13 Apr 36 Hours in St. Louis: Your Go To Itinerary [2021]
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that, at no additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission. This helps support the content I create at YouFoundSarah.com. I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. Read my full disclosure policy.
We are committed to following CDC guidelines for safe traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the safety of our family and others.
Drew and I wanted to see our Vegas Golden Knights on the road and I hadn’t been to St. Louis since I was a kid. Along with going to the NHL hockey game, we couldn’t wait to explore St. Louis as adults. Often overlooked when travelers think about the USA, the Midwest is full of off-the-beaten-path surprises and a unique culture. St. Louis is a fun and easy city to see in 36 hours. You’ll easily be able to explore authentic St. Louis sights, sounds, and tastes. Check out my travel guide below for spending 36 hours in St. Louis!
My St. Louis Essentials
Table of Contents
Day One
3 pm Arrive At Your Hotel
You’ve arrived in St. Louis! Grab a coffee or energy drink, put on your walking shoes, and hit the road! We stayed at this lovely hotel (the Angad Arts Hotel) in Downtown St. Louis.
4 pm Old Courthouse
Check out the view of the Old Courthouse and the Gateway Arch from Kiener Plaza Park. It’s a spectacular view of the two together and a more interesting photograph than just the Arch by itself. Another great shot is from across the river at the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park.
The Old Courthouse is the site of the Dred Scott case where Dred Scott and his wife, Harriet, sued for their freedom from slavery. Trial reenactments and ranger-led tours are available.
Pro Tip: I recommend hitting the Memorial Park before dark because it’s quite isolated and sketchy feeling.
5 pm Gateway Arch
It’s free to walk around the beautiful grounds of the Gateway Arch, but I highly recommend paying the $9 to $12 to take the tram to the top and enjoy the sweeping views of St. Louis.
The Arch was built to commemorate America’s westward expansion and is a marvelous feat of engineering. Below the Arch, at the Museum of Westward Expansion, you can read about the design competition that brought about the Arch, see other entries (all relatively tame in comparison), and learn about its engineering and construction.
At the museum, you can also learn about the history of St. Louis (so many things I didn’t know!) and explore three different viewpoints of America’s Western migration: Manifest Destiny (“the West was won”), Native Americans (“the West was stolen”) and Mexico (“the North was taken”).
The tram to the top of the Gateway Arch operates every day of the week from 9am to 8pm in the summer.
Pro Tip: The Arch is operating at limited capacity due to COVID-19. I strongly suggest reserving your tickets in advance.
-
- The Gateway Arch with a beautiful Japanese Magnolia.
-
- Inside the tram at the Gateway Arch. Next stop…the top!
-
- Gateway Arch tram.
Similar Posts:
7 pm Toasted Ravioli
If you know anything about St. Louis it’s probably that it has a big steel Arch. If you know two things about St. Louis it’s that it’s the home of Blues music and the St. Louis Cardinals. But if you know three things about St. Louis…well – know we’re talking about toasted ravioli (or fried depending on who you ask).
Served as an appetizer, this is a must have food in St. Louis. There are many places that you can enjoy a delicious taste of toasted ravioli. When I visited St. Louis previously I tried the dish at Mama’s on the Hill. This time around, Drew and I went to Lombardo’s – both are delicious!
8:30pm Gin Room
If you’re like me and like your cocktails to have a little taste of a pine forest in them, head to The Gin Room. This is the place to go in St. Louis – nay, the whole Midwest – for the botanical spirit (there are more than 300 kinds of gin here!).
In 2021, Natasha Bahrami – owner of The Gin Room – was inducted into Gin Magazine’s Gin Hall of Fame. Natasha is the first American to be given the honor. Her focus of the Gin Room is to educate gin lovers – and soon to be lovers – through flights, seminars, and classes.
If you don’t want to learn about gin but just want to enjoy the Gin Room’s fantastic patio while sipping an expertly made martini – well, excellent! The menu includes creative and classic cocktails and house-made tonics.
The Gin Room is open until 10 pm on Friday and Saturday and 9 pm Sunday and Thursday.
Want More?
Sign-up for my monthly email newsletter — you’ll get more travel inspiration, trip tips, and itineraries right in your inbox!
