St. Louis is one of the great free-attraction reunion cities in America. Forest Park (1,300 acres, larger than Central Park) holds the free Saint Louis Zoo, the free Saint Louis Art Museum, the free Missouri History Museum, and the free Saint Louis Science Center — five major attractions that cost nothing to enter. Add the Gateway Arch, the City Museum, and a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium and a reunion budget goes much further here than in most U.S. cities. Hotel rates run well below Chicago or Nashville, and the airport is 25 minutes from downtown.
Where it is
Things to do (with the family)
Hand-curated. Every entry links to its official source so you can plan without guessing.
Gateway Arch National Park
630-ft stainless steel arch with a tram to the top observation deck and an underground museum. Buy timed tram tickets ahead.
Official source ↗Saint Louis Zoo (free)
Free admission; one of the top zoos in the country. River's Edge, Penguin & Puffin Coast, and the children's zoo. Plan a half-day.
Official source ↗Forest Park
1,300-acre urban park (1904 World's Fair grounds) holding the zoo, art museum, history museum, and science center. Boathouse for paddleboats.
Official source ↗City Museum
10-story warehouse turned giant-scale playground — sculpted caves, a Ferris wheel on the roof, school bus on the edge. Wear closed-toe shoes.
Official source ↗Missouri Botanical Garden
One of the oldest botanical gardens in the U.S.; the Climatron geodesic dome and the Japanese Garden are the standouts.
Official source ↗Anheuser-Busch Brewery tour
Free tour of the historic Soulard brewery — Clydesdale stables, brewhouse, and a tasting room for adults.
Official source ↗Saint Louis Science Center (free)
Free general admission; large dinosaur hall, planetarium, and a pedestrian bridge over I-64.
Official source ↗Busch Stadium (Cardinals game)
St. Louis Cardinals home park downtown; one of the most beloved fan experiences in MLB. Day games are easiest with kids.
Official source ↗The Hill (Italian neighborhood)
Historic Italian neighborhood — birthplace of toasted ravioli; lined with red-sauce restaurants. Best for a group dinner.
Official source ↗Find more things to do for your St. Louis reunion
The picks above are general. Inside the Reunly app, Rosi tailors local activities, meals, and printables to your actual dates, group size, ages, and budget — and saves them straight to your reunion plan.
Good for
- Budget reunions (most major attractions are free)
- Multi-generational groups (Forest Park clusters everything)
- Cardinals fans
- Families with adventurous kids (City Museum)
- Foodies — toasted ravioli, gooey butter cake, BBQ
Practical logistics
- Closest Airports
- St. Louis Lambert Intl (STL) — 25 min to downtown by MetroLink ($3) or car
- Group Lodging
- Marriott St. Louis Grand (downtown convention-center hotel), Hyatt Regency at the Arch, and Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark all do group blocks. The Hill and Soulard have AirBnBs that sleep 8-12.
- Parking
- $15-25/day at hotel garages; cheaper at municipal lots downtown.
- Accessibility
- Forest Park, the Arch, City Museum (mostly), and Cardinals stadium are wheelchair-accessible. The City Museum tunnels are not.
- Cost Per Person
- Plan $135-260/person/day. The free attractions make St. Louis one of the cheapest big-city reunions.
- Official Site
- https://explorestlouis.com/
When to go
April-May and September-October are the sweet spots — comfortable temps, full event calendars. Summer (June-August) is hot and humid; January-February is cold. Cardinals home stands run April through September.
Best for your group size
Small group · 10–25
10-25: A 4-bedroom Soulard or Central West End AirBnB; private dinner at Charlie Gitto's on The Hill.
Medium group · 25–60
25-60: Marriott St. Louis Grand (917 rooms, attached to America's Center) or Hyatt Regency at the Arch (910 rooms). Both with full event services.
Large group · 60+
60+: Marriott St. Louis Grand and Union Station Hotel handle large groups. Pair with a private after-hours buy-out at the Saint Louis Science Center for a signature event.
Sample 3-day St. Louis reunion
A starter agenda you can copy into Reunly's Schedule and customize for your group.
