61. Swing-A-Round Fun Town
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (636) 349-7077
Description: Go-karts, bumper boats, miniature golf, and batting cages and the new Bowlingo Bowling Lanes offer great ways to entertain the younger set for a few hours. There’s a Kiddie Karts raceway specifically for children three to eight years old, and a 12,000-square-foot indoor arcade with more than 80 electronic and interactive games. The facility also has a number of attractions specifically geared to children eight years old and younger, including Softplay tunnels and slides.
62. Turtle Playground
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Description: Giant turtle sculptures overlook Forest Park from a large grassy area across Interstate 64/Highway 40. Created by City Museum founder and local artist Bob Cassilly, these oversize turtles beg to be climbed upon by kids of all ages. Open year-round.
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 10501 Gravois Road
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
65. Bigfoot 4X4, Inc.
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (314) 731-8112
Address: 6311 North Lindbergh Boulevard
Description: This is the home of the original “monster truck” and the world’s largest collection of memorabilia that traces the 25-plus-year history of the Bigfoot phenomenon. Bigfoot started out as your average, everyday 1974 Ford F250 pickup truck and ended up becoming an icon of American entertainment. Closed Sunday.
66. The Griot Museum Of Black History And Culture
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (314) 241-7057
Address: 2505 St. Louis Avenue
Description: Here you can see life-size wax likenesses of famous African-American Missourians, including peanut butter creator George Washington Carver, former slave Dred Scott, and jazz musician Clark Terry. Highlights include a replica of quarters on a slave ship, artifacts from a slave’s cabin in nearby Jonesboro, and an exhibit on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Open Tuesday through Saturday, and Sundays during summer months.
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 701 North 15th Street
68. Gateway Arch Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (314) 655-1700
Description: The 630-foot-high Gateway Arch is the nation’s tallest man-made monument and offers a lot of activities. Underneath the Arch, you can watch a riveting documentary about the making of the Arch or an IMAX movie on the very big screen next door. The museum provides a good look at what the region looked like when St. Louis was founded, and it shows what life was like when explorers Lewis and Clark journeyed west from this region in the 1800s. Crowds are generally smaller and the line for the tram to the top is shorter early in the day. You can even buy tickets in advance online at www.gatewayarch.com.
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 3015 Barrett Station Road
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Address: 5050 Oakland Avenue
72. St. Louis Fire Department Museum
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (314) 289-1933
Address: 1421 North Jefferson Avenue
Description: Here you can see historical fire-fighting equipment and memorabilia that celebrates the history of St. Louis firefighters, as well as their colleagues around the world. The ever-evolving museum started out as a labor of love for one St. Louis Fire Department employee, who set about collecting most of the items that are on display. Plus, you’ll probably run into a firefighter or two—the museum is located inside the same building as the City Fire Marshall’s Office. Open Monday through Friday.
73. Adriana’S
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (314) 773-3833
Address: 5101 Shaw Boulevard
Description: This casual Italian deli in The Hill area offers excellent soups, sandwiches, and pastas and the perfect take-out food for a picnic in nearby Tower Grove Park. Open for lunch only, Monday through Saturday.
74. Blueberry Hill
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (314) 727-0880
Address: 6504 Delmar Boulevard
Description: This St. Louis landmark is a great place to take kids of any age, because there’s sure to be something that they’ll enjoy seeing, doing, or eating. The menu is full of American favorites, and the shelves and display cases are filled with collections of everything from Beatles memorabilia to The Simpsons characters to World Wrestling Federation figures. The 2,000-plus-song Wurlitzer jukebox is rated one of the best in the country by Cashbox magazine, and Blueberry Hill’s burgers are regular winners in the Best Burger category. The Dart Room doubles as an arcade with video games, pinball machines, and—of course—darts.
75. Charlie Gitto’S Pasta House
City: St. Louis, MO
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (314) 436-2828
Address: 207 North Sixth Street
Description: The Gitto family restaurants are a St. Louis mainstay, and Charlie Gitto’s downtown location has been around since 1974. The walls are covered with photos of celebrities who frequent the place whenever they’re in town, including baseball players from the National League. The restaurant offers good, traditional Italian food at reasonable prices. The service is fast, and the food is fresh. There’s a second location on The Hill, but the ambience there tends to be more formal. Open for lunch and dinner.