31. Clayton Farmers’ Market
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 645-5807
Description: From June through October each year, the Clayton market brings a taste of country living to this St. Louis suburb every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Located in the city’s central business district, the market offers an array of locally grown fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, flowers and plants, as well as beef, lamb, and pork raised on sustainable farms. Activities include chefs’ demonstrations, tours of farmers’ booths and lectures about sustainable farming, and booths serving dishes made from the eggs, produce, and meat sold at the market.
32. Soulard Farmers Market
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 622-4180
Description: Soulard Farmers Market is the last survivor of the once-numerous public markets in St. Louis. Established in 1779, the Soulard Market has evolved from just selling foodstuffs and become an enjoyable destination shopping experience. From Wednesday through Sunday of each week, neighborhood residents and out-of-town visitors can wander the aisles of the open-air market, gazing upon myriad bakery goods, meats, cheeses, produce, nuts, flowers, and more. Specialty goods range from apparel, spices, and soaps to souvenirs, crafts, incense—and maybe even a litter of puppies. This colorful and affordable outing will no doubt lead to a purchase of some sort—even if it’s just a bite to eat or a cup of fresh-brewed coffee. Open year-round.
33. The Bug Store
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 773-9251
Address: 4474 Shaw Boulevard
Description: Located just down the street from the Missouri Botanical Garden is the Bug Store, a quaint and charming shop that sells a variety of outdoor accessories and whimsical gifts for gardeners and nature lovers. Oh yeah, and it sells bugs, too—but these bugs are actually beneficial to your lawn and garden. There are 30 types of insects for sale at the store, along with information and guidance on what types of bugs will work the best for your particular problem. The staff will also help you choose a custom “Bugscription,” which includes the right assortment of bugs for use throughout the growing season. Open daily.
34. Garden Gate Gift Shop
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 577-5137
Address: 4344 Shaw Boulevard
Description: The Missouri Botanical Garden has an on-site gift shop that offers all sorts of plant- and garden-related books, gifts, tools, and accessories for the avid gardener or casual flower enthusiast. There is a good selection of plant- and gardening-themed toys, experiments, and projects for the budding enthusiast, along with a seemingly endless collection of wind chimes, indoor and outdoor decorative items, and accessories designed to make gardening easier and more productive. There are also plenty of plants on sale, and the gift shop frequently hosts special seasonal plant sales. Open daily.
35. Gifted Gardener
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 961-1985
Address: 8935 Manchester Road
Description: This shop is more about gifts than actual gardens—there aren’t a lot of green things growing and blooming around here—but there are plenty of gardening-related items on hand. And speaking of hands, the store offers various soaps and lotions designed to soothe that green thumb when necessary, along with gardening clogs, hand tools, and books on gardening. There’s plenty of pretty garden-related stuff, too, like fountains, urns, porcelain and ceramic pots, sundials, shadow boxes, welcome mats, rain gauges, and outdoor thermometers. Open daily.
36. Gringo Jones Imports
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 664-1666
Address: 4470 Shaw Boulevard
Description: A green-thumb neighbor to the Missouri Botanical Garden, Gringo Jones offers a variety of stone and metal yard ornaments, knickknacks, Talavera pottery, wrought-iron furniture, and items from Mexico. The store has inexpensive options to fully furnish a garden area or sun-room, including such unusual furnishings as a 9-foot-tall suit of armor and a Statue of Liberty light post. Open daily.
37. Record Exchange
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 832-2249
Address: 5320 Hampton Avenue
Description: Record Exchange is a haven for those who love to sort through used LPs, DVDs, cassette tapes, and CDs. The store, which occupies a building that formerly served as a branch of the St. Louis Public Library, buys and sells everything musical, and also stocks an impressive number of used VHS videotapes and books related to the worlds of music, movies, and TV. It’s a great place to spend a rainy afternoon—or any afternoon for that matter. Open daily.