Friday — Arrival & Arch Welcome
- STL arrivals, MetroLink or car to downtown
- 4 PM hotel check-in (Hyatt Regency at the Arch)
- 5:30 PM walk to Gateway Arch — sunset photo
- 7:30 PM welcome dinner — Charlie Gitto's on The Hill
Saturday — Forest Park Day
- 9 AM Saint Louis Zoo (free)
- 12 PM picnic lunch at the Forest Park Boathouse
- 2 PM Saint Louis Art Museum (free) OR Science Center (free)
- 5 PM rest at hotel
- 7 PM group dinner — Cunetto's House of Pasta
Sunday — City Museum + Goodbyes
- 9 AM brunch at Pappy's Smokehouse (the local BBQ legend)
- 11 AM City Museum (3 hours; closed-toe shoes)
- 2 PM final group photo under the Arch
- 3 PM departures
Reunion organizer tips
Stay downtown near the Arch or in the Central West End by Forest Park. Marriott Grand and Hyatt Regency at the Arch put you walking distance to Busch Stadium and the Arch. Central West End hotels (Chase Park Plaza) are walking distance to Forest Park's free attractions.
Build a full day around Forest Park. Free zoo, free art museum, free history museum, and the boathouse for paddleboats. Easy for a multi-gen group with everyone's pace covered. Bring a picnic.
Reserve a private room on The Hill for the big group dinner. Charlie Gitto's, Cunetto's House of Pasta, and Anthonino's all serve groups of 20-50 with classic toasted ravioli, baked mostaccioli, and Italian-American set menus.
Plan City Museum carefully. It's incredible but physically demanding — caves to crawl through, multi-story slides. Ages 5-15 will love it; older relatives can sit in the bar/cafe area while everyone else explores. Closed-toe shoes required.
Add a Cardinals game if dates align. Busch Stadium is downtown and the fan culture is one of the best in baseball. Day games are easiest for a multi-gen group.
Take the tram to the top of the Arch on the first day. Buy timed tickets ahead — same-day sells out. The 4-min tram ride feels engineered in 1965 because it was. Top observation deck is small; allow time for everyone.
How Reunly helps you plan it
Reunly is the all-in-one app made for family reunion organizers. Free to start. No credit card. Cancel anytime.
Smart guest list
Drop in any spreadsheet — Rosi (our AI) reads multi-sheet, color-coded family groups, even handwritten exports. RSVP, dietary, T-shirt, paid status all in one row.
Open in Reunly →Public RSVP link
Share one link with the whole family. They RSVP per event (Friday BBQ, Saturday dinner) without making an account. You see live counts.
Open in Reunly →Budget that adds up
Track estimated vs. actual, who paid, who still owes. Auto-creates per-guest fee rows from your registration cost.
Open in Reunly →Day-by-day schedule
Friday welcome BBQ, Saturday photo, Sunday brunch — with location, meal flag, and per-event RSVPs.
Open in Reunly →Name tags + printables
Avery 5160 sheets color-coded by family, programs, welcome packets, packing lists — auto-filled from your data.
Open in Reunly →Rosi the AI helper
Stuck on a reminder email? A budget? A timeline? Click Rosi anywhere in the app — she drafts it from your live data.
Open in Reunly →Plan your St. Louis reunion with Reunly
Free to start. Build your guest list, share an RSVP link, track payments, and print name tags — no spreadsheets.
Frequently asked
Are St. Louis attractions really free?
Yes — the Saint Louis Zoo, Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, and Saint Louis Science Center all have free general admission (some special exhibitions charge). Forest Park itself is free. The Arch tram, City Museum, and Botanical Garden charge admission.
Where should we stay for a St. Louis reunion?
Downtown by the Arch (Hyatt Regency, Hilton at the Ballpark) for stadium and Arch access. Central West End by Forest Park (Chase Park Plaza) for the free museums and zoo. Both work — pick by what your group prioritizes.
Is the City Museum worth the entry fee?
Yes for adventurous families with kids 5+. It's a multi-story warehouse turned playground — absolutely unique. Wear closed-toe shoes, expect some crawling, and budget 3 hours. Older relatives can hang in the bar/cafe.
Do we need a car in St. Louis?
Helpful but not required. MetroLink connects the airport, downtown, Forest Park, and Central West End. Rent for The Hill (Italian dinner) and the Botanical Garden if you want flexibility.
When is the best time for a St. Louis reunion?
April-May and September-October. Comfortable temps, Cardinals home stands, and Forest Park at its best. Avoid July-August (hot and humid) and January-February (cold).
How does St. Louis compare to Kansas City for a reunion?
St. Louis has more free attractions and the Arch. Kansas City has stronger BBQ and the Plaza. Both are budget-friendly Midwest options. They're 4 hours apart by car if you want to combine.
Other reunion-friendly spots nearby
Helpful planning guides
The complete family reunion checklist
12-month, 6-month, and day-of checklists organizers actually use.
Read the guide →Family reunion budget guide
How to estimate, track, and split costs without spreadsheets.
Read the guide →Family reunion for 50 people
Logistics, lodging, and budget for a 50-person reunion.
Read the guide →