Day Two
9 am Breakfast
If you love doughnuts like I do (it’s a lot – maybe bordering on an obsession) then you must start your day with one in St. Louis! I laid my diet on the line and tried several donut shops – for you! Pharaohs Donuts is your classic, no-frills donut shop and it’s right downtown — convenient to your next stop. Get the blueberry donut and an apple fritter.
On the next block over, you’ll find Kaldi’s Coffee – a chill coffeehouse that uses carefully sourced beans. If the coffee wasn’t good enough – which it definitely is – the atmosphere and views from this location next to City Garden certainly are! Grab yourself a House-Made Vanilla Latte or, if you’re a tea lover, a Masala Chai or London Fog Latte.
Catalyst Coffee Bar is another great option in the area!
10 am Walking Tour
Get your steps in for the day while exploring the fascinating history, culture and architectural legacy of St. Louis from the city’s founding through its current development.
The Downtown Landmarks Architecture walking tour offers two tours of St. Louis: the East tour and the West tour. The East tour showcases the Old Courthouse, Cathedral, Gateway Arch, Eads Bridge, and the Old Post Office. The West tour’s highlights are Union Station, Peabody Opera House, City Hall, Central Library, Campbell House Museum and the Soldiers Memorial.
Tickets are $10 and tours start at 10 am rain or shine from April 1 to October 31.
Pro Tip: COVID-19 protocols have changed their tour schedule. Please contact them to arrange your visit.
12 pm Grab a Bite of History For Lunch
Grab a sandwich to-go from one of these two places and head to the Missouri Botanical Gardens for a perfect picnic lunch. Both sandwich shops are a close distance to the Gardens and parking is free at the Botanical Gardens.
Gioia’s Deli: I love doing the exact thing that people have done for one hundred years or more. Gioia’s Deli is located in St. Louis’ historical Italian neighborhood, “The Hill,” and has been serving up their Hot Salami sandwiches – in the same location – since 1918.
On the eve of their 100 year anniversary they won the James Beard Foundation’s America’s Classics Award (2017). Get the Italian Trio (my favorite) and the Hot Salami.
Union Loafers is known for their fantastic house-made bread like the semolina and light sourdough. In fact, they source their bread to many of the restaurants and sandwich shops around St. Louis. You can’t go wrong with any of the sandwiches at Union Loafers but the Roasted Pork and Porchetta sandwiches are topnotch.
Bonus! If you’re up for sampling more donuts (who’s not?!) then you must try World’s Fair Donuts. They’ve been serving up the same recipes for 87 years! Their Maple Log was 100% the best maple donut I’ve ever eaten and it was served to me by the cutest old man. All donuts are $1 — it’s not to be missed!
12:30 pm Enjoy a Picnic Lunch
Visiting the Missouri Botanical Gardens was a highlight of our trip to St. Louis. Even though it wasn’t peak bloom time, there were thousands of tulips; beautifully vivid crabapple, magnolia, and cherry trees; bleeding hearts; poppies; and daffodils.
You’ll find a perfect spot for your picnic lunch in the Japanese Garden area. There are plenty of quiet, shaded spots to enjoy the views and solitude. Also – do not miss the koi fish! They are large, vibrantly colored and awesome – and, in non-COVID times you can feed them.
Think your kids won’t enjoy the Botanical Gardens in St. Louis? Think again. The Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden is perfect for the kiddos! They’ll love the limestone cave, the Spelunker’s Slide, the treehouse, and the steamboat!
The Missouri Botanical Garden is limited to 25% capacity under current COVID-19 restrictions. I strongly suggest reserving your tickets in advance. The Children’s Garden is closed right now due to COVID restrictions. Check with the Missouri Botanical Gardens to find out what’s in bloom and what areas of the Garden are open.
View this post on Instagram
3:00 pm Brewery Tour
St. Louis knows a thing or two about beer. Anheuser-Busch – the makers of Budweiser– is headquartered here and has been since 1850s. The company offers the Budweiser Brewery Experience where you can enjoy tastings and a beer garden, tour the 19th-century brewery, and have a photo op with a Clydesdale horse.
