St. Louis is a city where a lot of the big sights cost nothing to enter, which suits trying things alone: you can leave after twenty minutes and lose nothing. The zoo, the science centre, two art museums and two sculpture settings are all free, and the Gateway Arch museum has no entry fee. Here is how to link them in November.
Last checked 2026-11-01. Hours come from each venue's own site.
Forest Park, the free base
Forest Park Forever says the park is free, covers 1,300 acres, has over 30 miles of paths and trails, and is home to five major cultural institutions including the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Saint Louis Science Center and the Saint Louis Zoo (Forest Park Forever).
Saint Louis Science Center. The centre says entry is always free. Regular hours are Sunday 11 am to 4:30 pm, Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, and closed Tuesday, with last entry 30 minutes before closing (Science Center hours).
Saint Louis Zoo. The zoo's visit page says admission is free (Saint Louis Zoo). Check the site for today's opening hours. For more ideas on pacing a day out alone, see first solo trip tips.
Two free art museums on Washington Boulevard
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. At 3750 Washington Boulevard, admission is free and tickets are not required. It is open Wednesday 10 am to 5 pm, Thursday 10 am to 7 pm, Friday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm, and closed Monday and Tuesday (CAM).
Pulitzer Arts Foundation. At 3716 Washington Boulevard, admission and parking are free. The museum is open Thursday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm, and until 9 pm on First Fridays, with the outdoor campus open daily from sunrise to sunset (Pulitzer). Walking between the two is a natural way to see two venues in one afternoon; see how to visit a museum alone.
Downtown: the Arch and a playground for adults
Gateway Arch National Park. The National Park Service says the Visitor Center and museum are open 9 am to 6 pm every day in spring, fall and winter, the Old Courthouse is open 9 am to 5 pm daily, and the park grounds are open 5 am to 11 pm year-round. Browsing the museum and Visitor Center has no entrance fee; the tram ride to the top is a separate ticket (NPS hours, NPS fees). All visitors pass through a security checkpoint.
City Museum. At 750 North 16th Street, City Museum describes itself as an artist-built playground you can climb, slide and crawl through. Its hours page shows a month-by-month calendar, and opening times vary by day, including some closed days and early closes for evening events, so check the date you plan to go (City Museum hours). Check ticket prices on the site.
Open air and cinema
Laumeier Sculpture Park. In Sunset Hills at 12580 Rott Road, it is free and open year-round from 7 am until 30 minutes past sunset, apart from special events (Laumeier). The site says it is 16 miles and 20 minutes from the Gateway Arch, so plan transport.
Hi-Pointe Theatre, 1005 S. McCausland Avenue. Cinema St. Louis describes the Hi-Pointe as St. Louis' only nonprofit-owned movie theatre (Cinema St. Louis, contact). A film is one of the simplest solo outings. Check the site for showtimes.
Getting around
Metro Transit lists a one-day pass for bus and rail at $5.00 and a cash base fare of $1.00 on the bus and $2.50 on rail. Its site says you can buy digital tickets and passes in the Transit app, which gives a QR code to scan at a fare validator (Metro fares).
Planning around the closing days
Free entry makes St. Louis flexible, but the closing days vary. The Science Center is closed on Tuesday, CAM is closed on Monday and Tuesday, and the Pulitzer is open Thursday to Sunday only. Wednesday to Sunday is therefore the safest stretch for the art pair, and Thursday has the added benefit of CAM's longer opening to 7 pm. The Gateway Arch visitor centre and the Forest Park institutions sit at opposite ends of a day: one is downtown on the riverfront, the other in Forest Park. Pick one area per outing rather than trying to see both, and use the Metro pass only if you plan several rides.
Three first outings
- Easy: an hour at the Science Center or the zoo, both free.
- Medium: CAM and the Pulitzer on one Thursday or on a First Friday.
- Bolder: a Sunday at City Museum, a climbing and crawling playground, with nobody to wait for.
Solo Era for iPhone
Take part in a community art project
Solo Era has a people mission at level 4: "Take part in a community art project." CAM and the Pulitzer are free places to look at art first. Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions. Prices and any free trial are shown in the app and depend on the offer and eligibility.
More cities are in the cities hub. For other Midwestern cities, see Kansas City and Omaha, and for a bigger neighbour see Chicago.
Details change; check the venue before you go.
FAQ
Is the Saint Louis Zoo free?
Yes. The zoo's visit page says admission is free.
Is the Saint Louis Science Center free?
Yes. The centre says entry is always free. It is closed on Tuesdays in its regular hours.
Do I have to pay to go into the Gateway Arch museum?
No. The National Park Service says there is no entrance fee to browse the museum and Visitor Center. The tram ride to the top is a separate ticket.
Is the Pulitzer Arts Foundation free?
Yes, admission and parking are free. It is open until 9 pm on First Fridays.
How much is a Metro day pass in St. Louis?
Metro Transit lists a one-day bus and rail pass at $5.00.
Sources (checked 2026-11-01)
- Forest Park Forever: Visit
- Saint Louis Science Center: Hours
- Saint Louis Zoo: Visit
- Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis: Visit
- Pulitzer Arts Foundation: Visit
- National Park Service: Gateway Arch hours and fees
- City Museum: Hours
- Laumeier Sculpture Park: Visit
- Cinema St. Louis and contact
- Metro Transit: Fares and passes
Solo Era for iPhone
Try it with Solo Era
Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.
