Indianapolis, St. Louis, and the road in between
June 20, 2017 3:45 AM Subscribe
What should I do on a brief visit to Indianapolis and St. Louis, and what's the best route from one city to the next? Help me make this the best 4 day vacation ever!
I get to go on a mini vacation, yay! I'll be visiting Indianapolis this Thursday and Friday, then driving to St. Louis and will be there Saturday and Sunday. I've never been to either of these cities (or states.)
There have been a couple "what to do, where to eat" asks in the past, but is there anything going on in the next few days that I really should check out? The weather looks to be a bit rainy, what are the best bets for indoor activities? Is it best to explore the cities given the limited time frame, or is it worth it to drive somewhere else?
I'll be renting a car for the drive from Indianapolis to St. Louis. What's the best, most scenic touristy route I should take? Any stops or detours I should make along the way?
I get to go on a mini vacation, yay! I'll be visiting Indianapolis this Thursday and Friday, then driving to St. Louis and will be there Saturday and Sunday. I've never been to either of these cities (or states.)
There have been a couple "what to do, where to eat" asks in the past, but is there anything going on in the next few days that I really should check out? The weather looks to be a bit rainy, what are the best bets for indoor activities? Is it best to explore the cities given the limited time frame, or is it worth it to drive somewhere else?
I'll be renting a car for the drive from Indianapolis to St. Louis. What's the best, most scenic touristy route I should take? Any stops or detours I should make along the way?
Best answer: If you can afford the extra hour of driving, the route that goes southwest to Evansville and then west to St. Louis is a good deal more scenic than the straight shot along I-70.
posted by Johnny Assay at 4:57 AM on June 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Johnny Assay at 4:57 AM on June 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
Exploring Indy is a bit of a daunting task, given how spread-out everything is. I think your best bet would be to choose one or two places and spend as much time at them as you can or want (I always recommend the IMA)
posted by Thorzdad at 5:48 AM on June 20, 2017
posted by Thorzdad at 5:48 AM on June 20, 2017
I am from St. Louis (and live here now) and I used to live in Indianapolis, so I have done the drive many times. It's the most boring drive in the world, unfortunately (although if you like seeing very large crosses, there is a giant cross by the roadside about halfway across). And there is not much you can see easily by taking detours.
There is plenty to do in both cities so I would just take the shortest route and have more time in the destinations, personally.
St. Louis recs: City Museum is the absolute #1 must-see because there's no place quite like it. Wear pants and put all your valuables in zipper pockets and go nuts. Forest Park is worth a visit and you can spend a good amount of time in the art museum if it is raining outside. The zoo is great and free, but will be jam-packed with kids since it's summer, probably. If you like beer, I like Urban Chestnut and 4 Hands breweries - they both have nice tap rooms where you can get food and while away a few hours.
St. Louis Pride is this Sunday! Come see the parade (and wave at me - I'm marching with my UU church :))
Indianapolis recs: my favorite thing when I lived there was the architecture - downtown is a little bland but once you get out of that area, there are some really cool neighborhoods. I lived in Broad Ripple and I loved walking on the Monon Trail or along the water to Meridian Street and then checking out the massive historic homes there.
The IMA is certainly worth a visit, and you can spend a whole day there. If you feel like taking a drive and you like mid-century modern stuff, the Miller House and Garden (also operated by the IMA) in Columbus is really cool.
posted by cpatterson at 6:59 AM on June 20, 2017 [4 favorites]
There is plenty to do in both cities so I would just take the shortest route and have more time in the destinations, personally.
St. Louis recs: City Museum is the absolute #1 must-see because there's no place quite like it. Wear pants and put all your valuables in zipper pockets and go nuts. Forest Park is worth a visit and you can spend a good amount of time in the art museum if it is raining outside. The zoo is great and free, but will be jam-packed with kids since it's summer, probably. If you like beer, I like Urban Chestnut and 4 Hands breweries - they both have nice tap rooms where you can get food and while away a few hours.
St. Louis Pride is this Sunday! Come see the parade (and wave at me - I'm marching with my UU church :))
Indianapolis recs: my favorite thing when I lived there was the architecture - downtown is a little bland but once you get out of that area, there are some really cool neighborhoods. I lived in Broad Ripple and I loved walking on the Monon Trail or along the water to Meridian Street and then checking out the massive historic homes there.
The IMA is certainly worth a visit, and you can spend a whole day there. If you feel like taking a drive and you like mid-century modern stuff, the Miller House and Garden (also operated by the IMA) in Columbus is really cool.
posted by cpatterson at 6:59 AM on June 20, 2017 [4 favorites]
Best answer: If you've never been to St. Louis you'll definitely want to go up to the top of the Gateway Arch (sorry, Gateway National Monument).
