The St. Louis Mineral & Gem Society invites you to come visit the St. Louis area! A great "base camp" for rockhounding day trips, we are also famous as a major city with lots of free (or cheap!) attractions.
With the Ozarks spread out to the south, the famous Keokuk formation and its geodes to the north, one of America's premier archeological sites to the east, and Lewis and Clark's route heading off to the west, St. Louis is a gem of a vacation destination. This page will point you to some of what our area has to offer. There are also self-guided trip information sheets at the bottom of the page. These were offered by the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies' at their 2006 Annual Convention and Show, held in St. Louis.
The following links are just a start for planning your trip.
The St. Louis Mineral & Gem Society is not responsible for their content.
Explore St. Louis
The Official Travel Portal of St. Louis, Missouri.
City of St. Louis
The City of St. Louis Visitor Information site.
The Gateway Arch and Museum of Westward Expansion
Yes, you can go up in it!
The Saint Louis Zoo
It's big, it's beautiful, and it's free!
Cahokia Mounds
Site of the largest prehistoric Indian city north of Mexico.
Forest Park
500 acres bigger than New York's Central Park!
St. Louis Science Center
Hands-on fun, with an Omnimax Theater.
Missouri History Museum
Great exhibits and a nice restaurant.
The Magic House
Nationally acclaimed Children's Museum offers more than 100 hands-on educational exhibits.
City Museum
Not run by the City. or a museum! Fun activities and displays for kids of all ages.
Eugene Field House and St. Louis Toy Museum
Just south of Busch Stadium.
The St. Louis Cardinals
11-time World Series Champions!
The St. Louis Rams
2000 Super Bowl Champions.
The St. Louis Blues
Watch 'em hit the ice! Hard!
Gateway Grizzlies
Minor-league baseball, within sight of the Arch.
The MUNY Opera
Largest outdoor theater in the United States.
Anheuser-Busch Brewery
See the Clydesdales and take a tour.
Missouri Botanical Gardens
Something for everyone!
Skyview Drive-In
Americana at its best in nearby Belleville, Illinois.
The Hill
We've got more than one, but this is where we keep the best Italian restaurants!
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
The one that started it all, as featured on Alton Brown's "Feasting On Asphalt".
Trailnet
Walking, jogging or cycling, hundreds of miles of scenic trails.
Chain of Rocks Bridge
Once part of Route 66, now the longest foot-bridge across the Mississippi River.
The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House
Especially great in the winter, a walk-through butterfly garden.
Gateway Arch Riverboats
Take a riverboat tour of St. Louis.
Grant's Farm
Animal shows, a wildlife preserve, and Clydesdales.
Lewis & Clark State Historic Site
Located near the former Camp River Dubois where explorers Lewis & Clark wintered before heading west.
Lone Elk Park
A 546-acre wildlife trail area with bison, wild turkey, waterfowl, elk and deer.
Mastodon State Historic Site
Museum of Missouri's Ice Age Animals and the Native Americans who hunted them more than 10,000 years ago,
Onondaga Cave State Park
A fantastic cave with LOTS of different formations.
Meramec Caverns
After all, Missouri is "The Cave State".
Museum of Transportation
More ways to get somewhere than you can shake a stick at. (Stick-shaking not encouraged)
Six Flags Over Mid-America
From Kiddie-cars to Rollercoasters to shows.
Wild Canid Survival and Research Center
Founded by Marlin Perkins in 1971, family packs housed in natural habitat within 2,000-acre private reserve.
World Bird Sanctuary
Live eagles, owls, hawks and more exhibited in a convenient 130-acre park setting.
World Aquarium
Located in City Museum, pet a shark, feed or swim with stingrays, or crawl through huge displays.
Keokuk Geodes
Sheffler's is back, and worth a trip.
Missouri Mines State Historic Site
Historically, Missouri has been a gold mine of lead mines!
St. Joe State Park
Sheffler's is back, and worth a trip.
Meramec State Park
Camp, canoe, cave.
Maramec Spring Park
A great, tranquil park.
Bonne Terre Mine
Walking, boat, and diving tours available.
Ben E. Clemment Mineral Museum
A long day trip, the Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar Region is a great adventure.
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The American Federation of Mineralogical Societies field trips to the right are not guaranteed! Always check with local collectors before heading out on information that may be a few years old.
Scroll up and down on the window to the right until you see a trip that looks interesting, then click on that page. This will be a printable page as well.
A good place to check on the level of the Mississippi River at St. Louis (important for the "Chain of Rocks Field Trip" is at the National Weather Service hydrological site. (Follow the link and click on "St. Louis"!) Forecasts change constantly and quickly, depending on conditions upstream. Check river levels often if you are planning a trip.
A word of caution: many roadcuts in the St. Louis area have something to offer. However, those on a busy highway are not good places to stop and collect. Take a drive out into the country; there are even more roadcuts there with better pickings!
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