38. Streetside Records
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 521-7610
Address: 10865 West Florissant Road
Description: Streetside Records, part of the Trans World Entertainment Corporation, features new/used CDs and DVDs, cassettes, concert tickets, accessories, and an opportunity to “try it before you buy it” at its various listening stations. Open daily.
39. Vintage Vinyl
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 721-4096
Address: 6610 Delmar Boulevard
Description: A locally owned, independent record store that boasts “America’s largest collection of new/used CDs, LPs, and DVDs,” Vintage Vinyl has more than 7,000 square feet of music and music-related T-shirts, posters, and accessories. The shop was voted “One of America’s 10 Best Record Stores” by Rolling Stone magazine, and it is a perennial favorite among local voters in the annual weekly and daily newspapers’ readers’ polls. Vintage Vinyl also holds a number of CD-release concerts, signings and live music events, as well as other in-store activities that draw the crowds. Open daily.
40. Big River Running Company
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 832-2400
Address: 5352 Devonshire
Description: The tiny shop in the Southampton neighborhood offers a full-line of top name running and walking shoes along with shorts, shirts, pants, and a large selection of accessories. The staff is knowledgeable and very helpful in determining the right type of shoes you need for your personal foot strike and at prices that are very reasonable. Big River also has a selection of sunglasses, watches, books, DVDs, orthotics, reflective gear, training logs, GPS units, singlets, racing shorts, racing flats, and a line of track and cross country spikes. A second location is located at 14059 Manchester Road (636) 394-5500 in West St. Louis County. Both are open daily and both schedule a number of weekly “group runs.”
41. Rei
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 918-1004
Address: 1703 South Brentwood Boulevard
Description: The St. Louis location of the popular outdoor recreational store chain offers a great selection of quality outdoor gear and clothing, as well as everything you’ll need for camping, climbing, cycling, or paddling. There are a variety of energy bars, books and maps for sale, along with outdoorsy apparel and footwear for men, women, and kids. There’s even a 24-foot climbing wall inside the store, along with a water filter test station and a footwear test trail. Open daily.
42. Anheuser-Busch Brewery Gift Shop
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 577-2297
Address: 1127 Pestalozzi Street
Description: The best place to get Anheuser-Busch memorabilia and souvenirs is—where else—at the Anheuser-Busch headquarters in St. Louis. The shop stocks logoed merchandise ranging from screen savers and swimsuits to clothing and coolers, all with the different brands from the A-B family of products (Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob, Michelob Light, Busch, Busch Light, etc.). This is also a great place to pick up collectible beer steins, sporting goods, neon beer signs, and anything related to the world-famous Clydesdales. The store also carries merchandise representative of its family entertainment entities, including stuffed animals, clothing, and accessories from Sea World and Busch Gardens. Open daily.
43. The Best Of St. Louis
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 231-2729
Description: This eclectic souvenir shop includes a variety of regionally themed gifts, apparel, and collectibles, along with a large selection of books about Missouri, St. Louis, and the Lewis & Clark expedition. The Best of St. Louis also features samples of salad dressings and other tasty products that can be found in various St. Louis restaurants. Open daily.
44. Bud Shop
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 436-0191
Description: Another convenient location for all sorts of beer-related merchandise, the Bud Shop stocks glassware, coasters, bar signs, neons and mirrors emblazoned with logos from Anheuser-Busch brands. In addition to Bud-related apparel, hats, and T-shirts, the shop features collectible beer steins and figurines.
45. Cardinals Official Team Store
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (314) 421-3263
Description: Located inside Busch Stadium, the official Cardinals gift shop is open year-round. As you would expect, the shop has the largest selection of Cardinals merchandise anywhere, including authentic jerseys, caps, jackets, sweatshirts, T-shirts, posters, and prints. There are also enough Christmas ornaments, stuffed toys, books, and home decor items to keep Cardinals fans of any age happy. The store also has a good stock of official 2009 All-Star Game merchandise. Open daily.