Macro-breweries not your thing? There is no shortage of options when it comes to enjoying a fresh out of the keg beer in St. Louis. There are many microbreweries around St. Louis – almost all offering a fun laidback atmosphere, delicious pub grub, and live music on the weekends. 2nd Shift Brewing, 4 Hands Brewing, and Schlafly Tap Room are all wonderful options to knock back a few cold ones.
Pro Tip: Looking to see what’s on tap at the city’s other microbreweries? Check out this roundup of the best breweries in St. Louis.
6 pm Catch a Game
Sports fans, you’re in luck! Whatever season you’re visiting, St. Louis probably has a game for you to cheer on the home team. Whether it’s the St. Louis Cardinals (Major League Baseball) in the spring and summer at Busch Stadium or the St. Louis Blues (National Hockey League) hitting the ice over at the Enterprise Center — you’ll want to make catching a game part of your itinerary.
Late Night Bite
If you’re hungry after the game, head to Mission Taco Joint – a bar that serves delicious tacos close to the stadium. They make their corn tortillas from scratch with stone-ground masa and then fill it with fresh veggies, marinated and grilled meats and fish, and salsa. Don’t miss their famous street corn “off the cob.”
Mission Taco is open until 10pm.
Day Three
8 am Forest Park
Start your morning with a casual stroll around Forest Park. Opened in 1876, this 1,371-acre park (that’s about 500 acres larger than NYC’s Central Park) is known as the “Heart of St. Louis.” The Park features walking and biking trails, a skating rink, and fishing ponds (with boat rentals!) and is surrounded by the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, and the St. Louis Science Center. It was also the host to the World’s Fair and Olympics in 1904.
Pro Tip: Don’t miss The Jewel Box – a beautiful Art Deco design greenhouse built in 1936. The Jewel Box is open to the public. Admission is $1 per person, but it is free on Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. until noon.
One of America’s coolest city parks ... and one of the world’s most beautiful city parks.
10 am The City Museum
The St. Louis City Museum is a weird museum that is for the young – and the young at heart. It’s not your average museum – the creators actually encourage you to play with the installations which are surrealist found objects, playgrounds, slides – and even two old planes!
Housed in a hundred-year-old warehouse in downtown St. Louis, the City Museum’s artists repurposed pieces of old cities to build miles of tunnels, slides, bridges, and castles. There are secret passages and grand galleries and, on the rooftop, you’ll find a school bus and a Ferris wheel.
Pro Tip: Wear comfortable clothes that you won’t mind crawling around in. The exhibits at the City Museum are meant to be explored by crawling, jumping, sliding, etc.
12:30 Brunch
For brunch, head to acclaimed Southern spot Grace Meat + Three. This restaurant is a can’t miss in St. Louis. In 2018, Food Network rated them as having the “Best Fried Chicken in Missouri.”
Rick Lewis, chef and owner, dials up your classic “McMuffin” with house made sausage patties; a creamy, runny duck egg; white American cheese; and pepper jelly – all on a toasted English muffin.
2:00 pm Ted Drewes
Ted Drewes is simply an institution around St. Louis (it opened its doors in 1929) so — unless you’re lactose intolerant or vegan — it’s a rule that you have to go there. It’s also located on America’s historic Route 66.
Their concretes are so thick and creamy — that they are served to you upside down to prove its awesomeness. It’s creamy and rich and totally worth every calorie.
Get the Big Apple concrete which has an apple pie slice blended with vanilla custard and topped with whipped cream.
Pack Perfect For St. Louis
Frequently Asked Questions
About St. Louis
St Louis is overall very safe to travel to. Even though it’s sometimes dangerous, and the number of homeless people and junkies on the streets may make you feel uneasy, the criminal activities that occur only apply to dangerous parts of the city, which are rarely frequented by tourists.
There are lots of things to do in St. Louis! Some of the top things to explore in St. Louis are the St. Louis Arch, attending a St. Louis Cardinals game, the zoo, the City Museum, the Missouri Botanical Gardens, and Six Flags.
On the banks of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, St. Louis is known for its sports, beer, and the Gateway Arch.
St. Louis has a higher murder rate than other cities its size. While that’s not a resounding “It’s TOTALLY SAFE!” — Drew and I felt safe walking around near the downtown area at night. As with anywhere you travel, you should always be aware, take safety precautions, and avoid more dangerous neighborhoods.
Love this? Save it for Later!
No Comments