9 Free and Affordable Things To Do in St. Louis as a Couple or with Friends
Enjoy your next getaway, with this list of free and affordable things to do in St. Louis.
Don’t want to do a staycation, but are limited on time or money? Then visit St. Louis! It’ll check your boxes.
If you live in Chicago, take I-55 all the way down and in about 4h 27 min you can be in St. Louis.
So let me share with you fun and affordable things to do in St. Louis with friends or as a couple. I’ll share with you locations that are cheap or free and that are super close to each other. Each with a breakdown of the cost, location, and distance. This will help you budget and decide if it’s something you want to spend time and money on.
St. Louis style BBQ
The first thing I did when I arrived in St. Louis was try their BBQ.
I love trying the best local BBQ ribs, if possible, in every city I visit. Aside from each restaurant having their own way of cooking their meat, the sauce will also vary in each city. Take St. Louis for example.
St. Louis BBQ is known for their dry rub, grilling method, and less sweet and thinner sauce. St. Louis holds a place for some of the best BBQ ribs.
I suggest you start your day right and fuel your body for the busy day ahead with some amazing protein.
Pappy’s BBQ
Location: 3106 Olive St, St. Louis, MO 63103
Price Range: $10 – $20
Head over to Pappy’s Smokehouse for some delicious Missouri style barbecue ribs and find out why over 8k people rate this place 4.7 stars. Their ribs were voted Best Ribs in America by the Food Network and Best BBQ in Missouri by Southern Living. For $10-$20 you can enjoy a sandwich or a platter.
I ordered the 2 Meat Platter which comes with bread and two sides for $19.99. This is a great deal to try different meats and sides. Switch from Regular to Large to split it with someone.
Tip: Get there early. There is a limited amount of meat (all cooked fresh) served everyday and they will run out before the end of the day. Or order ahead to avoid disappointments. No reservations accepted.
Sugarfire Smokehouse
Location: 605 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63101
Price Range: $10 – $20
Another popular Southern style bbq spot is Sugarfire Smokehouse with over 6.3k reviews averaging 4.5 stars.
Wear your best pair of sweatpants or oversize hoodie because you will be unbuttoning your jeans with how much you eat here. You will want to indulge in ribs, burgers, salmon, fresh salads, and shakes. Entrees prices range from $10 – $20.
With a couple of locations around St. Louis, this is the closest to the Downtown area.
Tip: Try it the next day before you leave.
Saint Louis Zoo
(About 9 minutes away from Pappy’s BBQ)
Price Range: Free admission
St. Louis Zoo is a must; it is free admission and souvenirs are affordable.
An although it’s free, this zoo is zooing! There is a lot of exhibits with a variety of animals and they all look really healthy and well taken care of. And if you’re from Chicago, like me, chances are you have been to Lincoln Park Zoo, and know what I mean by this comparison.
The entrance itself looks like something out of Rainforest Cafe, with its splashes of vibrant colors and hanging animal figures. It’s really cute.
Some notable animals you can visit: Asian Elephants, Black handed Spider Monkey, Babirusas, Sloths, Red Panda’s, and many more. And the best part, it’s free!
Visit their page to find out more about their seasonal hours.
Tip: Stop by their shop and with the purchase of an item, you get a free recyclable bag with an animal collage print. And its good quality too! I still have mine, 3 years later.
The Gateway Arch
(About 12 minutes away from St. Louis Zoo)
Price Range: Free admission to $15
A popular thing to do in St. Louis is visit the Gateway Arch. Take pictures of the St. Louis Gateway Arch outside for free or pay an affordable ticket price to go inside.
Best known for The Gateway Arch, this monument stands at 630-feet-tall. It is the tallest arch in the world and Missouri’s tallest accessible structure.
If you want a skyline view, ride the tram to the top of the arch. Tickets start at $15 (prices vary by date). You will ride with others for a total capacity of 5 people and will be limited to 10 minutes at the top.
Otherwise just take a picture from ground level.
Tip: If The Gateway Arch is your first stop on the trip, head over to Pappy’s smokehouse. It’s only about a 10 minute drive
CityGarden Sculpture Park
Location: 801 Market St, St. Louis, MO 63101
(About 3 minutes away from the The Gateway Arch or 9 minute walk)
Price Range: Free admission
St. Louis CityGarden Park is free and has affordable restaurants options near it.
Surround yourselves with beautiful flora and sculptures at this creatively designed park open to the public all year around. Take a break and stroll down the garden where you’ll get to enjoy 25 sculptures from all over the world and 20 different tree species. Be prepared to post several pictures of flowers.
To learn more about the artists & their sculptures, as well as the flora that surrounds it, visit their homepage.
