St Louis: Museums, Gardens and Culture

St Louis offers a variety of different experiences: the museum beneath the Gateway Arch combines interactive galleries with more than 200 years of the city's history, while gardens, art and science provide other focal points. Forest Park also brings together a range of attractions, including museums, golf courses and tennis courts. To plan your visit, you can first decide whether history, art, science, nature or music appeals most to you—the places below each offer their own way to experience the city.

Gateway Arch: History, Museum and Green Spaces

Gateway Arch National Park encompasses more than 91 acres of urban green space, with reflecting pools, gardens and paved paths. The museum beneath the Gateway Arch offers a different focus: its six interactive galleries explore more than 200 years of St. Louis history. If you plan to take the tram to the top, allow 45 to 60 minutes for the ride; interactive exhibits are part of the boarding experience. These offer different ways to explore: the ride has a defined duration, while the galleries present history across several interactive spaces.

Admission to the museum beneath the Gateway Arch is free for all visitors. The Old Courthouse is also free to visit. You can include these as distinct history-focused stops in your plans. The Saint Louis Art Museum and Saint Louis Science Center offer different focuses, so museum visits need not be limited to a single topic.

Art and Science

Admission to the Saint Louis Art Museum is free every day. Its collections include works of exceptional quality from nearly every culture and period. Two MetroLink stations are within walking distance of the museum—a helpful point of reference if a visit is part of your plans. The breadth of its collection makes the museum an art destination spanning many cultures and periods.

Admission to the Saint Louis Science Center is also free. Its facilities include an OMNIMAX theater and the Discovery Room. The institutions have clearly different focuses: the Art Museum spans cultures and periods, while the Science Center offers other ways to explore, with its theater and Discovery Room. You can consider visits to the art and science museums as distinct parts of your stay.

Gardens, Park and Stage

Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden is a National Historic Landmark. It covers 79 acres, of which 14 acres are occupied by the Japanese strolling garden. These figures distinguish the size of the entire garden from that of this particular area. If you are interested in gardens, this comparison offers a clear sense of the overall grounds and the Japanese strolling garden.

Forest Park is home to museums, golf courses and tennis courts. The park is also steeped in a long theatrical tradition: The Muny is an outdoor theater that has filled Forest Park with Broadway tunes for more than 100 years. Museums and sports facilities on the one hand, and theater on the other, show different sides of the park. The Saint Louis Zoo offers another highlight, working to protect animals locally and around the world.

Blues and Regional Cuisine

The National Blues Museum is devoted to the history of blues and celebrates the genre as the foundation of all modern American music. The museum hosts indoor and outdoor performances throughout the year. Check the current events calendar before your visit if you would like to plan your stay around a performance. Music history and live performances offer different ways to connect with the genre.

Regional specialties offer another distinct perspective: St. Louis-style pizza is topped with Provel cheese. Gooey butter cake is available at establishments in the St. Louis region. These two examples offer different culinary highlights—from pizza's distinctive cheese topping to a dessert found across the wider region.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: St. Louis, Fenton, Kirkwood, Ellisville, Berkeley, Bridgeton, Hazelwood, Maryland Heights, Valley Park, Clayton, Sunset Hills, Green Park, Concord Township, Oakville, Ferguson, Edmundson, Chesterfield, Florissant, St Ann, Eureka, Wildwood, Kinloch, Earth City

For the broader travel overview: Missouri.