Courtesy of Carly Anderson

Senior Carly Anderson visits downtown St. Louis. Anderson rode the St. Louis Ferris Wheel on a foggy day, so the view was limited, however, Anderson had a positive perspective on the experience. “It’s far enough away from the Arch that you get a different view, so that it’s not two tall things with the same perspective,” Anderson said.

As students sit at the edges of their seats, excited to get out of school for spring break, 59.2% of freshmen say that they are staying in St. Louis for the break. However, there are many attractions, both new and classic, in St. Louis that you could visit to enjoy the break.

“[I prefer] staying in. It’s good to just have downtime,” freshman Brian Isele said. “When you travel, you have this schedule. You have to go to the first [place], then the second [place] and it just keeps building on you. If you have a ‘staycation’ you don’t really have a schedule and you can say ‘I’m up for this right now.’”

Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch is more than just a beautiful monument. It also holds a lot of St. Louis history and fun facts. Did you know the Arch, the tallest in the world, is as wide as it is tall? Did you know that presidents are not allowed to go all the way to the top–except Dwight Eisenhower? Opened June 10, 1967 after 30 years of demolition, planning and construction, an average of four million people visit each year.

Student’s take: “The Arch is always a must see thing,” sophomore Raymond Yoon said. “Not [even] to actually go in, but when you come in from Illinois and then drive past it at night, with all the lights flashing up on it, it’s beautiful.” 

St. Louis Ferris Wheel

The new St. Louis Ferris Wheel, standing 200 feet tall, is 20 feet taller than the Colossus ferris wheel at the Six Flags in Eureka, Mo. The St. Louis Ferris wheel gives you a great view of the downtown St. Louis area. This attraction opened on the same day the Soda Fountain opened, Sept. 30, bringing more attention to the Union Station area.

Student’s take: “I love the new ferris wheel. That whole area is sick,” senior Amanda DeGuire said. 

The Delmar Loop  

The Delmar Loop is filled with St. Louis culture. As you walk through the Loop, most people will come across stars on the ground with names in them. These names are part of the St. Louis Walk of Fame, where the names of famous St. Louisans are showcased for all to see. The Loop is also home to the new trolley and famous restaurants like Blueberry Hill, Salt + Smoke and Fitz’s.

Student’s take: “The Loop is pretty fun. I feel like that’s a good collection of St. Louis culture and fun things to do. There’s a concert venue and really old restaurants and a lot of arts and shops. I think that’s a really cool thing to show off a collection of St. Louis culture,” senior Carly Anderson said. 

City Museum 

The City Museum, which originally opened in 1993, is still open, but also in the middle of renovations before the rooftop opens March 13. The City Museum is adding an aquarium and multiple new tunnels that travel through the aquarium section. 

Student’s take: “My favorite St. Louis attraction is the City Museum because every time I go there, there’s something new and it’s also very unique. No other place really has somewhere like the City Museum,” Isele said.

St. Louis Foods

Toasted ravioli is a St. Louis must-try, especially from local pizza restaurant Imo’s. You can also enjoy famous food places in St. Louis like Blueberry Hill, Pappy’s Smokehouse and Charlie Gitto’s On the Hill. 

Student’s take: “Toasted-ravs, hot dog buns and waffle cones, the holders of foods are from St. Louis,” freshman Emma Larsen said.

Union Station attractions 

Union Station has two new attractions that have opened in the last year, including the Union Station Soda Fountain and the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station. Both of these places have given Union Station more intriguing tourist attractions that you might want to see this spring break. 

Student’s take: “I want to see how [the aquarium] looks now. I haven’t really heard much about it, so I just want to go to see what experiences they have there,” freshman Annie Reiter said.

Laumeier Park 

This park, founded in 1976, is full of sculptures and inspiring artwork across its 105-acre lands. Laumeier Park has an estimated 300,000 visitors per year and is ranked ninth in Tripadvisor’s top parks in St. Louis.

Student’s take: “There are a lot of beautiful places all over St. Louis, but I think I’d say the giant eyeball in Laumeier Sculpture Park [is my favorite],” Larsen said. “Although I do like places like the Botanical Gardens, St. Louis Zoo or even the Gateway Arch, I think the giant eyeball is so iconic, different and funny. [It is a] great, funny place to show a new person to St. Louis.”