Forest Park
DESCRIPTION: As one of America's great urban parks, it features as many attractions as Central Park in New York in its 1,300 landscaped acres; in 1904, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and World’s Fair drew more than 19 million visitors to Forest Park; widely considered to be one of America's great urban parks, it contains the St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Science Center & planetarium, St. Louis History Museum, Missouri River Aquarium, Jewel Box Greenhouse, a golf course, tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields, a 7.5-mile biking, jogging and skating trail, Steinberg Ice Rink, three lakes and a boathouse; a Shuttle Bug conveniently travels throughout the park
ADDRESS: bounded by I-64 Freeway, Kingshighway Blvd, Lindell Blvd and Skinker Blvd  MAP
WEBSITE: http://www.slfp.com

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
DESCRIPTION: The park is a memorial to President Thomas Jefferson’s role opening the West, as memorialized by the Gateway Arch, to the pioneers who helped shape the history of the West, and to Dred Scott who sued for his freedom in the Old Courthouse adjacent to the park; includes the Museum of Westward Expansion; visitors to the Gateway Arch must pass through a security checkpoint before entering
DAYS & HOURS: Gateway Arch and Museum of Westward Expansion open daily 9a-6p
ADDRESS: 1 North 4th Street  MAP

PHONE: 314-655-1700‎

WEBSITE: http://www.nps.gov/jeff

Missouri Botanical Garden
DESCRIPTION: Renown for the beauty and variety of its gardens; particularly the rose garden, geodesic domed greenhouse and Japanese garden; hosts an annual Kwanzaa Festival; the Climatron Geodesic dome recreates a rain forest
Admission: $5 Adults, $3 Children
ADDRESS: 4344 Shaw Blvd  MAP
PHONE: 314-577-5100
WEBSITE: http://www.mobot.org

Laumeier Sculpture Park
DESCRIPTION: 116-acre contemporary sculpture park and art museum; hiking trails and picnic areas; try out the new iPod tours of the park, which includes more than 80 contemporary figures throughout the lush 105-acres;  open year-round and only a 25 minute drive from downtown
ADDRESS: 12580 Rott Road  MAP
PHONE: 314-821-1209
WEBSITE: http:// www.laumeier.com

Columbia Bottom Conservation Area
DESCRIPTION: 4,300 acre preserve located at the confluence of America's great rivers, the Mississippi and Missouri; hiking and biking trails, native Missouri wildlife
ADDRESS: Columbia Bottom Road north of I-270 and Riverview Drive  MAP
PHONE: 314-441-4554

Cahokia Mounds World Heritage Site
DESCRIPTION: Earthen pyramid-like mounds by the Cahokia, which was the largest early Indian American city north of Mexico; these remarkable people demonstrated an advanced knowledge of solar calendars and their culture flourished here from 700 to 1300 AD; many historians consider their merit to be on par with the Great Pyramids of Egypt; the UNESCO site includes an interpretive center
ADDRESS: 7850 Collinsville Road, St. Clair County, IL‎  MAP
PHONE: 618-344-9221‎ Museum Society
WEBSITE: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/198

Rockwoods Reservation
DESCRIPTION: 1,898 acres of rugged forest with springs and streams. seven trails, cave crawl, picnic areas and education center
ADDRESS: 2751 Glencoe Road  MAP
PHONE: 314-458-2236