St. Louis Zoo

(For those living in or visiting the St. Louis area, here is the second installment of a small insider's list of the best free activities and events to take advantage of here in my hometown.  See the first installment here.  Please feel free to comment and add your favorite free St. Louis activities.  This is a great town for free fun!)


The St. Louis Zoo is such a big draw it almost seems redundant to talk about it...OK, let's talk about it!  Not only is it "America's #1 Zoo" according to Zagat Survey's U.S. Family Travel Guide, it's free!  It's also huge (see map) and you could easily spend the whole day there and not see everything.  Please see the Zoo website for detailed information for your visit.  These are just a couple of highlights and are really meant as a jumping-off point.


Enjoy the architecture of Historic Hill, the oldest part of the zoo, including the 1904 World's Fair Flight Cage.
Don't be surprised when a peacock struts alongside you, preening on the sidewalk.  Visit the beautiful Mediterranean style Herpetarium built in 1927.  

 Watching the Galapagos tortoises eat lunch is one of our favorite Zoo memories.

This is an especially great time to visit because the Zoo is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the formation of the St. Louis Zoological Society with a new (free) exhibit, Zootennial.  From the website: "The exhibit is located in Peabody Hall, a newly renovated exhibit gallery which was once the historic 1917 Elephant House next to the Bird House. With archived video, old photos, artifacts and fun interactive elements, the stunning Zootennial exhibit will reveal how the Zoo has changed in the past 100 years while its mission has remained the same." 

Jungle Boogie Friday Night Concert Series is from 5-8 p.m. Fridays through September 3rd.  It features an evening of free entertainment and activities for the whole family.  See link for schedules

Insider's tips:
Parking in the Zoo parking lot costs $11 per vehicle.  Plan to find a place to park nearby on the street for a truly free visit.  


The Children's Zoo normally costs $4 per person, the Stingrays at Caribbean Cove exhibit (They're back!  Now with horseshoe crabs!) is $3 and the Conservation Carousel is $3.  All three of these are free during the first hour the zoo is open (8-9 a.m. through September 6, 2010)  Beat the heat and get there early!

There are shows at the Children's Zoo daily except Wednesdays, starting at 10 a.m. (see info near the bottom of the page here) so if you can stretch out your early morning visit to the Children's Zoo, you could catch a show while you're there.  There is a nice playground in the Children's Zoo with a slide which takes you past a tank of river otters.  It's kind of a big deal.

Free Fun in St. Louis

We have been enjoying our summer with mostly free activities and I just have to share some of them.  For those living in or visiting the St. Louis area, here is the first installment of a small insider's list of the best free activities and events to take advantage of here in the Gateway City.  Please feel free to comment and add your favorite free St. Louis activities.  This is a great town for free fun!

The Missouri Botanical Garden offers the Whitaker Music Festival Wednesdays through August 4.  
The music begins at 7:30 p.m. and free admission starts at 5 p.m.  The Children’s Garden is open with free admission from 5 to 7 p.m.  Parking is free.  


Let's talk about this.  People keep telling me that they don't like going to the music festival because it's so crowded (it totally is) but do you have to have a lawn seat right in front of the stage?  I look at these music festival nights as a free time to enjoy an evening in the garden (which normally closes at 5 p.m.) and it is the only time you are allowed to picnic there.  You are welcome to bring your own picnic supper, baskets, or coolers. Picnic fare is also available for purchase on site.  If you have kids, take them over to the Children's Garden (interactive map here).  It is spectacular (and normally costs $5 per kid.)


Insider's tip: There is some serious picnicking going on here!  Some people bring lawn chairs and set up little tables with wine glasses, fruit and cheese plates and tea lights!  Feel free to do so or bring a blanket and a drive-thru meal.  You could come from 5 to 7, just to eat a picnic dinner and let your kids explore the Children's Garden for free.  Working late?  No problem, you are permitted to enter the Garden until 9 p.m. Enjoy!


(The Missouri Botanical Garden also offers free admission, including the Children's Garden to St. Louis City and County residents on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9a.m. to 12 p.m.  This includes admission to the Children's Garden!)
      
Malcolm Martin Memorial Park may be one of the area's best-kept secrets.  It is a green space directly across the Mississippi from the Arch.  According to the website: "Eero Saarinen, designer of the St. Louis Arch, originally included a park on both sides of the Mississippi River; decades later his vision has become a reality."  The park includes the Gateway Geyser, which erupts at 12, 3, 6 and 9 p.m daily, April-October.  It's over 600 feet tall (mirroring the height of the Arch) and is surrounded by 4 fountains that are 100 feet tall.  The eruption lasts approximately 15 minutes and is absolutely refreshing.  Majestic, even.  It is the tallest geyser in the US.  See the video here.  Also at the park is one of the best views available of the Arch.  The Mississippi River Overlook is a 40 foot tall platform which "offers visitors marvelous views of the park, both sides of the Mississippi River, and the St. Louis City Skyline."