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St. Louis Has Animal Magnetism
Like animals?
If you do, you'll love St. Louis.
Whether your favorites are exotic zoo animals, domestic or wild canines, farm animals, horses, birds or fish, St. Louis has something for animal-lovers of every ilk. In fact, few places in the entire country give you as many attractions where you can get up close and personal with our furry or feathered friends as St. Louis does.
Maybe it's fitting that a city founded as a fur trading post is now host to a number of organizations that preserve and protect animals. Most of those organizations, as well as St. Louis' attractions that focus on animals, welcome two-footed visitors.
A good place to start your animal adventure is at the world famous Saint Louis Zoo where you can easily spend a day - or more. As an added bonus, general admission to the Zoo is free. For more information on the Saint Louis Zoo and other things to see and do in St. Louis, visit www.ExploreStLouis.com or call the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission at 1-800-916-0040.
Widely recognized as one of the finest zoos in the world, the Saint Louis Zoo is home to more than 11,000 exotic animals, many of them rare and endangered. The latest addition to the ever-improving zooscape is the Fragile Forest habitat for orangutans and other apes. Don't miss the ultra cool Penguin and Puffin Coast where the cheerful, chilly creatures reside in air-conditioned comfort. Children and adults can carouse on the fun and beautiful Conservation animals that represent protected and endangered species that reside at the Saint Louis Zoo. Conservation Carousel animals include, among other animals, a Humboldt penguin, polar bear, poison dart frog, caterpillar, Asian elephant and two ADA accessible chariots.
The familiar adage "Everything old is new again" is a fitting statement regarding the Zoo's century-old Flight Cage. The giant walk-through aviary - one of the largest in the world - was originally the Smithsonian Institution's 1904 World's Fair exhibit and remained a popular Forest Park attraction ever since. The historic habitat received a 100th birthday renovation in 2004 to create an environment called Cypress Swamp, a habitat for birds native to the lower Mississippi River.
The Zoo's River's Edge exhibit allows you to see animals as you've never seen them before - immersed in their natural habitat. A winding waterway with a path just for people carves its way through grasslands where cheetahs, dwarf mongoose and spotted hyenas live. But the scene-stealer at River's Edge is Hippo Harbor which ponders the question - how close is too close? Separated from the hippos by a see-through wall, visitors can get an incredible view of the hippos' gliding movements in their 60,000 gallon pool.
The Zoo has many other unforgettable exhibits like the Monsanto Insectarium, where visitors can get a close-up look at 100 species of insects and walk through a Butterfly Dome filled with semi-tropical plants and colorful butterflies in free flight and the Children's Zoo with its baby animals, the ever-intriguing naked mole rats and rope vines where kids can climb like monkeys.
For a great overview of the Zoo and a fun ride, hop on the Zooline Railroad for a mile and a half ride around the Zoo - or get off at any of four stops and reboard using the same ticket until completing the circle.
Here are some other St. Louis attractions animal-lovers will enjoy:
Dog Museum. Dog lovers will be in doggie heaven at The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog which commemorates the centuries-old relationship of man and his best friend. Visitors can view works by famous animal artists of the world, representing all ages from pre-Columbian pottery and Staffordshire figures, to oil paintings and photographs. Also on display are 19th century brass dog collars and huge silver trophies awarded in dog competitions. The pedigree Hall of Fame honors Lassie, Toto from the "Wizard of Oz," The Beagle Brigade and others. Interactive touch-screen TVs and the complete library of AKC videos allows visitors to do an in-depth study on any purebred line.
Wild Canid Survival and Research Center. For a truly unique visit, try the Wild Canid Survival and Research Center where you can see wolves from all over the world. The Center also offers fall wolf and campfire programs on selected weekday and weekend evenings. Because the Center focuses on the breeding of rare and endangered wolves, tours are restricted around breeding, whelping, and pup-rearing seasons. Visitors can opt for a tour or a program/tour combination. Call ahead for reservations.
World Bird Sanctuary. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about wild birds at the World Bird Sanctuary, one of the largest facilities in the world for the conservation of our feathered friends. Birds and reptile species from around the world are on display at the Sanctuary which offers a variety of special events and innovative programs. And for bird watchers, there's no better place than the WBS where visitors along the trail to the bird feeding stations can observe numerous species of local songbirds. Visitors can also get a behind-the-scenes tour of the WBS breeding facilities. The WBS is open free-of-charge.
The Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales. A free tour of St. Louis' historic Anheuser-Busch Brewery, the world's largest brewer, includes a look at the Budweiser Clydesdale paddock and stables where the grand horses live like royalty among stained glass and brass chandeliers. The Clydesdale horses, used in parades and commercials, have become synonymous with the A-B Brewery. "Clydesdale Camera Days," where visitors can take photos of their friends and families with one of the massive steeds, are held on the first Saturday of each month.
Butterfly House. At St. Louis' Sofia M. Sachs Butterfly House and Education Center visitors can thrill to the sight of hundreds of butterflies in free flight, watch the process of metamorphosis and see native butterflies in their natural environment. The Butterfly House is located in St. Louis County's Faust Park. For visitors who like animals in any form, a visit to the St. Louis Carousel, also in the park, is in order. The carousel, a fully restored merry-go-round from an early St. Louis amusement park, features beautiful "horses" and "deer" you can ride.
Grant's Farm. More than 1,000 animals from six continents live in the 281-acre wildlife preserve at Grant's Farm, the former homestead of President Ulysses S. Grant and the ancestral home of the Busch family of the Anheuser-Busch brewery. Grant's Farm is also one of the Budweiser Clydesdale breeding and training facilities. A tram takes visitors through the wildlife preserve and then to the Tier Garten area which has a petting zoo, animal exhibits and shows and the Bauernhof courtyard complex, a 19th century farmstead with stables and a carriage house. Be on the lookout for the resident donkey that starred as a member of the Clydesdale hitch in the popular commercial that debuted during the 2004 Super Bowl. Visitors can also stop by the stables which house approximately 40 Clydesdale mares, stallions, geldings and foals. Grant's Farm is open free-of-charge mid-April to mid-October.
Lone Elk Park. One of St. Louis' most exciting natural places is Lone Elk Park where visitors can hike one of several trails, picnic in scenic spots and get a glimpse of the animals that live in the park. In a setting at the edge of the Ozark foothills, the park offers dramatic hills, a quiet lake and stunning forests. The big draw, however, is its drive-through animal range where bison, deer, elk and other animals roam. Travel in that portion of the 526-acre park is in motor vehicle only to allow visitors a truly "up close" encounter with the animals in their natural habitat. Here's a tip for your visit: plan to visit the park in the early morning or in the evening when your chances of animal sightings are best.
Mastodon State Historic Site. You may see some wildlife scampering on the trails of Mastodon State Historic site but this place is known for animals that are no more. Visitors can hike to the Kimmswick Bone Bed, one of the most important archaeological sites in the state, where archaeologists discovered a stone weapon with the bones of mastodons, first solid evidence that humans and mastodons coexisted in North America. After visiting the mastodon bone bed, stop by the visitor center for a look at bones, tusks, teeth and human artifacts taken from the area. Also on view is a full-size replica of a mastodon skeleton.
Missouri Botanical Garden. No family visit to St. Louis would be complete without a stop at the Japanese Garden within the Missouri Botanical Garden, the largest authentic Japanese garden in North America, to feed the fish. Little tykes and big folk alike are amazed at the way the colorful, giant koi in the Garden's pond push their heads above water and throw open their mouths in anticipation of fish food tossed to them by visitors.
Powder Valley Conservation Area. A 112-acre oasis in an urban area, Powder Valley Conservation area offers visitors a nature center with a variety of exhibits on the botany and wildlife of Missouri plus a nature preserve with three hiking trails. Visitors can also use the Center's library with its books on nature and the geology of the area. An underwater viewing area allows visitors to view bass, bluegill and catfish in their native habitat, and a wildlife viewing area looks out onto a wooded corner where visitors can observe songbirds, wild turkey and small mammals in the feeding areas outside. The exhibit "St. Louis: Founded With Wildlife" demonstrates the role of wildlife trade in the development of St. Louis.
Purina Farms. Purina Farms, an animal education facility operated by Nestle Purina Pet Products, gives visitors an opportunity to learn about pets and pet nutrition and to view cats and dogs at the Pet Center. At the Farm Animal Barn, visitors can observe and pet farm animals. Animal shows are presented regularly throughout the day and include a dog training show, a dog agility show, a dog swimming demonstration and a cow milking demonstration. A large theatre features videos on a large screen of major dog competitions held at Purina Farms. Visitors can pet the resident cats and get their pet questions answered by animal trainers in the 28-foot tall Victorian style cat house. They can also pet a variety of dogs and ask pet trainers questions about training their own dogs. Additional exhibits inform visitors about the nutritional needs of their pets and the food that is best for the type of animal they have and for the pet's age.
