I am going to st. louis for a long weekend-- for a convention, any suggestions for free time?

The City Museum is supposed to be like nothing else in the world. I plan to fly to STL from NYC just to see this spectacular place.

citymuseum.com

oops! I meant citymuseum.org

We had the same question a month or so ago before flying to St. Louis for a family function. We were pleasantly surprised at how much there was to see.
We really enjoyed both the Union Station/Hyatt hotel complex on Market St. and the St. Louis Zoo. Both are definite worth your time.
And, of course, you can't go to St. Louis and not see the Arch!

There's tons to do there.

But no baseball in October. HA-ha!

There are casinos available if that is to your liking.

I live in St Louis & agree with the previous posts. Depending on what part of town you are staying in & if you have a car, you might be interested in our Botanical Gardens which are beautiful & relaxing. The Central West End is a great neighborhood with shops & restaurants~a good walking area. The South Grand area is filled with restaurants of every ethnicity & shops also. Forest Park has the zoo, Histrory Museum & the Art Museum & lots of walking trails. Taxis are expensive in St Louis so you might be careful & use them only if necessary. Hope you enjoy your stay!

I too live in St. Louis and there is quite a bit to do. As mentioned above, Forest Park is a great place to start. Its filled with a bunch of free museums and a wonderful zoo. Then head to the Arch and the Westward Expansion museum underneath. The City Museum was a good suggestion.

If you are looking for interesting neighborhoods with good restaurants, check out The Hill for great Italian, Soulard, the Central West End and the Loop for great bars, restaurants and cafes, and Lafayette Square for good Mexican and other restaurants.

I actually work right behind Union Station. While the complex is interesting, its mainly filled with touristy St. Louis giftshops, a food court and a bunch of tour groups that are staying at nearby hotels. There are a couple of good restaurants around Union Station though.

Have a great time!
Tracy

I should have explained why the Union Station/Hyatt complex tops my list: It's the architecture of the place!

Thanks for all the advice, I will let you know how it goes.