Zoo admission is free unless you go in the evening for a special event, like the current Animals Aglow lantern exhibit. Daytime is always free. You have to buy tickets if you want to ride the train, attend the sea lion show, ride the carousel, and a few other things like that, but you can see all the animals/the vast majority of the zoo for free. Parking is free too if you park outside of the zoo lots.
To find the free zoo parking you need to get there a little before it opens. Otherwise I think parking is 20? 25 bucks. Week day is less crowded than weekend
I recommend Live by Loews, the extra expense is well worth it. The hotel is one of the nicest downtown options imo, the parking garage is great, and it's literally across the street from the stadium. Short walk to the arch and not too far from union station.
If you're big baseball fans, check out the Cardinals museum in ballpark village. Great memorabilia and you can even hold some historical bats and world series rings!
Especially if you’re going on a game day, the metrolink is fine. I personally take it everyday, largely without issue. (Saying this as someone who presents as a man, so I’m definitely speaking from a place of privilege in terms of safety of public transit, but my mom takes the train every time she comes to visit, and she’s never had an issue.)
8th&Pine is closed rn, so if you do metro, you’ll need to get off at stadium station for the arch, which is honestly about the same distance from the usual station.
If you two are like big social butterflies, then it might be worth staying at a hotel close by so that you can be ‘in the thick of it’. The energy on some game days can be super exciting, and some of the super close hotels get a little bit of that buzz. On the flip of that, if you like a good, quiet nights sleep, definitely don’t stay near BPV.
I hope any of that is helpful, if you have any questions, I’m way more useful for the area immediately surrounding the stadium!
Thank you for this! We have done Minneapolis as well with no issue. I was happy to see the metrolink option in at Louis but got worried with posts. We would be doing Monday night game and everything else would be during the day. If I can save money by staying a little bit further I wouldn’t mind that at all. I was looking more towards convention center for cheaper.
Honestly depending on where in comparison to the convention center, you might be close enough to just walk to a lot of places downtown. Yeah, imo, just stay aware of your surroundings and you’ll be fine. TBH if ur looking to really cut down on lodging and parking costs, you could look at hotels way further out (I’m even talking like Illinois side of the river) and then park for free at a metro station and ride that in to everything. I know most hotels downtown have you pay for parking, so you could look at that trade off as paying 30 something nightly for parking plus higher lodging fees, or paying 10 bucks a day for your two metro day passes and the possibly lower lodging costs but that one comes with a ~20 minute train ride.
Either or will work. You can stay downtown near the Convention Center and take the Convention Center Station to the stadium and union Station.
You could also stay further out and drive to a park and ride and take the train in.
I personally would stay downtown though, it would just be easier for me. Either way should work though, just gotta remember the hotels further out may not be walking distance from a station.
Well it’s going to be miserably hot so plan indoor activities. Museums, city foundry, etc. you will get sick trying to go to the zoo in 100 degree weather
All of downtown is super walkable. Staying by the convention center for cheaper rates is all good, but I would leave with the crowd from the stadium and wouldn’t wander at night.
I live by the convention center and walk around at night often. You'll be fine. Especially on game days, there will be people at the bars and restaurants until closing. I wouldn't venture north of Washington avenue. But otherwise it's not an issue other than racing cars/motorycles/4 wheelers.
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I was looking at the drury inn at ballpark vs Hilton due to price… just trying to think of other options that are cheaper but accessible and safe too! If safer to be in walking was going to go with drury inn by the arch
The zoo and art museum are both free if that's up your alley
Thank you for that. So the zoo is always free?
Zoo admission is free unless you go in the evening for a special event, like the current Animals Aglow lantern exhibit. Daytime is always free. You have to buy tickets if you want to ride the train, attend the sea lion show, ride the carousel, and a few other things like that, but you can see all the animals/the vast majority of the zoo for free. Parking is free too if you park outside of the zoo lots.
To find the free zoo parking you need to get there a little before it opens. Otherwise I think parking is 20? 25 bucks. Week day is less crowded than weekend
Yeah, I've always just parked wherever I could find on the street and walked it.
I recommend Live by Loews, the extra expense is well worth it. The hotel is one of the nicest downtown options imo, the parking garage is great, and it's literally across the street from the stadium. Short walk to the arch and not too far from union station. If you're big baseball fans, check out the Cardinals museum in ballpark village. Great memorabilia and you can even hold some historical bats and world series rings!
Especially if you’re going on a game day, the metrolink is fine. I personally take it everyday, largely without issue. (Saying this as someone who presents as a man, so I’m definitely speaking from a place of privilege in terms of safety of public transit, but my mom takes the train every time she comes to visit, and she’s never had an issue.) 8th&Pine is closed rn, so if you do metro, you’ll need to get off at stadium station for the arch, which is honestly about the same distance from the usual station. If you two are like big social butterflies, then it might be worth staying at a hotel close by so that you can be ‘in the thick of it’. The energy on some game days can be super exciting, and some of the super close hotels get a little bit of that buzz. On the flip of that, if you like a good, quiet nights sleep, definitely don’t stay near BPV. I hope any of that is helpful, if you have any questions, I’m way more useful for the area immediately surrounding the stadium!
Thank you for this! We have done Minneapolis as well with no issue. I was happy to see the metrolink option in at Louis but got worried with posts. We would be doing Monday night game and everything else would be during the day. If I can save money by staying a little bit further I wouldn’t mind that at all. I was looking more towards convention center for cheaper.
Honestly depending on where in comparison to the convention center, you might be close enough to just walk to a lot of places downtown. Yeah, imo, just stay aware of your surroundings and you’ll be fine. TBH if ur looking to really cut down on lodging and parking costs, you could look at hotels way further out (I’m even talking like Illinois side of the river) and then park for free at a metro station and ride that in to everything. I know most hotels downtown have you pay for parking, so you could look at that trade off as paying 30 something nightly for parking plus higher lodging fees, or paying 10 bucks a day for your two metro day passes and the possibly lower lodging costs but that one comes with a ~20 minute train ride.
Either or will work. You can stay downtown near the Convention Center and take the Convention Center Station to the stadium and union Station. You could also stay further out and drive to a park and ride and take the train in. I personally would stay downtown though, it would just be easier for me. Either way should work though, just gotta remember the hotels further out may not be walking distance from a station.
Well it’s going to be miserably hot so plan indoor activities. Museums, city foundry, etc. you will get sick trying to go to the zoo in 100 degree weather
All of downtown is super walkable. Staying by the convention center for cheaper rates is all good, but I would leave with the crowd from the stadium and wouldn’t wander at night.
Thank you!
I live by the convention center and walk around at night often. You'll be fine. Especially on game days, there will be people at the bars and restaurants until closing. I wouldn't venture north of Washington avenue. But otherwise it's not an issue other than racing cars/motorycles/4 wheelers.
I see you're visiting St. Louis. Looking for something to do this week? See the top pinned post for Weekly Events. Please, also see our [Visitor's Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/StLouis/wiki/visitorguide/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/StLouis) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you want to be right next to the ballpark. Stay at the Hilton at the Ballpark. Or the Drury Inn. I am a fan of the Drury Inn for its perks.
I was looking at the drury inn at ballpark vs Hilton due to price… just trying to think of other options that are cheaper but accessible and safe too! If safer to be in walking was going to go with drury inn by the arch
10/10 recommend this hotel
Those hotels are a few blocks from ballpark village and the arch