St. Louis is one of the best-value cities in America for sightseers, because so much of what makes it special costs nothing. The Saint Louis Zoo, the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum and the Saint Louis Science Center all have free general admission, as do the sculpture parks, several galleries and the national park museums. This guide shows how to plan a trip around those free sights, what still costs money and how to spend wisely on the few paid attractions that are worth it.
Forest Park is the free core
Forest Park is free to enter at all hours, and it holds the free Saint Louis Zoo, the free Saint Louis Art Museum, the free Missouri History Museum and the free Saint Louis Science Center, with trails, lakes and playgrounds in between. You could spend two full days here without paying for admission. Note the closing days: the Art Museum is closed on Mondays and the Science Center on Tuesdays, so plan around them, and the zoo keeps shorter winter hours. Parking at the zoo and some museum lots carries a charge, so use free lots and walk between stops.
Downtown and the riverfront
The Old Courthouse, run by the National Park Service, is free, and it is where the Dred and Harriet Scott case was heard. Citygarden is a free, always-open sculpture garden in the middle of downtown, with a seasonal spray plaza that runs from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, with its mosaics, is free to visit as a working church. The only paid element of the Arch is the tram ride; the grounds and the museum underneath are free, so you can enjoy the riverfront without a ticket if you skip the top.
Art for nothing
Grand Center has two free art museums within a short walk of each other. The Pulitzer Arts Foundation is open Thursday to Sunday, and the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis is open Wednesday to Sunday, with late hours on Thursday. Laumeier Sculpture Park offers free outdoor sculpture with trails and meadows, and it is a good choice on a dry day. Both Grand Center museums are closed on several holidays, so check before you go.
Neighborhoods, markets and walks
Soulard Farmers Market is free to enter and open Wednesday to Saturday, best on Saturday morning. The St. Louis Walk of Fame in the Delmar Loop is a free outdoor stroll past more than 150 stars, including Chuck Berry's outside Blueberry Hill, open around the clock. The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, a mile-long former Route 66 crossing, is free for walkers and cyclists, with free parking at the Illinois entrance and at North Riverfront Park. Walking The Hill's streets to see the painted hydrants and bakeries costs nothing, though the cannoli do.
Free admission with a catch
Grant's Farm has free general admission from mid-March to the first weekend of November, with a tram through Deer Park, animal shows and the Clydesdales, but you pay for parking, which is cheaper bought online. Cahokia Mounds is a World Heritage site and one of the best history experiences in the region. Check the site for current admission details and the status of the interpretive center before you go. The Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site is a National Park Service site and is free.
Where to spend a little
If you want to spend selectively, put your money on the Gateway Arch tram, which sells out, and City Museum, which is a unique experience, and consider the Missouri Botanical Garden if you love plants. The Magic House is the best children's museum if you have young children. The St. Louis Aquarium, Museum of Illusions and Butterfly House are lower on the priority list unless the weather is bad or you have small children. Walking tours and food tours are paid, so choose just one.
A free three-day outline
Day one: the Arch grounds and museum, the Old Courthouse and Citygarden. Day two: the zoo and art museum in Forest Park, with the free museum of your choice in the afternoon. Day three: Soulard market on Saturday morning, the Walk of Fame in the Loop in the afternoon and a sunset on the Chain of Rocks Bridge. Hotels are the biggest cost, so look at options near MetroLink, and remember that parking is charged at most downtown hotels.
