St. Louis with kids?

[Homerboy]

Looking to do a little family road trip down to St. Louis at the end of April with the wife and kids (8 and 10 almost 9 and 11)

I've done some scrounging online but figure 1st hand experience is the best. If anyone has any suggestions on what to do. Cool places to visit etc.

We plan on catching a Cardinals game (they happen to be playing the Brewers at the end of April). I assume the Zoo is a must see too (weather permitting). The arch.

Local eateries that the kids would like etc would be super helpful. I was in St. Louis about 15 years ago for a Pez convention (don't ask) and we went to this little local icecream drive in that was world famous or something... I recall a wax museum and video arcade museum as well? It's all foggy.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Pantlegz]

They would probably enjoy the magic house. City museum is a hell of a lot of fun, even if you're older.

 

[vi edit]

Magic House is supposed to be a great children's museum. I've got friends that rave about it.

http://www.magichouse.org/index.php

It's no science and industry...but I guess it's pretty cool.

 

[FoBoT]

science center is free (except parking)
http://www.slsc.org/

 

[RbSX]

City Museum.

The zoo.

Six flags?

 

[nanobreath]

They would probably enjoy the magic house. City museum is a hell of a lot of fun, even if you're older.

If you're going to St. Louis you HAVE to go to city museum. Especially with kids, but I'd recommend it for any adult that isn't a complete stuck up snob too.

 

[kjknight]

For the ice cream (frozen custard), you are probably thinking of ted drews.

Crown candy kitchen is well known for their milkshakes and has other diner food.

As for recommendations, I don't have kids but here is a variety.

"The Hill" - Italian
Pappy's Smokehouse - BBQ
Hodack's - Fried Chicken
Mandarin House - Good combo of Authentic/American Chinese. Has dim sum on Sundays.
Imo's - STL pizza

There is "The Loop" as well, but IMO it is a more adult oriented place. Aside from that, I do not have other recommendations since I cook. When the fiancé and I go out, we go to different local restaurants to try out new places.

Edit: There is also the botanical gardens.

 

[eits]

definitely hit up the zoo. one of the best zoos in the country.... one of only three volunteer zoos in the country.

hit up the city museum.

watch the cards play.

do the arch.

the kids will love the magic house.

stop by grant's farm... the kids will love that, too.

come pay me a visit

go to the science center.

check out the botanical gardens. pretty gorgeous.

go to "la pizza" and order the roberto (if you like supreme pizzas). best pizza i've ever had... and i'm from the east coast. it's a hole in the wall place, but they've got the best pizzas ever. they sell out daily... they are family owned and refuse to expand or get a new, bigger location. they have enough for only 80 pizzas per day and refuse to sell a bunch of pizzas for huge parties or social events because they want families to enjoy their pizzas. whenever they've made their 80s pizza for the day, they close up shop, regardless of what time it is.

go to pappy's smokehouse. best bbq in the country, apparently.

go to scape for desert and get the banana creme pie... homemade and ridiculously delicious. it has a nutter butter crumble crust.

go for a walk around forest park. bring a frisbee or something and make a picnic out of it.

 

[rivan]

City Museum.

The zoo.

I'd second both of those and I'd say skip the Magic House - it's overrated (imo) and expensive.

The Zoo is world class and free (pay for parking). City Museum is amazing - see if you can get to the rooftop.

The wax museum and arcade museum were both in an area called Laclede's Landing and have both dried up and blown away. Not really a place for kids these days - it's 95% bars now, as opposed to the 80% bars it was back then.

If the kids have any love of trains at all, visit the Transportation Museum. Very highly recommended.

The 'World Famous' ice cream you went to was probably Ted Drewe's, which is quite good, but I think there's more tradition than excellence there. Crown Candy is better and a complete blast from the past but is in a pretty sketchy neighborhood, especially after dark.

If you have a few hours to burn, I'd check out the Delmar Loop area. There's plenty of restaurant choices (I'd recommend either Blueberry Hill , also a blast from the past or Pi), a nice walkable St. Louis Walk of Fame with some funky, interesting shopping and a boutique movie theater.

 

[nageov3t]

run.

http://urbantitan.com/10-most-dangerous-cities-in-the-world-in-2011/

or maybe sell the kids for crack

 

[xBiffx]

Science Center, Grant's Farm, Zoo, Magic House, Arch/Riverfront, Forrest Park, Six Flags, Galleria Mall are all good suggestions.

