20 Things To Do When You're Bored and Broke in St. Louis

By Riverfront Times Staff on Tue, Mar 8, 2016 at 11:34 pm

No cash, no plans, no problem. St. Louis is the land of the free -- free activities, that is. With a bit of inside know-how and a little creativity, you can turn any unfulfilled day into one to remember, no money required.

03/08/2016

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Get geeky at First Fridays at the Science Center.
Who said weekend entertainment has to cost anything? Every first Friday of the month, St. Louis Science Center hosts a sci-fi themed evening of events. Everything from steampunk nights (pictured -- and yes, that man is an escape artist) to an evening dedicated to your favorite science fiction show (The Walking Dead, anyone?) ensue, and you can join in the fun -- completely for free. Photo by Steve Truesdell.

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Or, get artsy at First Fridays in Grand Center.
If the arts are more your scene, Grand Center also has its own version of free First Fridays. On these monthly occasions, eleven different galleries and museums in the district are free and open to the public until 9 p.m. Photo courtesy of Flickr / Pulitzer Arts Foundation.

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Chill at local dog parks.
Take a trip to the dog park, because dogs. Even if you don't have a pooch of your own, these parks are great places to enjoy the outdoors, coo over adorable furry creatures and enjoy some free entertainment. Plus, we're told they're a great place to meet other singles -- but don't quote us on that. Photo courtesy of Flickr / Jay Melnick.

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Relax at Shameless Grounds.
Buy a (very affordable) coffee and then hang out perusing the excellent porn, erotica and board game collection. Photo courtesy of Instagram / shamelessgrounds.

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Roam St. Louis Public Library.
Don't worry if you're not a book worm -- the place in itself is such a work of art, you can simply enjoy giving yourself a tour. If you are a bibliophile, a library card means that books are absolutely free (just don't forget to return them). Photo courtesy of Flickr / Chris Yunker.

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Hang out at the Arch grounds.
The home of our iconic landmark is straight-up beautiful -- and if you don't go up the claustrophobia-inducing little eggs or into the museum, the grounds are also totally free. Photo courtesy of Flickr / ezz_eddie.

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Spend an afternoon at Laumiere Sculpture Garden.
It's a fantastic excuse to roust about in nature without paying a dime. Photo courtesy of Instagram / jwright278.

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Hit up open houses and estate sales.
Being nosy doesn't cost a thing, and both are a snoopy person's heaven -- a chance to ogle the city's awesome real estate and/or sort through the detritus of a life. Download the Estately app to find open houses, and visit Estatesales.net for estate sales in the area.

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Wander the Missouri Botanical Garden.
This beauty is free from 7 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays if you can prove you're a St. Louis city or county resident. Photo courtesy of Flickr / Bob Bawell.

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Feed the ducks at Lafayette Park.
No matter the weather, they're ready and waiting for you to bring them a snack. When you're done with that, the surrounding streets are lovely for wandering. Photo courtesy of Flickr / Dave Thompson.

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Meander through museums.
The Missouri History Museum is just one of many free museums in St. Louis. From St. Louis Art Museum to the Moto Museum, St. Louis is bound to have a museum to suit your interests. Photo courtesy of Flickr / Philip Leara.

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Browse the antique mall.
St. Louis has a plethora of antique shops ideal for treasure hunting -- they're the perfect place to go window shopping. Photo by Mabel Suen.

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Go to the basement at Left Bank Books.
There's an amazing used book room downstairs at Left Bank. Used books = almost free! Photo by Harlan McCarthy.

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Embrace your inner food dork.
Treat the foodie within you to an hour of wandering Penzey's, just inhaling the various spices. Photo courtesy of Instagram / themangohealth.

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Monkey around at the zoo.
Do you know how lucky we are to have a zoo where you don't have to pay to get in? And if you take public transportation or your bicycle, they can't even nail you on the parking. Photo courtesy of Flickr / Shelley Powers.

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Stroll down the Delmar Loop.
As the weather brightens, you can expect to run into a slam poetry circle, a hippie guy noodling on a mandolin and even a two or three-piece band grooving in front of Vintage Vinyl. And in the winter, well, it sure is pretty, isn't it? Photo via Riverfront Times Instagram.

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Get free entertainment at the Muny.
The summer is full of "Meet me at the Muny" commercials -- why not hit up a friend and actually do that? They have free seats in the back of the house at a first come, first serve basis. And if it's not Muny season? Go show Forest Park some love anyway -- it's the best city park in the U.S., after all. Photo courtesy of Flickr / Melissa.

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Take a tour of our beloved brewery.
The tours make us think of two words: free samples. And get all touristy and pose with a Clydesdale while you're at it. Photo courtesy of Flickr / Tom Bastin.

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Feed your inner chocoholic.
For the dessert lover, there are factory tours at the Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company Monday through Saturday -- and, yes, you'll get to taste the chocolate as well. Photo courtesy of Instagram / lovelifemaryann.

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Become a yogi -- or at least pretend to be one.
The Arch, Ballpark Village, Towergrove Farmer's Market and more have a history of hosting free yoga classes when the weather warms up. Namaste, everyone. Photo courtesy of Flickr / Paul Sableman.

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20 Things To Do When You're Bored and Broke in St. Louis

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