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St Louis is a very affordable city. That’s not exactly our best kept secret. We brag about it often, as we should. So many of the best resources in St Louis are free! You’ll find tons of lists all about the free things to do in St Louis on the internet, but they all seem to be targeted at families and kids. What about the rest of us?
Sure, I love a trip to the free St Louis Zoo just as much as the next person, but there is so much more to St Louis than that. If you’re looking for a list of adult-friendly things to do for free in St Louis, well then my friend, you finally found it!
Table of Contents
Places to get Free Alcohol
Let’s start with the most important adult activity there is: drinking! St Louis is no doubt a drinking town. The history of beer in St Louis runs deep. I barely scratch the surface on that in my post A Beer Lover’s Guide to a Weekend in St Louis. But enough about learning, let’s get to drinking! Here are five places to get a free drink in St Louis!
1. The Anheuser-Busch Brewery
On the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour, you get one free beer on the tour, one more at the end! This tour focuses on the early days of the brewery, including how it survived prohibition. There are a few upgraded tours that you can take to learn even more about the beer making process or their facility, but their basic tour is completely free. These spaces fill up fast on the weekends, especially during the summer, so be sure to arrive early if you want to get a tour in during the day.
2. Grant’s Farm
Owned by the Busch Family, still serving up free beers. While you will find a lot of kids here, you’ll also find two free beers, including one that is a Grant’s Farm exclusive. You don’t have to pay to get in, but you will have to pay to park. Try getting dropped of or parking at the trailhead down the road.
3. Liquor Stores (on a Saturday)
Almost every Liqour Store offers free tastes on Saturdays. It’s the perfect opportunity to find something new you love. Check out Friar Tucks or Clayton Wine Cellar for (lots of) free sips on Saturdays. When we don’t have something planned, this is usually our go-to. We’ve met many “regulars” at these tastings and really enjoy the company.
4. Schlafly
Check out their bottling facility in their Maplewood location, known as Schlafly Bottleworks. At the end of the tour, split a free pitcher of beer with some new friends.
If you’re ready to dive into even more great places to grab a beer in St Louis, check out A Beer Lover’s Guide to a Weekend in St Louis for all the must-see stops!
5. The Wineries
If you’re up for a day trip, venture out to Missouri wine country. Blumenhof, Noboleis, and Balducci all offer free wine tastings and some beautiful views of wine country.
Free Museums in St Louis
One of the best things about St Louis is that we have tons of free museums! If there is ever a day when you can’t find anything going on in St Louis, which is rare, there are a few world-class museums to turn to for help.
6. The Saint Louis Art Museum
It will be hard to get through all of the Saint Louis Art Museum in one day, so don’t rush it! There is one exhibit in the contemporary wing that is paid, the rest is completely free. Don’t miss the sculpture park!
7. The Missouri History Museum
These exhibits change rapidly, so even if you’ve visited before, it’s time for another visit! While the Missouri History Museum focuses on, well, Missouri History, don’t let that keep you from visiting. The curators at this museum do an excellent job at storytelling to grab visitor’s attention no matter where you’re from.
8. The World Chess Hall of Fame
If you’re not interested in chess, don’t let the name deter you. The World Chess Hall of Fame Museum is a really awesome collaboration between artists and the chess community. And features anything from chess inspired artwork to chess pieces made out of unexpected things. They do ask for donations if you’ve enjoyed your visit, but there is no cost of admission to get inside.
9. The Museum at Gateway Arch National Park
The newly redone museum under the Gateway Arch is filled with history of the region and of the westward expansion. Since the 2018 remodel, the museum gained 46,000 square feet of museum exhibits!
10. The Contemporary Art Museum
There is no limit to what you will find at a Contemporary Art Museum, and at this one, not only will you find free admission and great exhibits, but you’ll also get delicious food and a peaceful sculpture garden.
Jump on a Free Tour
If you want to learn more about the City of St Louis and it’s history while you’re here, look no further than these amazing tours that you can go on absolutely free!
11. Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
The Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site is part of the National Park Service and was home to our 18th President while he lived in St Louis. Here you’ll learn about the history of Grant and of his wife Julia Dent, a St Louis native.
12. Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate
Take a free tour of St Louis’s Chocolate Factory. What’s not to love? This tour of Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate and four more sweet tooth date night ideas in my post 60+ St Louis Date Ideas That You’ll Absolutely Love.
13. The Old Courthouse
The Old Courthouse is part of the Gateway Arch National Park. This three-story Courthouse is filled with beautiful architecture and artwork. It’s also a place of our nation’s darker past because it was a place where slaves were bought and sold, and where the Dred Scott decision was made. Check with the visitors desk to schedule a free tour with a Park Ranger to learn more about this spot.
For more information about the Old Courthouse and the rest of Gateway Arch National Park, check out my complete guide to this St Louis park!
14. Forest Park Self Guided Walking Tours
Forest Park is the perfect place to get lost. You’re welcome to just wander the park at your leisure, but if you’re ready to learn more about the park, check out one of their free walking tours!
Other Places to Explore for Free in St Louis
Like St Louis, some of the places on this list can’t be made to fit into a clean category. This is the catch-all spot for other things in St Louis you do not want to miss!
15. The Farmers Markets
Soulard, Kirkwood, Tower Grove, and Schlafly all host their own Farmer’s Markets, and I’m sure many more that I’m not even aware of. If you’re looking to get to know the local entrepreneurs and support local business, here’s a great place to start!
