Pre-Trip Fun for St. Louis, Missouri

"Meet Me In St. Louis" – This classic film captures the excitement of the city's 1904 World's Fair, and includes songs like "The Trolley Song" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." (School-age and up)

"Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery" – Ken Burns' documentary on the expedition covers its staging from St. Louis. (School-age and up)

Toasted ravioli – Rumor has it a cook dropped a ravioli into a fry pan instead of the boiling water. The result is a crunchy outside with a meaty middle that St. Louis diners dip in marinara sauce as an appetizer.

Gooey butter cake – A thin layer of yellow cake topped with an egg-and-cream-cheese layer (and possibly some almonds) results in a rich dessert or midday snack. Legend has it the recipe originated in St. Louis when a baker reversed the proportions of flour to butter.

Concrete – The invention of Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, concrete is an extra thick shake made with frozen custard and served upside down to prove it won't move.

St. Louis style pizza – This local thin crust pie uses provel cheese (a mix of provolone, Swiss, and white cheddar) rather than mozzarella.

"Meet Me in St. Louis: A Trip to the 1904 World's Fair" – A nonfiction look at how 20 million people attended the World's Fair and discovered, among other things, Dr. Pepper soda. (Ages 9-12)

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" – Mark Twain's classic about the mischievious Missourian Tom Sawyer. (Ages 9 and up)

"St. Louis Architecture for Kids" – A child's-eye look at the historic and modern buildings in the city. (Ages 9-12)

"Clydesdale" – All about the enormous, majestic horses that are icons of Budweiser beer stabled at Grant's Farm. (Ages 4-8)

"The Mighty Mississippi" – Read about America's great river, which skirts St. Louis. (Ages 4-8)

"The Mystery on the Mighty Mississippi" – Two sets of kids start out at either end of the Mississippi with plans to meet in St. Louis. (Ages 9-12)

A game day poster – Draw red cardinals with a personal message cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals and bring it to the baseball game. You may get on TV.

A toy barge – Model a toy Mississippi River barge out of lightweight wood and "load" it with freight.