Suson County Park. Families with young children can get a glimpse of farm life at Suson County Park where a picturesque windmill greets visitors. Docent-led barn tours are by reservation only but visitors can always stroll through the barn and view the goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks and several varieties of horses and cows that live at the park.
Turtle Playground. Kids of all ages love climbing on the turtles in this playground located in St. Louis' Dogtown neighborhood, fittingly across from the Saint Louis Zoo. Seven concrete turtles from seven to 40 feet long each representing a different species found in Missouri lumber across the park. Among them are a red-eared slider, a soft-shelled turtle, a snapping turtle, a box turtle, a Mississippi map turtle and "stinkpot" turtle. Two of the adult turtles - one with its head uplifted and another with its mouth open - rise out of the ground and are big enough for kids to climb and slide on. Four smaller turtles toddle nearby, and near a serpentine bench, baby turtles are shown breaking out of their shells.
Seaman, Meriwether Lewis' Dog. One of the most famous dogs to visit St. Louis is commemorated in the Lewis and Clark sculpture in the lobby of the Drury Plaza Hotel. Seaman, Captain Meriwether Lewis' Newfoundland, who accompanied the Corps of Discovery on its historical expedition, is prominently featured in the sculpture.
Barkus Pet Parade and Wiener Dog Derby. The largest pet parade in the nation is one of the most popular annual events of St. Louis' Mardi Gras celebration. The Barkus Parade attracts an estimated 8,000 participants, most of the four-footed variety, who are decked out in festive costumes as they march through the streets of St. Louis historically French neighborhood, Soulard. While the majority of the "marchers" are canines, a few fearless felines and some more exotic creatures including camels, llamas and ducks also "laisse le bon temps rouler" (let the good times roll) during the festivities. The annual Wiener Dog Derby, a fun-filled racing competition that pits dachshund against dachshund in three categories - Cocktail Wieners, Hot Dogs and Ball Park Franks, follows the parade.
St. Louis Carriage Company. Discover the old-world charm and quiet elegance of horse-drawn touring with a narrated carriage ride through the streets of Downtown St. Louis. Powered by strong and regal Percherons, Clydesdales or Belgian horses, the vis-à-vis and landau style carriages tout plush, comfortable interiors complete with lap blankets to make touring cozy. St. Louis Carriage Company operates daily from downtown hotels and the Laclede's Landing entertainment district on the Mississippi riverfront.
SayersBrook Bison Ranch. Tour a working bison ranch to see a magnificent herd of a truly native American animal. In addition to tractor-pulled wagon tours to view the herd, the ranch offers horseback riding, fishing, a sporting clay range for skeet shooting and hosts an annual Bison Fest each September.
A Doghouse Away from Home. If you want to bring your dog along with you on your visit to St. Louis, you'll find Fido is welcome at Clayton on the Park. To better service its four-legged guests, the elegant, contemporary hotel has developed a VIPet program. Just let the reservationist know when you call that your pooch will also be checking-in. In-room canine perks include two bowls - one filled with mint sprig-garnished water, the other a large doggie cookie inscribed with Fido or Fifi's name, a pet toy and a personal welcome note.
World Aquarium, a funky, hands-on, art-and-animal-filled attraction is located within St. Louis' unusual City Museum. The list of please-touch stops include tanks of baby sharks, stingrays, turtles and other assorted water-loving creatures.
For information on animal attractions and other exciting things to see and do in St. Louis, visit www.ExploreStLouis.com or call the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission at 1-800-916-0040.
MEDIA NOTE: For more information or photography of St. Louis, send an e-mail to pr@explorestlouis.com or call Becky Sharp at 1-314-992-0652. For up-to-date information about St. Louis, your readers should call the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission at 1-800-916-0040 or check out our website at www.explorestlouis.com. This news release is also available in electronic form. To obtain an electronic version, e-mail your request to pr@explorestlouis.com or go to St. Louis’ online media center at www.explorestlouis.com/media.