 

[PimpJuice]

run.

http://urbantitan.com/10-most-dangerous-cities-in-the-world-in-2011/

or maybe sell the kids for crack

I'd rather die in St.Louis than live in New Jersey......sucks for you

 

[nageov3t]

I'd rather die in St.Louis than live in New Jersey......sucks for you

how does your own poor taste and judgement suck for me? :hmm:

 

[rivan]

For the ice cream (frozen custard), you are probably thinking of ted drews.

Crown candy kitchen is well known for their milkshakes and has other diner food.

As for recommendations, I don't have kids but here is a variety.

"The Hill" - Italian
Pappy's Smokehouse - BBQ
Hodack's - Fried Chicken
Mandarin House - Good combo of Authentic/American Chinese. Has dim sum on Sundays.
Imo's - STL pizza

There is "The Loop" as well, but IMO it is a more adult oriented place. Aside from that, I do not have other recommendations since I cook. When the fiancé and I go out, we go to different local restaurants to try out new places.

Edit: There is also the botanical gardens.

The Botanical Gardens are also a really excellent call, but may bore the kids if they're not fully into it.

If you hit the Hill for Italian, there are a ton of choices, many of them mediocre. Not much has changed - for better or worse - on the Hill in 20 years. My pick there would be Modesto, which isn't even Italian.

go to pappy's smokehouse. best bbq in the country, apparently.

go for a walk around forest park. bring a frisbee or something and make a picnic out of it.

Since both posters mentioned Pappy's, and it is indeed very good, I feel obligated to throw out Bogart's, which has the same chef, is just as amazing and has half the line length

 

[TechBoyJK]

Cross the river and hit up Larry Flynt's Hustler Club.

I 2nd City Museum, Art Museum, Science Center, Zoo, and Magic House

 

[BurnItDwn]

I went to St Louis a few years ago with an Ex and her kids.
We had a good time.

Everybody liked the Old Spaghetti Factory downtown.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/old-spaghetti-factory-saint-louis

They have a friggin awesome science museum there.

Zoo is great.

The 6 flags there was meh IMO ...

 

[rivan]

run.

http://urbantitan.com/10-most-dangerous-cities-in-the-world-in-2011/

or maybe sell the kids for crack

That's such a retarded headline. When reported as a metro area rather than the 10% of the metro population that the City of St. Louis actually makes up, violent crime rates are just shy of 500 per 100,000. It's about as dangerous as Tampa or Toledo. We're safer than Tulsa and Tallahassee.

The VAST majority of the crime that gets the headlines is confined to about 20% of the City proper's area - the North side.

Edit: Your crime rate for the metro area including Hudson County NJ is almost exactly the same as the STL metro area according to the FBI.

 

[nageov3t]

That's such a retarded headline. When reported as a metro area rather than the 10% of the metro population that the City of St. Louis actually makes up, violent crime rates are just shy of 500 per 100,000. It's about as dangerous as Tampa or Toledo. We're safer than Tulsa and Tallahassee.

The VAST majority of the crime that gets the headlines is confined to about 20% of the City proper's area - the North side.

that's exactly what I'd say if I were trying to lure gullible tourists to my city so I could rape, rob, and murder them

 

[rivan]

that's exactly what I'd say if I were trying to lure gullible tourists to my city so I could rape, rob, and murder them

Did I mention we have candy? Lots of delicious candy....

 

[cronos]

If you're going to St. Louis you HAVE to go to city museum. Especially with kids, but I'd recommend it for any adult that isn't a complete stuck up snob too.

LOL this is true. We went there when my son was maybe 4.5 and I think I had more fun than him :biggrin:

 

[Homerboy]

Thanks for all the info everyone! TOTALLY helps!

 

[Homerboy]

HOLY HELL ARE CARDINALS TICKETS EXPENSIVE!!! $50 for nosebleeds?!?!?!

 

[eits]

HOLY HELL ARE CARDINALS TICKETS EXPENSIVE!!! $50 for nosebleeds?!?!?!

check craigslist

 

[TechBoyJK]

HOLY HELL ARE CARDINALS TICKETS EXPENSIVE!!! $50 for nosebleeds?!?!?!

Premium price for a premium team!

 

[Homerboy]

actually I take that ticket price comment back. It looks like they are GOUGING the fans for that Saturday game against the Brewers. Cheapest ticket on Saturday? $50. Friday? $11.