If you’re exploring St. Louis, these spots make for a great day of sightseeing. Mastodon State Historic Site in Imperial is a quick trip back to the Ice Age before heading into town for some up-close animal encounters at Grant’s Farm. Swing next door to the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site for a dose of presidential history, then wrap up your day downtown at The Gateway Arch.

Mastodon State Historic Site – Imperial, MO

Nearest City:

• Imperial

Admission Price:

• Adult/Teen (13+) $4.00
• Youth (12 and under) $0.00

Time Spent:

• 1 to 2 hours

What You’ll See:

• Home to the Kimmswick Bone Bed, the site where scientists found the first solid evidence that humans and American mastodons coexisted in eastern North America during the Ice Age. The museum features artifacts, fossils, an interpretive video, and a full scale mastodon skeleton replica. Outside, three trails wind through the 425 acre park, including one that leads to the original bone bed discovery site.

Tips:

• The museum is closed Monday and Tuesday from mid March through mid November. Winter hours shift further, so check ahead.
• Site grounds and trails are free and open daily from 8am to sunset, even when the museum is closed.
• Bring good shoes if you plan to hike the trails near the creek it can get muddy.

Grant’s Farm – St. Louis, MO

Nearest City:

• St. Louis

Admission Price:

• Parking (purchased online in advance) $18.00
• Parking (purchased at the farm) $27.00

Time Spent:

• 2 to 3 hours

What You’ll See:

• A 281 acre former Busch family estate now home to more than 900 animals across 100+ species. A free tram carries you through the Deer Park, where bison, elk, and deer roam freely, before dropping you near the Tiergarten, the Clydesdale stables, and the historic Bauernhof Courtyard. Adults can sample complimentary beer in the Biergarten, and the grounds still hold the Hardscrabble cabin, which Ulysses S. Grant helped build by hand in the 1850s.

Tips:

• Stay parked here and visit Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site across the street.
• Book parking online in advance; it’s cheaper and helps guarantee you a spot.
• Set aside a few extra dollars for goat feeding, camel rides, and other animal add-ons, since those aren’t included in admission.

Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site – St. Louis, MO

Nearest City:

• St. Louis

Admission Price:

• Free

Time Spent:

• 1 to 2 hours

What You’ll See:

• The centerpiece is White Haven, the home where Grant met and married Julia Dent and where the couple once hoped to retire after his presidency. Five original structures remain, including the main residence and the barn, which now serves as the visitor center and museum. Exhibits explore Grant’s complicated years living alongside his wife’s slaveholding family and how that experience shaped his lifelong stance on civil rights.

Tips:

• Ranger talks run about once an hour, starting at 10am with the last at 4pm. Time your visit to catch one.
• No reservations are needed for individuals or small groups.
• It sits right next to Grant’s Farm, so the two are easy to pair into the same stop.

The Gateway Arch – St. Louis, MO

Nearest City:

• St. Louis

Admission Price: 

• Museum & Visitor Center $0.00
• Tram Ride to the Top, Adult (16+) $15.00+
• Tram Ride to the Top, Child (3–15) $11.00+
• Tram Ride to the Top, Under 3 $0.00

Time Spent:

• 2 to 3 hours

What You’ll See:

• America’s tallest arch at 630 feet, built to commemorate westward expansion. The free museum underneath holds more than 1,000 artifacts on Lewis and Clark, westward migration, and the arch’s construction. The Tram Ride to the Top carries you inside the arch’s leg to an observation deck with sweeping views of the Mississippi River and downtown St. Louis, followed by the “Monument to the Dream” documentary on how it was built.

Tips:

• Buy tram tickets online in advance; they sell out early and often, especially in summer.
• Expect an airport style security screening before you go inside.
• Time at the top is capped at under 10 minutes, so it’s a quick payoff after the ride up.
• Riverboat cruises on the Mississippi run seasonally, March through November, if you want to add one more stop to the day.