things to do in st. louis
FOX St. Louis Community Calendar
Explore St. Louis (informational travel site)
Riverfront Times St. Louis Calendar
Show Me St. Louis (a local TV show that airs every weekday and tours local businesses, shops, and restaurants; check out their website and watch the show for more ideas!)
PLACES TO EXPLORE:
St. Louis Zoo (a favorite! Free, but with paid parking if you drive there, and optional paid shows/train ride. Don’t forget to check out the orangutans and the penguins in particular!)
St. Louis Science Center (another favorite! Free, but with paid parking if you drive there, and optional paid Omnimax/planetarium shows/special traveling exhibits. Those paid parts were the highlights for me, but there’s plenty to do there for free as well. Wonderful for all ages.)
The Magic House (families with children seem to LOVE this museum!)
St. Louis Art Museum (a beautiful place to visit, especially for families with adults or older children. Incredible historical art from all over the world. Free, but with a paid ticketed exhibition. We just explored the free exhibits, and this was more than enough to keep us entertained for hours!)
St. Louis Union Station (a new favorite for St. Louis visitors! It has a giant Ferris wheel, soda fountain, restaurants, and a new aquarium.)
St. Louis Arch Ride (not accessible for wheelchair users, as there are 48 steep steps (with railings) to reach the top at the end. There’s also no seating at the top.)
Missouri Botanical Garden (many people like to walk here for post-surgery rehab)
Chase Park Plaza Cinema (you can watch a movie here even if you aren’t staying at this hotel. If you are staying at the hotel but don’t want to watch a movie or can’t comfortably sit for that long right after surgery, you can also just order popcorn to bring back to your room!)
The City Museum (mainly for children, but not very accessible; you should avoid it after SDR surgery)
The Muny (has shows for adults in the summer)
Six Flags Amusement Park (great for siblings of SDR kids)
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (accessible outdoor concert venue)
The Fabulous Fox Theater (for world class shows)
PLACES TO EAT:
Pappy’s Smokehouse (award-winning barbecue)
The Hill (great Italian restaurants)
The Cheesecake Factory (a chain restaurant, but one of my favorites! At the Saint Louis Galleria)
St. Louis Bread Company (AKA Panera Bread; across the street from the hospital, right near MetroLofts)
Applebees (attached to the Forest Park DoubleTree hotel … and that hotel is attached to the hospital)
Whole Foods (organic grocery store; a bit pricey. Literally downstairs from The Orion Apartments)
Straubs (gourmet grocery store; also pricey, but good prepared meals)
Jeni’s Ice Cream (gourmet ice cream shop near the Chase Park Plaza Hotel)
The Cup (an adorable little bakery near the Chase Park Plaza Hotel)
PLACES TO SHOP:
The Saint Louis Galleria (a shopping mall that has many restaurants and shops, including Laurie’s Shoes, a shoe store that many St. Louis families love!)
The Galleria also has a Build-A-Bear Workshop