St. Louis: Family Long Weekend
- Abbey Ansley
- Nov 6
- 5 min read
Travel Date: November 2025
My kids are huge Ninja Kidz fans, so I was really bummed when we were out of town for their Atlanta show this summer. When I looked up the rest of their tour dates, I was hoping to find something within driving distance. Nothing close by worked out for us, but they were performing in St. Louis later in the year. I decided to turn it into a long weekend getaway for the family. (I probably wouldn’t have traveled just to see the Ninja Kidz—but checking Gateway Arch National Park off our list made it an easy yes.)
Day 1: City Museum & Gateway Arch National Park
We took an early flight out of Atlanta and arrived in St. Louis just after breakfast time. After picking up our rental car, we checked into the Residence Inn in Clayton and it was perfect for families. The rooms were spacious, breakfast was solid, and best of all, there was a golden retriever named Lucy behind the front desk who loved being loved on.
We try to book as much as we can through Delta partners to rack up miles and MQDs, so we rented our car through Hertz. Traveler tip: if you’re flying into Lambert and plan to take the Hertz shuttle, don’t wait with the rest of the rental car shuttles. You’ll need to cross the street to the top floor of the parking deck to catch it.
City Museum: Our first destination was the City Museum, a former shoe factory turned into a kid’s dreamland. There’s no easy way to describe it...it’s part art installation, part playground, part amusement park, part aquarium. Every inch feels like it was designed by kids, for kids. There are tunnels, slides, and crawl spaces everywhere, even spanning multiple stories.
Go early! We arrived right when it opened and had the place mostly to ourselves. By the time we left around 2:30, it was packed.
Have a plan. It’s very easy to lose sight of your kids here. Think about how you'll find your kids if you get separated. We saw parents with flashlights, headlamps, even kneepads, and none of it felt excessive. Next time, I’d definitely bring a flashlight for each family member.
Eat elsewhere. We’ve been to children’s museums with surprisingly great food (looking at you, Louisiana Children’s Museum and Young V&A), but this isn’t one of them. Plan to eat before or after your visit.
Gateway Arch National Park: Next up was Gateway Arch National Park. We did both the river cruise and the tram ride to the top, and my kids said that visiting the top of the arch was their favorite part of the whole trip. We didn’t leave nearly enough time to explore the museum underneath, though. If I could do it again, I’d definitely build in more time for that.
Day 2: Union Station & Ninja Kidz
Union Station: We started our day at Union Station St. Louis, and it ended up being my favorite part of the trip! If we ever come back for another family weekend in St. Louis (which we probably will since we didn't make it to Busch Stadium), I’d love to stay right in the action at The St. Louis Union Station Hotel.
We bought the All-Access Pass ahead of time, which was totally worth it. It made the day easy and efficient. We were able to enjoy many of the attractions before we had to head out around 1:00.
St. Louis Aquarium – Beautifully done and full of interactive exhibits.
The St. Louis Wheel – The views of the city are incredible.
Selfie Express – We went through here pretty quickly, it wasn't a highlight for us.
Wave Swinger – A classic carnival-style ride that my son wanted to ride again and again.
Ropes Course – So much fun for adventurous kids!
We ate lunch at Landry’s Seafood House inside Union Station. Normally I try to avoid chain restaurants when we travel, but I have to admit...this was the most my kids ate on the entire trip. So, no regrets!
Coffee Break at Upshot Coffee: While my husband and kids went back to the hotel for some downtime, I snuck away to Upshot Coffee in Clayton. My cinnamon latte was delicious, the tables were lively but not loud, and I loved watching the barista pause to flip the record on the turntable. A coffee and book-lover's heaven.
Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery: Before the show, we made a quick stop at Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery, and it did not disappoint. Everyone loved their flavors, but the standout favorites were Blue Moon and Pink Champagne. If you’re looking for a fun, family-friendly ice cream shop in St. Louis, this one’s a must!
Ninja Kidz Live Show: The Ninja Kidz Live Show at The Factory (just west of Clayton) was up next. My kids were absolutely thrilled to see their favorite YouTube stars perform live and watching their excitement was the best part for me.
Dinner at Dewey’s Pizza: On our way back to the hotel, we grabbed dinner at Dewey’s Pizza in Clayton, a fantastic family-friendly restaurant in St. Louis. The cooks were tossing dough right behind a glass window and made a point to interact with the kids. It was the perfect, low-key way to end our day.
Day 3: Grant’s Farm & St. Louis Zoo
Grant’s Farm: We started our day at Grant’s Farm, a must-see for families visiting St. Louis. Once the home of the Busch family, this historic property is where Clydesdales are first socialized before becoming the famous Budweiser hitch horses. The land also has ties to Ulysses S. Grant and the Vanderbilt family, giving it a fascinating mix of history and heritage. Since we visited midweek (when the full Fall Festival wasn’t running), we booked two special experiences instead.
Animal Encounters Tour: This tour was fantastic for families with kids. We got to pet and feed all kinds of animals—highland cows, deer, bison, tortoises, turtles, lemurs, porcupines, snakes, and pigs. Because it was a small group, we had plenty of time to interact with the guides and learn about the animals up close.
Clydesdales Tour: This one was a little trickier with kids, but still really special. The tour started with a deep dive into history and the horses' care (which tested my kids’ attention spans), but the payoff was huge. Once we made it to the barn, we got to spend a lot of time petting the Clydesdales, and the tour ended with a chance to take to groom and take photos with one.
Lunch at Fitz’s Root Beer (Delmar Loop): We stopped at Fitz’s Root Beer for lunch. While I didn’t love the food, the root beer floats were definitely worth the visit. If you’re planning to stop by, I’d recommend skipping the full meal and just going for dessert or a float.
St. Louis Zoo & Forest Park: We spent the afternoon at the St. Louis Zoo, one of the best free attractions in St. Louis. Admission is free (though there are a few optional paid exhibits), and we easily filled a few hours exploring. Our favorite exhibits were the gorillas and tigers—both incredible!
The zoo is located inside Forest Park, which is packed with other great, free things to do in St. Louis with kids. Nearby, you’ll find the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Saint Louis Science Center (some attractions require tickets). If you have more time, I’d recommend devoting an entire day to exploring this area.
Dinner at Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken: To wrap up the day, we picked up dinner from Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, and it was delicious. The chicken was well seasoned, the sides were flavorful, and it completely made up for our underwhelming lunch.
Day 4: Travel Home
Shaw Park Treetop Playground: Before heading to the airport, we stopped by Shaw Park so the kiddos could burn some energy off at the Treetop Playground. This was right across the street from our hotel and they had a blast running the bases at the baseball field and making friends to play with on the playground,
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