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20 Free (and Cheap) Things to Do in St. Louis

By Riverfront Times Staff on Fri, Mar 26, 2021 at 8:19 am

There are plenty of things to do in the Lou when you're balling on a budget. St. Louis has a number of state-of-the-art free museums, a free zoo, cheap recreational places and more. Here are some fun activities do in St. Louis that are free or at most about $25.

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St. Louis Wheel
Located in St. Louis Union Station (201 South 18th Street)

General admission $15 for adults, $10 for children under 12

Photo credit: St. Louis Wheel / @stlouiswheel on Instagram

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Citygarden Sculpture Park
Located in Downtown St. Louis (801 Market Street)

Free public park

Photo credit: Xiquinho Silva / Flickr

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Forest Park
(5595 Grand Drive)

Free public park

Photo credit: Patrick Keller / Flickr

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The Gateway Arch
Located in Downtown St. Louis (5595 Grand Drive)

Simply visiting is free. Tram ride to the top of the arch is $12-$16 for adults and $8-$12 for children ages 3-15

Photo credit: GPA Photo Archive / Flickr

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St. Louis Art Museum
Located in Forest Park (1 Fine Arts Drive)

General Admission is free

Photo credit: Christina Ahlheim / Flickr

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Missouri Botanical Gardens
(4344 Shaw Boulevard)

General admission $14 for adults, free for children under 12

Photo credit: Riverfront Times / @riverfronttimes on Instagram

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Tower Grove Park
(4257 Northeast Drive)

Free public park

Photo credit: Riverfront Times / @riverfronttimes on Instagram

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Missouri History Museum
Located in Forest Park (5700 Lindell Boulevard)

Free admission

Photo credit: Phillip Leara / Flickr

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Boathouse at Forest Park
Located in Forest Park (6101 Government Drive)

Boat rental ranges from $15-$22 per hour.

Photo credit: Paul Sableman / Flickr

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City Museum
Downtown St. Louis (750 N 16th Street)

General Admission ranges from $16-$22, children under 2 get in free

Photo credit: Anthony / Flickr

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Gateway Arch National Park
Located in Downtown St. Louis (11 N 4th Street #1810)

Free public park.

Photo credit: Xiquinho Silva / Flickr

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St. Louis Zoo
Located in Forest Park (1 Government Drive)

Free admission

Photo credit: Yi-Liang Lucas Liu / Flickr

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St. Louis Science Center
(5050 Oakland Avenue)

General admission is free, parking is between $10-$12

Photo credit: Riverfront Times / @riverfronttimes on Instagram

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St. Louis Aquarium
Located in St. Louis Union Station (201 S 18th Street)

General admission $25 for adults and $18 for children 3-12

Photo credit: Riverfront Times / @riverfronttimes on Instagram

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The Muny Theatre
Located in Forest Park (1 Theatre Drive)

Single tickets start at $18, membership ticket start at $14

Photo credit: Patrick Giblin / Flickr

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National Blues Museum
Located in Downtown St. Louis (615 Washington Avenue)

General admission ranges from $10-$15.

Photo credit: Patrick Giblin / Flickr

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Laumeier Sculpture Park
(12580 Rott Road Sunset Hills, MO 63127)

Free public park.

Photo credit: artistmac / Flickr

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Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park
Located in Maryland Heights (13725 Marine Avenue)

Free public park. Lake rental including quadricycles, kayaks, canoes and more range from $10-$16 per hour

Photo credit: sheffieldb / Flickr

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Bird City Scooters
Located through St. Louis especially Downtown St. Louis and Forest Park

Bird Scooters cost $1 for base fare and then $0.15 per minute

Photo credit: Riverfront Times / @riverfronttimes on Instagram

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Rec Hall STL Adult Recreation Bar
(800 S Duchesne Dr, St Charles, MO 63301)

General admission is $5 on weekdays and $10 on weekends

Photo credit: Riverfront Times / @riverfronttimes on Instagram

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