16. Cahokia Mounds
You’re going to want to visit Cahokia Mounds very soon! If all goes according to plan, this destination just across the river is about to become a National Monument. Hike the area around the mounds and enjoy the views from up top, check out the museum, or take the guided tour.
17. Lone Elk Park
A very unique park out in St Louis County. As the name Lone Elk Park suggests, this park is home to a large herd of elk! There are also bison and deer that roam the park. The best part is, cars are welcome to drive through and look at the creatures, sort of like a safari for the Midwest!
Seasonally Available Free Events in St Louis
This list only scratches the surface of all of the free things there are to do in St Louis! Keep an eye on the events calendars for even more free events that happen annually.
18. The Muny
The Muny is a beautiful outdoor theater that has become a staple of Summertime in St Louis. Performances run every year between June and August, and sometimes attract some well-known actors to the stage. The Muny offers a whole section of free seats to every performance. If you want to catch the show for free, you’ll have to come prepared to stand in line for a while. For a popular show, I recommend showing up two hours before the show time or earlier to have a shot at getting seats. But if you can score the coveted free seats spot, it is so worth it.
19. St Louis Symphony Concert on Art Hill
Every year the St Louis Symphony hosts an outdoor concert on Art Hill completely for free. The Symphony sets up at the bottom of the hill, and the hill gives a sort of stadium seating feeling, there’s no bad seat in the house! Bring a picnic, a bottle of wine, and enjoy the show! This event happens annually in September.
20. The Brewery Lights at Anheuser-Busch
Every year around the holiday season, Anheuser-Busch turns on thousands of lights across their entire brewery. They open their gates after dark and allow guests to walk through and enjoy the lights. While this is a family friendly event, only adults 21+ will get to take advantage of the free beer available at the event. Their generosity fluctuates every year, we’ve gotten as many as 5 free beers and as few as two. But either way it is completely free to attend and the lights are truly breathtaking.
21. Art Outside in Maplewood
A huge art festival that the city of Maplewood hosts every fall. There is live music and it is completely free to walk around and enjoy the artwork. If you’re okay with spending a little cash at the event, you can purchase food, drinks, and beautiful pieces of artwork available for sale.
If you want to learn more about this St Louis suburb, you can learn more about it in my post: St Louis Neighborhood Guide: Maplewood
No matter when you visit St Louis, there will always be something free for you to enjoy, making this beautiful city one of the most affordable vacation spots in the United States. You can’t miss it!
If you’re looking for even more things to do in St Louis, check out my other posts on my favorite city!
60+ St Louis Date Ideas That You’ll Absolutely Love!
A Beer Lover’s Guide to a Weekend in St Louis
How to have the Best 48 Hours in St Louis
A Complete Guide to the National Parks of St Louis
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Love this list! I’ve driven through St. Louis but never explored it. Great to know there’s so many budget-friendly things to do. Saving this for later for sure!
St. Louis is an extremely affordable city to visit and it’s so fun, too! You should definitely explore St. Louis next time you’re in the area!
Wow, I have not visited yet, but would like to go someday. I had no idea there were so many amazing free things to do! I will be saving this for later. Thank you for sharing!!
There are so many great things to do in St. Louis! Check it out when you have the chance! It’s a really great city!
I love your focus on free stuff for adults without kids or families! And that you started out with drinks, of course. I’ve never been to St. Louis, but now I may need to add it to my list.
The focus always seems to be on free things for FAMILIES to do in St. Louis, but there are so many things that are offered to an adult audience that doesn’t get its dues! I love visiting the family stops as much as the next person, but there’s so much more to this city than the Zoo or the City Museum! You’re going to have a blast when you visit St. Louis!
I absolutely love all the free things St. Louis has to offer!!
Me too! It’s one of the things that really drew me to this city! There’s always something going on and it’s accessible to everyone!
Drove through St. Louis on my way to Iowa; vowed to return but haven’t yet. One of my athletes is attending college there so I will keep this list so that when I go to visit him I will have an idea of what to see and visit.
College is what brought me to St. Louis and with all the amazing things this city had to offer, I never wanted to leave! I hope your son has a great time at school! I’m sure he’ll have plenty of things to show you the next time you visit, but hopefully you can use my guides and show him a thing or two, too!
This is a great list! We almost took a road trip to STL this summer, so I’m saving this for when we do get there!
Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you plan your trip when you do make it down this way! There’s something here for everyone, you’re going to love it!
Great post! We visited St Louis a few years ago to visit my brother in law who was stationed in the Air Force. I found the city way cooler than I thought I would. We visited almost all of the places you wrote about (of course we got as much of the free beer as possible also..lol) Thanks for the post it reminded me of the great time we had there
I’m so glad St Louis exceeded your expectations! It’s such a great city and can always show visitors a good time if they give it a chance! I hope you can make it back to visit again soon. The free beer will always be here!!
I am a St. Louis native and fully concur with everything you listed. Sometimes I forget what a great city it is because I’ve never lived anywhere else. I’ve been told about the traffic and high cost living in so many other cities, so that makes me appreciate my city even more. Thanks for the great post and reminder of all the great things we have here. 🙂
I’m not a St. Louis native and I’ve lived in those expensive, high-traffic cities. I’d choose St. Louis over those other places any day! The life you can build with the cheap cost of living and wide array of things to do here just can’t be beat!
I would definitely add the St Louis Basilica an the Greek Festival at St Nicholas Church in the Central West End!! Two really great one!
Both great suggestions! Thanks, Lynnette!