46th Midwest
39th Great Lakes
Joint Regional ACS Meeting
Off-site Activities

If you’re coming from some distance, why not plan to stay a few extra days and take advantage of all that Saint Louis has to offer. Or ... if you’re bringing unchemical family members with you, they will need something fun to do while you’re whooping it up in meetings and at the Expo. What follows is a critically reviewed list of Saint Louis area attractions based on the likes and experiences of one anonymous webmaster, possibly with input from other meeting organizers who might feel moved to contribute.

If you’d rather design your own itinerary, a good place to start is the Saint Louis Convention & Visitors’ Commission website, explorestlouis.com.

Off-site things to do in and around Saint Louis

Destination	Map key	Comments	Free*	Family- friendly
Gateway Arch	1	Underground Museum of Westward Expansion in the base of the arch (free), a truly exciting tram ride to the top (fee), and fabulous but vertiginous views from the observation gallery. Buying tickets online ahead of your visit is strongly recommended, and will include parking at no additional charge. Nearby are the Old Courthouse, where the Dred Scott case was first heard, and Laclede’s Landing, a historic district with many restaurants and night life.
City Museum	2	Describes itself as “an eclectic mixture of children’s playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel”, go prepared for a very active visit; nearby is the Washington Avenue loft district, a newish center of boutique shops, restaurants and night life
Forest Park	3	More than half again as large as New York’s Central Park, our Forest Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country. It is home to • the world-class St Louis Zoo that spawned the celebrity career of Marlin Perkins • Missouri History Museum, whose collection focuses on the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis & Clark expedition • Saint Louis Art Museum, one of the nation’s leading comprehensive art museums
Saint Louis Science Center	4	Super rainy-day activity for kids and adults. Planetarium has three shows daily (four on Saturday). OmniMax theater usually rotates through three or four features every day. Lots of hands-on and observational activities.
Missouri Botanical Garden	5	Founded in 1859 on land donated by Henry Shaw, and now a National Landmark, “Shaw Gardens” has developed into a lush and sprawling space to appreciate the vast diversity of the plant kingdom.
Anheuser-Busch Brewery	6	Visit the Clydesdale stables, brew house, aging cellars, and packaging facilities of the largest brewery in the US (cite). Those over 21 will be able to sample selected brews; soft drinks and snacks served to minors.
Magic House	7	Also known as the Saint Louis Children’s Museum, there are lots of hands-on discovery activities for kids, but their parents will have a ball tagging along
Butterfly House	8	An enclosed conservatory where many varieties of butterflies pupate, emerge, and fly free; great close-up photo opportunities at feeding stations. Additional insect exhibits in the lobby.
World Bird Sanctuary	9	Combines missions of rehabilitating injured birds and educating humans. Live displays of many raptor species, plus reptiles, the evolutionary first cousins of our feathered friends.
Endangered Wolf Center	10	Does for canids what the World Bird Sanctuary does for avids. Program includes orientation, guided walking tour, and photo opportunities with most of the current residents; reservations required.
Other “opportunities”	—	There are also opportunities for sports, with the NHL St Louis Blues (home on Oct 21 against the Carolina Hurricanes) and the NFL St Louis Rams (oops, playing away games on both Oct 16 and 23). There will be World Series home games on October 19 and 20, St Louis Cardinals vs Texas Rangers; arranging that for the meeting wasn’t as easy as we made it look. You can take advantage of this opportunity, but it’ll cost you. Or you can try your luck at riverboat gambling both downtown near Laclede’s landing and at Riverport (I-70 at the Missouri River). If you go, we thank you for your contribution to funding public education in Missouri, but please save enough for cab fare back to the hotel.
General admission is free, but there may be fees for parking and/or special activities inside Family-friendly, with activities of special interest to children (of all ages)