If you do plan to go, get tickets in advance or else your chances of visiting when you want will be nearly zero. On top of the usual summer crowds, construction has closed one of the two tram lines to the top.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:42 AM on June 20, 2017
If you do plan to go, get tickets in advance or else your chances of visiting when you want will be nearly zero. On top of the usual summer crowds, construction has closed one of the two tram lines to the top.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:42 AM on June 20, 2017
Nthing the City Museum, and don't miss a visit to Ted Drewes for a concrete (yes the lines are long, yes it is still worth it)
posted by Mchelly at 8:27 AM on June 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Mchelly at 8:27 AM on June 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
if you like seeing very large crosses, there is a giant cross by the roadside about halfway across
If you take the straight shot on I-70, you'll see this cross in Effingham, Illinois, and you should stop for a meal there at Firefly Grill. It's sooooo good.
Here's some other stuff a few of us suggested recently in St. Louis. If you want to have a meetup while you're here, let us know! I probably won't be able to make it this weekend, but others may.
posted by limeonaire at 8:35 AM on June 20, 2017
If you take the straight shot on I-70, you'll see this cross in Effingham, Illinois, and you should stop for a meal there at Firefly Grill. It's sooooo good.
Here's some other stuff a few of us suggested recently in St. Louis. If you want to have a meetup while you're here, let us know! I probably won't be able to make it this weekend, but others may.
posted by limeonaire at 8:35 AM on June 20, 2017
Perennial beer is from STL and wonderful. Seconding others recs, but if you feel like you want to do a Budweiser tour while you're in its home city, or if you love animals and free beer, my biggest suggestion is to head straight to Grants Farm, which is lovely this time of year. Its a free outside tour with lots of animals, goats you can feed with a milk bottle, a parakeet cage, and two free Budweiser beers since its owned by Anheiser Busch. When I lived there, I used to go like 2x a month in the summer.
posted by likeatoaster at 9:05 AM on June 20, 2017
posted by likeatoaster at 9:05 AM on June 20, 2017
Oh, the MUNY in St. Louis is a really really good outdoor theatre. Might be worth seeing what is playing during your trip if you like the arts.
posted by likeatoaster at 9:08 AM on June 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by likeatoaster at 9:08 AM on June 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
I love, love, love the City Museum, but just a word of warning; park in a pay lot! The area right around the City Museum is rife with car break-ins. That said, it is one of the most unique places you could imagine, and you should definitely visit.
posted by MundaneNoodle at 9:38 AM on June 20, 2017
posted by MundaneNoodle at 9:38 AM on June 20, 2017
I second how boring the drive is going to be, but here's a tip the Significant Weasel and I learned on our last drive from St. Louis to Terre Haute: if you start playing Sufjan Steven's Come On Feel the Illinoise as you cross the border on i70, it'll pretty much last the whole state of Illinois. Caveat: I might have been speeding.
I was a teen in the area so I can never get over the feeling that there's nothing to do in Indy, but the park area around the zoo and museums is beautiful and Broad Ripple is definitely worth kicking around in for the afternoon . If you have the time and the interest, you should stop along the way in Brazil (Indiana) and visit the big cat rescue .
posted by theweasel at 9:58 AM on June 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
I was a teen in the area so I can never get over the feeling that there's nothing to do in Indy, but the park area around the zoo and museums is beautiful and Broad Ripple is definitely worth kicking around in for the afternoon . If you have the time and the interest, you should stop along the way in Brazil (Indiana) and visit the big cat rescue .
posted by theweasel at 9:58 AM on June 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
Oh yeah, and Crown Candy Kitchen has the hands down best milkshake I have ever had in my life.
posted by theweasel at 10:51 AM on June 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by theweasel at 10:51 AM on June 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Fountain Square is the trendy/slightly weirdo part of Indy that's trendy right now. It's got the quirky restaurants, stores and bars. It's slightly SE of downtown. Massachusetts Ave. is the trendy downtown area but more upscale. Walking around the canal is nice too.
Not a big fan of Broadripple anymore. It use to be an artist's colony a long time but it got trendy and most of the offbeat stores/people got priced out. There's been some crime because the bar going drunk kids make easy targets late at night. There is a ton of restaurant choices there. The art center and the little park behind it are nice. There's a great view of the white river on the overlook. The Monan trail is also really popular. I suggest daytime to early evening for B.R.
I've done the Indy/St. Louis run before. If you have the time to take a detour off of I-70W, go visit Cataract Falls off the Cloverdale HWY 231 exit and then drive on to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center.
The 2 seperate falls are on the smaller side but you can walk right up and sometimes onto them, depending on the water level. The Rescue takes in older animals that are hard to find homes for. It's run by volunteers and everyone who's gone that I've talked to has really liked it. I'd suggest taking S.R. 42 to the EFRC instead of getting back on I-70 after visiting the falls. It's much more scenic, avoids the almost never ending highway construction and the speed limit is around 50 mph. If there's construction, you're going to be envying that tree lined shady 50mph.
