St. Louis, right on the Illinois and Missouri border (and about an hour outside of Greenville for those of us who are students), is a city rising in popularity that has tons of great restaurants, museums and places to explore. But what if you’re a financially-challenged college student with only ten dollars to spare? Don’t worry – there’s still plenty for you to do! Here is a list of some of the great adventures you can go on for ten dollars or less.
VISIT FOREST PARK
Forest Park, also known as the “Heart of St. Louis,” is a 1,371-acre piece of land that is home many of the city’s greatest attractions – and they’re all free (or offer free options). There are trails where you can walk, run, bike, etc., you can visit the St. Louis Zoo, stroll through the Saint Louis Art Museum, see a play at the Muny, and so much more. The park itself often has festivals or concerts at their pavilion and Art Hill as well. For more information on all Forest Park has to offer – check out their website.
RIDE AROUND THE CITY
If you’ve been in St. Louis and haven’t seen the plethora of bikes and scooters scattered around the sidewalks, then you haven’t been paying attention. The great thing about these vehicles is that if you see one that’s unattended, you can rent it to ride anywhere around the city. Download the Lime or Bird app, scan the QR code on the bike or electric scooter you wish to rent, pay $1 to unlock then you’ll just pay the per-minute fee. Once you’re done, park it in a safe area and the app will take care of the rest.
GO TO A CARDINALS GAME
Tickets for Cardinals games are typically a good amount more than our ten buck limit, but there is a great way to get cheap tickets and that’s through the Gametime app. Gametime offers low-cost tickets (I’ve purchased some for as low as $3) and the cost is usually cheaper the closer you get to game time. Often you’ll be sitting in nosebleeds or bleachers, but for ten dollars you can’t really go wrong. Keep in mind that the prices may be higher if they are offering free memorabilia at the door, though that’s not always the case. You can also purchase tickets to other sporting events, concerts and plays through Gametime as well.
GRAB A SCOOP
St. Louis is home to many great ice cream shops, however, my personal favorite is Jeni’s in Central West End. Originally founded in Columbus, Ohio, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams offers high-quality ice cream in delicious, non-traditional flavors. From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted by the smell of their freshly made waffle cones and great atmosphere. At the counter, their super-friendly employees will let you taste any of the multitudes of flavor options. Once you make your choice, you can choose to sit and enjoy in-store, or you can peruse the many shops Central West End has to offer (make sure you stop in and say “hello” to the shop cat at Left Bank Books next door.)
EXPLORE THE WORLD OF IKEA
The Swedish-founded furniture and home store, Ikea, is a great place to spend an entire day – seriously. Every section of the store has its own sample rooms, each fully decorated and fully adorable, and along the way there are full examples of “small space” apartments furnished entirely with Ikea merchandise. After browsing the upper-level showroom, you can then walk through the main-level marketplace which houses their small-goods. You could use your ten dollars to buy some items for yourself, or you can grab lunch at their restaurant or bistro.
As you can see, there’s much to do in the city even if funds are low, and this isn’t even an exhaustive list. Try out some (or all) of these great activities and see how much you can in do in St. Louis for ten dollars or less.
