St. Louis Official Visitors Guide 2009

Station discovery room is where wee folks can play in an animal-centered environment. This year, a special, ticketed Stingrays! exhibit runs from May through September. Beautiful Forest Park is a sight to be seen, too. Bicycle and Segway tours offer transportation with narration, or rent a family-sized pedal boat to glide along the park’s pristine waterways. Borrow an iPod loaded with park walking tours from the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center and get refreshed at the Forest Perk Café. Figure out how to do a figure 8 during a winter visit to the park’s Steinberg Ice Rink. Tiny hearts flutter at the sight of hundreds of free-flying butterflies at the Butterfly House in St. Louis County’s Faust Park. Make merry with a spin on one of the 60 hand-carved animals on Faust Park’s historic St. Louis Carousel. A lot of things are fishy at the funky World Aquarium stand-alone attraction within City Museum. Pet a shark, crawl through waterfalls and visit with fish, reptiles and animals from around the world. kTRAVEL TIP Run away and join the circus in St. Louis. Register for circus arts classes from Circus Day Foundation. All ages can learn to juggle, walk on a wire and do acrobatics at the everydaycircus ring within City Museum. For details, click on www.circusday.org. COURTESY OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN A Missouri Adventure at Missouri Botanical Garden NATURE LOVERS Stop nature deficit disorder in its tracks at A Missouri Adventure, the fun-filled, two-acre children’s garden within the Missouri Botanical Garden. Little sprouts really dig the place. Pedal a family-size surrey from the Gateway Arch bike rental kiosk along the Riverfront Trail to experience nature along the Mississippi. Discover what makes the mighty river run at the National Great Rivers Museum in nearby Alton, Illinois. Wander fields of wildflowers and tall-grass prairies at Shaw Nature Reserve, and watch wildlife at Powder Valley and Columbia Bottom nature centers. THRILLING THEATRE AND THEME PARKS Treat your Broadway babies to professional theatre and dance productions, many especially staged for kids. Check the Calendar of Events at www.explorestlouis.com to see what’s on the boards at Metro Theater Company, St. Louis’ Black Rep, the Imaginary Theatre Company and, in the summer, The Muny in Forest Park and STAGES ST. LOUIS. Mary Poppins lands at The Fabulous Fox Theatre this season, and tiny dancers can gaze at real ballerinas via Dance St. Louis. A “Kid’s Notes” version of The Merry Wives of Windsor happens before the grown-up version each night of this spring’s Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, held free in Forest Park. Kids play to kids when the Missouri History Museum’s Teens Make History troupe stages shows they write and perform. A group of St. Louis kids have run away and joined the circus! Don’t worry, Missouri History Museum the talented acrobats, jugglers and clowns are home in time for dinner. Catch their amazing act at everydaycircus under the glass big top within City Museum. Six Flags St. Louis supplies thrills with more than a hundred rides and attractions. Daredevils delight in the new Evel Knievel wooden roller coaster and Speed Slides at Hurricane Harbor water park. Find gentle rides and friendly cartoon characters in Looney Tunes Town. Even grandparents enjoy the concerts, fireworks and one-of-a-kind parades at St. Louis’ largest amusement park. ANIMAL MAGNETISM Families are attracted to Grant’s Farm and Lone Elk Park to watch bison and other animals roam. Introduce city kids to barnyard animals at Purina Farms and Suson Park, then round up the family for a tour of Sayersbrook Bison Ranch. Little ones can see bald eagles, falcons and exotic birds at the World Bird Sanctuary and climb on super-sized turtle sculptures at Turtle Playground. No need to pluck the family nest egg to enjoy these creature features—they’re all free. Howl with the wolves at the Wild Canid Survival Center, and fancy the fine art depicting canines at the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog. Dalmatians have their day as sidekicks to the famous Clydesdale horses at Grant’s Farm and the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour. COURTESY OF MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM COURTESY OF SIX FLAGS ST. LOUIS Six Flags St. Louis COURTESY OF LIVING EXHIBITS Is it a theme park or an artsy playground? A museum or a wacky warehouse? No matter what you think it is, City Museum is unique. Elaborate indoor and outdoor playgrounds with giant tunnels, multi-story slides, spooky caves and other wonders fill this ever-changing fun house built of found objects and recycled materials. TRAIN THEM RIGHT Miniature trains deliver maximum fun aboard the Wabash Frisco & Pacific Steam Railroad and choo-choo rides at City Museum, the Saint Louis Zoo and Six Flags. Travel on mini-tracks at the Museum of Transportation and hop on lifesized railcars from engines to cabooses. The Official St. Louis Visitors Guide 25 Saint Louis Zoo (800) 916-0092 http://www.circusday.org http://www.explorestlouis.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of St. Louis Official Visitors Guide 2009

St. Louis Official Visitors Guide 2009 Contents St. Louis Thrives Must-See St. Louis All-Star History Pujols Family Foundation Calendar of Events Family Fun St. Louis' Friendly Environment Urban Melting Pot Fashion Direct Route 66 Architecture Tour Cultural Connections Day Trips Iconic St. Louisans Attractions My St. Louis: Russ Mitchell My St. Louis: Christina Machamber My St. Louis: Ridley Pearson Sports My St. Louis: Naam Pruitt Music, Dance & Theatre Outdoor Recreation My St. Louis: Christine Brewer Shopping Dining Nightlife St. Louis Beer History My St. Louis: Nelly Accommodations Campgrounds & RV Resorts Bed & Breakfast Getting Around Visitor Services Maps Advertiser Index 2009 St. Louis Meeting Planner Guide

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