School may be starting but with daylight-saving time and late summer / early fall weather, you can stretch your vacation feeling by taking advantage of all that the metropolitan area has to offer.
Why let out-of-towners have all the fun? Put on comfortable shoes and see the hometown sights for yourself.
THE ST. LOUIS VISITORS’ CENTER has an office in the Mansion House Center and an office aboard the Becky Thatcher on the riverfront. Here you can find folders and pamphlets on places of interest not only downtown but throughout the Greater St. Louis area. Most points of interest will stay on summer hours through Labor Day. Some are free, others charge reasonable admissions.
THE RIVERFRONT-The Arch, the Old Courthouse, the Old Cathedral, walking along the levee are all free and fun. The Huck Finn, Samuel Clemens and Mississippi Belle take you on hour-long river excursions, and the SS Admiral makes regularly scheduled longer excursions. For $1, or less for children under ten, you can ride the riverfront Trolley getting on and off five times to see the sights and getting on the next Trolley.
GRANT’S FARM. Reservation for tours necessary but no admission charge. Call 843-1700.
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND NATURAL HISTORY on Big Bend Road, north of Clayton Road. A beautiful park-like setting, interesting exhibits. Closed Mondays.
MUSEUM OF TRANSPORT, a unique collection of old locomotives, horsecars and other vehicles. Small admission charge. Located on Barrett Station Road in Kirkwood, the transport museum is open 10 A.M. to 8 P.M. daily till Labor Day. 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. daily after Labor Day.
MEDICAL MUSEUM and National Museum of Quackery, 3839 Lindell. Free to the public from 11 A.M. to 4 P.M.
SHAW’S GARDEN (Missouri Botanical Gardens) on Tower Grove Blvd. A fine place to walk, sit, and look at the flowers. Open every day but Christmas until sundown. Small charge for admission to Garden and the Climatron.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Aug. 14 Cardinal Glennon Memorial Hospital Football Game. St. Louis Cardinals vs. Houston Oilers. Busch Stadium.
Aug. 13-15 St. Genevieve, Missouri celebrates its founding with pageants, parades, etc.
Aug. 21-29 Missouri State Fair at Sedalia. The Show-Me State shows off. Live stock, agriculture, concerts, the works. For information on specific performances, write the State Fair Committee, Sedalia, Missouri
PARKS AND PICNICS
One thing available for free to St. Louisans are parks, large and small. A good city map has most of them listed and located. Whether you pack a lunch or pick up goodies along the way, a picnic supper makes summer linger longer. For reasons of space, we’ll list only a few.
JEFFERSON BARRACKS HISTORICAL PARK at the end of South Broadway
BELLERIVE PARK, a little park on South Broadway with a good view of the Mississippi
CREVE COEUR PARK (Dorset Road west of 1-244) has one of the few natural lakes in the area
ROCKWOOD RESERVATION, BABLER, WASHINGTON AND MERAMEC STATE PARKS are all fairly close to town and have picnic sites and wooded walking trails.
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN ARBORETUM, a pleasant ride out Interstate 44 to Gray’s Summit, then 1600 acres of woodland and wildflowers.
AUGUST A. BUSCH WILDLIFE AREA near Weldon Springs. Fishing and picnicing a few minutes from home.
In Illinois
CAHOKIA MOUNDS STATE PARK, between East St. Louis and Collinsville
PERE MARQUETTE STATE PARK, near Grafton
SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS, Belleville
Originally published in The Paper, August 1971.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1971_08.pdf, printed page 5.
