After the last year we’ve had, we all deserve a vacation. But after being stuck in the house all year, we’re taking this summer to remember all of the wonderful spots there are to visit just minutes from home. Our friends at City Museum invited us to take a St. Louis Staycation and introduce our little ones to some of our favorite St. Louis spots. We had the best time showing our kids where we met, the first house we lived in together, and touring a few St. Louis attractions that you simply can’t find anywhere else.

We checked into Drury Plaza Hotel at the St. Louis Arch for a three-night stay. We love the proximity to The Gateway Arch, the indoor pool and hot tubs, the outdoor lounge terrace and the happy hour kickback with complimentary drinks. They also provide breakfast and we loved grabbing a muffin and enjoying the view of the riverfront right from our room. The kids were in absolute awe. No matter how many times you’ve seen the arch there’s still something so special about it.

Our first dinner spot was Pat Conolly Tavern in Dogtown. I love their vegetarian burger options and it’s a perfect casual spot to pile in the kids during the day. My husband and I had our first home in Dogtown and we still love the neighborhood so much. It’s so fun and at the same time so cozy.

The St. Louis Aquarium was a new spot for all of us! I was thrilled to see that they have an entire section dedicated to little ones. Our kids are four, five, and five months. I knew that they’d be able to touch some sea creatures but I hadn’t heard about the interactive water exhibit or the special play area. The boys loved it. And on a hot day it was great that a lot of the areas and dark and cool. The baby snoozed the whole time: bonus!

After the aquarium, we stopped for lunch at one of my favorite spots in St. Louis, Nudo House. If you like ramen, this place is a must. I had the curry and the best crab rangoon in town. For picky little ones, no need to worry, their kids’ ramen with chicken is delicious. My two boys gobbled it up.

We also made a stop at The Soda Fountain at Union Station right next to the aquarium. My kids were in heaven. They have an entire room dedicated to candy and their BLT is huge and delicious. The kids enjoyed their milkshake while we watched the fire show on the water outside.

The highlight of our trip was definitely City Museum. It is almost impossible to describe what an amazingly creative, wild, and weird adventure it is. It’s a historic landmark, a circus, a giant work of art, a playground, and so much more. We were there for three hours and there was still so much left to explore. The point really is to get lost in it all.

First we crawled deep into the caves and out around splashing water. We climbed our way to the second floor where we tumbled around on ramps. We took photos with the fish in huge tanks and swung on ropes hanging from the ceilings. We made our way through scuplture after sculpture to the outdoor walkways of Monstrocity that led us to life-sized airplanes suspended from giant cages.

Next we made our way to The Rooftop to experience the spinning ferris wheel, giant slide, and school bus suspended over the top of the building. Our five-year-old got nervous at the top but our four-year-old was ready to go higher. I’m glad we left the baby at home, because this is definitely a place to crawl, climb, and explore, and a stroller would have slowed us down.

If you haven’t experienced the City Museum, you have to make time to check it out. I really doubt there’s any place like it anywhere else.

A few other places to make sure you check out while you’re Downtown:

Left Bank Books: the largest independently-owned bookstore in St. Louis
Medina Meditteranean Grill: delicious vegetarian options and great patio
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream: adorable dessert in the Central West End
Garden District STL: plants, books and so much more

Thank you so much to Drury Hotels and the City Museum for hosting us. And thank you for reading! Posts like make The Daily Wild possible. For more images and inspiration, follow us on Instagram @thedailywild.

A St. Louis Staycation: City Museum, Gateway Arch, Aquarium and More