Your St. Louis CME conference.

St. Louis after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM St. Louis time. For an easy afternoon, choose one outing: the Museum at the Gateway Arch, a loop through Forest Park, a walk through the Missouri Botanical Garden, or a stroll through the Soulard Farmers Market. Reserve ahead for the Arch tram, since the Arch’s operator notes that tram tickets often sell out.

Travel, accommodation and attraction admission are arranged separately. Your conference follows your specialty and interests on your own phone or laptop; the city is simply the setting you choose for it.

The Arch, the riverfront and downtown

Gateway Arch National Park commemorates President Jefferson’s vision of a continental nation, and the tram carries visitors to the top of the Arch. The museum beneath it has six galleries with interactive exhibits and covers St. Louis’s role in United States history. Sightseeing riverboat cruises with skyline views are also listed by the Arch’s operator.

The Old Courthouse, part of the same park, covers the Dred and Harriet Scott trials, the history of U.S. courts and African American life in St. Louis. Check its current status and hours before you plan around it.

For something less formal, City Museum at 750 North 16th Street is an indoor, outdoor and underground playground in a former shoe warehouse, with slides, caves and climbers. Compare its hours with your 2:00 PM finish.

Forest Park and its museums

Forest Park holds several of the city’s major institutions. The Saint Louis Art Museum is at One Fine Arts Drive and describes a collection of 37,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of history and culture, and a sculpture garden. The park’s conservancy also lists a visitor and education center, a nature playscape and a racquetball court with murals.

The Glade is a 22-acre area in eastern Forest Park with a skating rink and all-season activities; the park’s conservancy advises reserving a session and renting skates in advance. The Central West End sits along the park’s eastern border, so it makes a natural base for a Forest Park afternoon.

Neighborhoods for an evening

Explore St. Louis calls Soulard the city’s oldest neighborhood, known for brick row houses, blues clubs, a yearly Mardi Gras celebration rooted in its French heritage and the Soulard Farmers Market. The Hill was settled by Italian immigrants in the early 1900s and is known for Italian flag–colored fireplugs, bocce and specialty shops.

The Central West End has tree-lined and café-lined streets, antique shops and boutiques, early 1900s cast iron streetlamps, the World Chess Hall of Fame and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. It is also home to Left Bank Books, an independent bookstore.

Lafayette Square surrounds a park founded in 1836 and is known for Victorian-era homes. South Grand has international restaurants, vintage shops and coffee houses, with Tower Grove Park among its notable attractions. Explore St. Louis also lists the Delmar Loop, the Grand Center Arts District, The Grove and Cherokee Street, so look those up if the first few do not suit you. Choose one neighborhood for the evening rather than several.

Gardens, the zoo and green space

The Missouri Botanical Garden was founded in 1859 and Explore St. Louis describes it as the oldest public garden in the United States. Explore St. Louis places the garden and Tower Grove Park, a Victorian-style park and National Historic Landmark with a large variety of trees, in the South Grand neighborhood. The Saint Louis Zoo is at 1 Government Drive, is accredited by the AZA and has a Zooline Railroad for getting around; its home page shows animals from addax to zebras.

Together they suit a slow afternoon after study. Check each place’s opening hours before you go, since they may not match your 2:00 PM finish, and ask the zoo about stroller and electric vehicle rentals if you want to save your legs.

Day trips beyond the city

Explore St. Louis lists day trips including Cahokia Mounds, the Great River Road, Missouri Wine Country, Historic Saint Charles, Kimmswick, Mark Twain’s Hannibal and underground caves near the city. Most need a car and several hours, so they fit a day when your study is finished early or a day you choose to skip.

Route 66 sites, breweries and distilleries are also listed on its home page if you would rather stay in town.

When to visit St. Louis

The National Weather Service lists normal July highs near 90 degrees Fahrenheit with lows near 71, and normal January highs near 40 with lows near 24. Explore St. Louis describes fall as a celebration, with delightful weather and gorgeous foliage, and its winter calendar includes ice skating downtown and holiday train rides. Use the local forecast when you plan outdoor time.

Getting to St. Louis and your study setting

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) is the arrival point shown in this guide. Choose your accommodation and ground transport with both your study setting and your plans outside study hours in mind.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.