Patrick's Day Parade and Run (March)
GO! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend (April)
Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis (May-June)
St. Louis Jazz Festival (June)
Fair St. Louis/Fourth of July Parade (July)
St. Louis County Fair and Air Show (August)
Great Forest Park Balloon Glow and Balloon
Race (September)
Scarefest (October)
Thanksgiving Day Parade (November)
St. Louis Zoo "Wild Lights" Holiday Light Display (December)

Explore St. Louis is the city's official tourism website. It lists many neighborhood festivals and special events as well.

Many of St. Louis' biggest attractions (including the zoo, science center, and art museum) are free, a tremendous savings for families. The Family Attractions Card offers coupons on other admissions, lodging, and meals. Explore St. Louis lists discount hotel packages; most hotels offer discount rates to AAA members.

• The 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, which commemorated the 100-year anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase, popularized a number of then-new foods, including the hot dog, the hamburger, iced tea, and the ice cream cone.
• The 1944 Judy Garland musical "Meet Me in St. Louis" celebrated the 1904 World's Fair. Not only did that film introduce "The Trolley Song," but it added a holiday favorite to the American songbook with "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."
• If you stand in the middle of the Gateway Arch at the top and look straight down through the window, you can see both legs of the Arch below you. Anywhere else, you'll only see one.
• Pilot Charles Lindbergh's plane, the Spirit of St. Louis (which flew the first transatlantic flight) was so named because St. Louis businessmen funded the venture.
• The first kindergarten in the nation was started in St. Louis in 1873.