[CrystalWolf]

As a FIRST alumna and now a (freshman) college student in St. Louis, I'd just thought I'd create this account to chime in.

I probably don't know as must as the St. Louis-area teams, though, so you might want to ask them for opinions. Most of my suggestions are just rehashing what others have said.

I highly recommend the St. Louis Art Museum in Forest Park. It is amazing and completely free! The size of the collections is mind-boggling; they have everything from van Goghs and Picassos to Egyptian mummies and medieval armor, as well as exhibits of cultural art from around the world. (The first time I visited, I didn't have a map and got lost wandering through for several hours before finding my way back to the lobby and realizing I only saw about half of it.)

Just across the street from the art museum is the zoo, which is also free and lots of fun! Both of these together would easily take a whole day, though.

I've heard people say that the City Museum is a must-see. It's not free, but I'm sure it's worth the price of admission. It's been described as a "playground for adults."

If you want to ride to the top of the Arch, it's best to call in advance and book tickets several days beforehand. If they're sold out, you can always visit the museum built underneath it; it's small, but it's pretty cool.

I second Fitz's and the (Delmar) Loop in general. It's a street with lots of interesting restaurants and shops. Although Fitz's is great (root beer floats and brownie sundaes... yum), it's nice to visit the smaller restaurants and try food you've never eaten before. Although the area is slightly sketchy, and there have been several muggings, they were in dark alleys with victims walking along or in pairs. The street itself is well-lit and crowded at night. Overall, my impressions are that St. Louis is about as safe/dangerous as Atlanta; just use common sense, and it's not too bad.