Things to Do in St. Louis if You've Been Away For Too Long

Order something other than a Bud Light

We suddenly have a huge, robust craft brewing scene. Good breweries are everywhere. Check out some options and ditch your uncle's crappy cans of bush for some of the best beer in the United States.

Check it out here.

Photo courtesy of Robert Rohe

Drop into the Zoo just to see the penguin habitat

It opened in 2015 and is literally the coolest exhibit at any zoo anywhere. You will not be disappointed. (And, you know, it's FREE!)

Check it out here.

Photo by Jon Gitchoff

Eat at Forest Park's Boathouse -- it's now run by Sugarfire Smoke House

That's right, the people who invented the Best Sandwich in the World are in control at the famous Boathouse in Forest Park. You'd be a fool not to eat there.

Check it out here.

Photo is RFT file photo

Take another look at Grand Center

Have you seen Grand Center lately? It's an actual arts district, with busy theaters and galleries and everything -- even top-notch cabaret. This area has become one of the fastest-growing areas in town, with businesses all aiming to feed you and offer you quality entertainment.

Check it out here.

Photo by Kelly Glueck

Eat everything at our Shake Shack

Yep, we got one! You're so jealous. Visit it and while you're there, dig on how the southern corridor of the Central West End has seen major change. In addition to Shack Shack, check out Yellowbelly, 'ZZA, and Whole Foods, all thriving where there used to be vacant lots.

Check it out here.

Photo by Mabel Suen

Check out the new Arch grounds and museum

Pretty much everything at the Arch is brand new. You can walk straight onto the grounds from downtown thanks to a "lid" that dropped the highway below surface level, and there is also a fabulous new museum on site. The museum features exhibits about St. Louis' past as a trading post, its riverboat heyday and the construction of the Arch itself, in addition to much, much more. Thenew space is rather interactive, with games and displays that bring to mind the Science Center's hands-on approach. The new museum is designed to be wheelchair accessible as well. - Daniel Hill

Check it out here.

Photo by Daniel Hill

Dig into our delectable Bosnian food

We now finally have a nationally-recognized, buzz-worthy food that is different from toasted ravioli. Our beloved immigrant population has been feeding us well. Check out the cluster of Bosnian restaurants in south city (like this one, J's Pitaria) in the shadow of Bevo Mill.

Check it out here.

Photo by Mabel Suen

Visit the renovated Soldiers Memorial Military Museum

The $30 million project revitalized its exterior and interior, while also bringing the 50-year-old structure in line with ADA requirements. Soldiers Memorial now has increased exhibition space and two new exhibits: St. Louis Service, which documents St. Louis' military history from the Revolutionary War to today's international conflicts, and World War 1: St. Louis and the Great War. Admission is free. - Paul Friswold

Check it out here.

Photo courtesy of THE SOLDIERS MILITARY MEMORIAL MUSEUM

The Improv Shop opened a place of its own in the Grove

After seven years of teaching comedy and six of hosting comedy shows in nearly a half-dozen leased spaces around the city, the Improv Shop is finally settling down — with a new home in the Grove big enough to house all of its classes and performances. The 7,500-square-foot building offers a performance-ready stage (previously used for drag shows), a bar, a kitchen and even a private parking lot. - Sarah Fenske

Check it out here.

Photo courtesy of THE IMPROV SHOP

Don't skip the Grove

While we're on the topic of the Grove, it's always evolving, isn't it? But lately that evolution seems to have sped up. It's packed with great stuff and is almost unrecognizable from five or six years ago. And while it's popping during the evening hours, there is also plenty to see here during the day, like shops and restaurants. (And bars! Hey, we won't judge.)

Check it out here.

Photo by Jaime Lees

Catch some music at Jazz at the Bistro

Ferring Jazz Bistro debuted in 2014 to a sold-out crowd during a grand-opening celebration featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. The main level of the jazz center also features Nancy's Jazz Lounge, a casual bar which streams performances live from the listening room. - Mabel Suen

Check it out here.

Photo isRFT file photo

Hop on one of our many, many scooters

You'll see rental scooters everywhere here now. Download the corresponding app, unlock one and see the city as it's meant to be seen -- with the wind in your face as you sniff out the closest source of Provel cheese.

Check it out here.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Hill

Go back to City Museum

If you haven't been there in a few years, it's got whole new sections that didn't exist earlier — new caves in the floor, catwalks into secret rooms, and an abundance of cool post-post-modern sculptures that they've been quietly acquiring. - Evan Sult

Check it out here.

Photo courtesy of sawdust_media / Flickr

Get an eye full of St. Louis' huge balls

You could've guessed, huh? If you're in south city, it's worth the trip to see just what the city has been talking about. Call them traffic-calming devices; call them public art. Either way, bet you don't have these in your city.

Check it out here.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Fenske

Explore the glory that is our IKEA

You probably don't have an IKEA in your city but even if you do, there's no way that it's better than ours. Ours is pretty, okay?

Check it out here.

Photo courtesy of IKEA

Stop into Ballpark Village for a big dose of St. Louis sports culture

You're in Cardinal Nation now and it's time to act like it. If you want to know what a large percentage of St. Louis' population is really about, you must stop into Ballpark Village. Opening in 2014, the downtown development is basically the biggest sports bar in all of St. Louis, with huge TV screens in a cavernous room. It's definitely where you want to be on game night -- any game night.

Check it out here.

Photo by Steve Truesdell

Soak up the majesty that is the East Building of the Saint Louis Art Museum

The East Building houses 21 galleries, with an emphasis on exhibiting contemporary art. Renowned sculptor Andy Goldsworthy was commissioned to create a permanent installation for the courtyard joining the East Building and the Main Building. Goldsworthy drew inspiration from the geological history of Missouri for the piece; specifically, the prehistoric era when the state sat at the bottom of a vast sea. He chose to re-create that sea with the only witness to its passing -- limestone, which St. Louis now rests upon. The resulting piece, Stone Sea, comprises 25 roughly hewn arches of Missouri limestone, each ten feet high, which Goldsworthy assembled in a tight grouping in the courtyard. - Paul Friswold

Check it out here.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

Take a ride on the brand new Loop Trolley*

*Assuming that it's running, at least. That has been a bit of an issue.

Check it out here.

Photo courtesy of UTE LEVI