In St. Louis, I'm also a fan of the City Museum. Spend the $5 for the roof top and ride the little ferris wheel and check out the bus hanging off the building. Totally worth the money.
If you like the museum, go over to the Venice Cafe in Soulard. It's full of mosaic tile work and outsider art. Even the bathrooms are amazingly artsy. It's not far from the brewery if you want to take a tour.
posted by stray thoughts at 6:21 PM on June 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
Not a big fan of Broadripple anymore. It use to be an artist's colony a long time but it got trendy and most of the offbeat stores/people got priced out. There's been some crime because the bar going drunk kids make easy targets late at night. There is a ton of restaurant choices there. The art center and the little park behind it are nice. There's a great view of the white river on the overlook. The Monan trail is also really popular. I suggest daytime to early evening for B.R.
I've done the Indy/St. Louis run before. If you have the time to take a detour off of I-70W, go visit Cataract Falls off the Cloverdale HWY 231 exit and then drive on to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center.
The 2 seperate falls are on the smaller side but you can walk right up and sometimes onto them, depending on the water level. The Rescue takes in older animals that are hard to find homes for. It's run by volunteers and everyone who's gone that I've talked to has really liked it. I'd suggest taking S.R. 42 to the EFRC instead of getting back on I-70 after visiting the falls. It's much more scenic, avoids the almost never ending highway construction and the speed limit is around 50 mph. If there's construction, you're going to be envying that tree lined shady 50mph.
In St. Louis, I'm also a fan of the City Museum. Spend the $5 for the roof top and ride the little ferris wheel and check out the bus hanging off the building. Totally worth the money.
If you like the museum, go over to the Venice Cafe in Soulard. It's full of mosaic tile work and outsider art. Even the bathrooms are amazingly artsy. It's not far from the brewery if you want to take a tour.
posted by stray thoughts at 6:21 PM on June 20, 2017 [2 favorites]
In metro St. Louis, University City's city hall is housed in the historic headquarters of visionary hustler and city founder E.G. Lewis' "Woman's Magazine" and I am convinced the magnificent double staircase represents the female reproductive system. The folks who work there are very nice and don't mind architecture buffs exploring. Just across the road is a library with a lot of information about Lewis' promotions around the time of the 1904 Fair.
posted by Scram at 8:37 AM on June 21, 2017
posted by Scram at 8:37 AM on June 21, 2017
In St. Louis, nting the City Museum.
If you've any interesting in archeology, Cahokia is pretty fantastic and takes only a few hours.
posted by eotvos at 11:06 AM on June 21, 2017
If you've any interesting in archeology, Cahokia is pretty fantastic and takes only a few hours.
posted by eotvos at 11:06 AM on June 21, 2017
If you go to University City in St. Louis, take a walk down the Delmar Loop (just past City Hall on the same street, Delmar Boulevard, between Kingsland Avenue and Rosedale Avenue). Go to Vintage Vinyl.
posted by limeonaire at 10:57 PM on June 22, 2017
posted by limeonaire at 10:57 PM on June 22, 2017
Response by poster: Thanks to all of your input, Road Trip by MetaFilter (tm) was a success!
The best part of the whole trip was really the ride from Indianapolis to St. Louis, which isn't boring at all if you aren't used to that kind of scenery and make a lot of stops. Cataract Falls was gorgeous, and just down the road was the charming general store, at which I bought an antique candy dish for my mom. Lunch at Firefly Grill was amazing - not only was the food and beer delicious, but the view was great! And it turns out that 6 minutes down the road from Firefly Grill is the Boos factory outlet where you can get quality "damaged" cutting boards for cents on the dollar, and they throw in TSA-approved sizes of cutting board cleaner for free! The cross was pretty gigantic, but I only saw one.
Oh yes, and I played Come On Feel the Illinoise, but didn't drive fast enough to get to the Missouri border at the end of the album :)
posted by stripesandplaid at 8:10 AM on June 27, 2017
The best part of the whole trip was really the ride from Indianapolis to St. Louis, which isn't boring at all if you aren't used to that kind of scenery and make a lot of stops. Cataract Falls was gorgeous, and just down the road was the charming general store, at which I bought an antique candy dish for my mom. Lunch at Firefly Grill was amazing - not only was the food and beer delicious, but the view was great! And it turns out that 6 minutes down the road from Firefly Grill is the Boos factory outlet where you can get quality "damaged" cutting boards for cents on the dollar, and they throw in TSA-approved sizes of cutting board cleaner for free! The cross was pretty gigantic, but I only saw one.
Oh yes, and I played Come On Feel the Illinoise, but didn't drive fast enough to get to the Missouri border at the end of the album :)
posted by stripesandplaid at 8:10 AM on June 27, 2017
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posted by cooker girl at 4:43 AM on June 20, 2017 [9 favorites]