Union Station
(About 5 minutes away from CityGarden Sculpture Park)
(About 8 minutes away from the Gateway Arch)
Price Range: Free admission to $30
The St. Louis Union Station was repurposed to be a one stop for everyone with free admission and affordable activities for the whole gang.
It’s a cool sight rooted in so much history. You can find food, drinks, and fun activities. Think Navy Pier attractions but in a Union Station.
The space is half outdoors, half indoors, so dress appropriately. Especially if you want to catch the cool fire show in the pond outside. There is a lot of parking available, so you can always leave/take extra clothing.
Union Station Activities
Inside you’ll find attractions like:
- St. Louis Aquarium (Range from $23-$30 per person plus tax depending on date) – Explore all depths and bodies of water through the different animal exhibits.
- St. Louis Wheel ($17 per person plus tax)- Ride a gondola (fully closed and climate controlled) and take in the St. Louis skyline on this 200 feet tall ferris wheel. Ride lasts about 3-4 complete rounds.
- Mirror Maze ($8 per person plus tax) – Get lost in a reimaged maze of the 1904 World’s Fair. This is a small maze but fun, nonetheless. There is a scary surprise at the end.
- Carousel ($5 per person plus tax) – Hop on an exotic horse or wild animal and let out your inner child.
- Mini Golf ($12 per person plus tax)- Challenge your traveling companion to a quick game of mini-golf in this 18-hole course.
- Selfie Express ($10 per person plus tax)- In this train theme hallway, you’ll get to immerse yourself in 10 different sceneries to take some amazing pictures.
Tip #1: They are all small activities, so you can go through all of them in a couple of hours. So If you want to take on all or some of them, buy a combo ticket. And save more money by buying them ahead.
Tip #2: Call ahead and confirm these activities are open for the day. I visited on a Saturday and the aquarium was closed.
Tip #3: If you visit closer to sunset, you’ll catch great skyline views on the ferris wheel.
City Museum
Location: 750 N 16th St, St. Louis, MO 63103
(About 5 minutes away from Union Station)
Price ranger: $20
Visit this cool and immersive museum, formerly used by the International Shoe Company. It is a 600,000 sq. ft. space filled with amazing sights, most built from materials around the city. This place will have you pointing and gasping every minute.
History and imagination come together.
General Tickets go for $20 and it includes access to all 4 floors. Including the first floor, which houses a bar in a 19th century style cabin.
Check out all their attractions and parking information here.
Soulard Farmers Market
Location: 730 Carroll St
Hours: Opened Wednesday – Saturday 8am – 5pm
(About 8 minutes away from City Museum)
Price Range: Free admission
Soulard’s Market is the oldest market in St. Louis, where you can visit for free and find a variety of affordable items. It’s so good. For one, it’s indoors, so you can get away from the hot or cold outside and calmly stroll the aisles.
And two, you will find everything, anything, and whatever you didn’t even need. So basically a Target run…but fresh and local.
You will find beers, spices, produce, clothing, plants, and tons of amazing savory food and baked goods.
It’s rated 4.7 stars by five thousand people. It’s really that good.
Delmar Loop
Entertainment hub
St. Louis is known for their blues and live music. Delmar Loop is a good nightlife option with various live music venues, karaoke lounges, and bowling alley options. This is not your clubbing scene, but you will find an array of cultural restaurant options, shops, and whatever event is being hosted that day.
Wrap up
St. Louis is a small city, perfect for a weekend getaway. It offers many activities, many of them at an affordable price. And they are all conveniently located a few minutes away from each other. So rest assured that you’ll go back home feeling guilt free over the money you spent and with lots of pictures on your phone.
And if you want to save a little more money, here is a bonus for you:
Stay:
I recommend you find a hotel that is outside the downtown area. Downtown hotels, like any other city, tend to be expensive. And since you already have access to a car, you have the option of going a little further out.
St. Louis is small, so there really is not a lot of traffic for you to worry about commuting time between downtown and your lodging. And there tends to be a lot of parking available throughout the city too.
With that said, I looked at lodging apps to find a cheap hotel. Since I knew I wouldn’t be staying here for long, I booked a room off I-64 for only $68 (less than half the price of a downtown hotel). This placed me about 20 min away from the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station (near downtown area). And I had Ihop conveniently located outside the hotel, perfect for some morning pancakes or late munchies.
Tip: When considering your lodging, try to opt in for places that will offer free breakfast, if you want to save a little more and don’t mind getting up early.
And if you want more getaway ideas, check out my Orlando, Florida guides.
Let me know which of these locations was your favorite. And what other information you’d like me to cover in my guides.