Six Ways to Explore Grant’s Farm, St. Louis, Missouri
One of my favorite roads trip our family has taken was a three week trip from Connecticut to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We spent a few days in St Louis, Missouri and one of our highlights was a visit to Grant’s Farm. Note: this post has been fact checked as of March 2018.
Grant’s Farm was originally owned by Julia Grant’s family. After the Civil War, it was purchased by Julia’s husband, Ulysses S. Grant, and then by the Busch family, makers of Anheuser-Busch beers, in the early 1900s. Located about twenty minutes southwest of of downtown St Louis, it’s open from April through October, with full time hours during the summer months, and limited hours in April, September, and October. The farm is home to dozens of animals, including elephants, deer, kangaroos, donkeys, goats, buffalo, and the famous Clydesdale horses.
Traveling with Kids:
- It’s free to explore the farm and take the tram ride. There are fees for parking, some of the rides, and food to the feed the animals.
- You can buy combo “Fun Passes” to save on rides, snacks, and food to feed the animals.
- Collapsible strollers are allowed; jogging strollers and wagons are not allowed.
- You’re not allowed to bring in food (although you can picnic in the parking lots) nor carry food throughout the farm; it’s for your own safety- you’ll quickly attract animals who will want your food!
- There are plenty of restrooms located throughout the farm, as well as water foundations and misting stations (for the summer heat).
- There are two gift shops, as well as Storybook Sweets, which is definitely geared towards children; it has make your own plush animals in addition to sugary treats. The General’s Store and Clydesdale Corner both have plenty of Anheuser-Busch clothing, tableware, and other souvenirs.
Six Things Kids Will Love to Do at Grant’s Farm:
1. Take the ten minute narrated tram from the parking lot to the main farm area. You can relax in an open air tram car and hopefully spy some of the animals throughout the farm.
2. Feed the baby goats or camels at the Tier Garten. You can purchase bottles of goat milk or feed for the camels. Warning: the goats are not shy and will come right up to the fence and stick their heads through the spaces. Be sure to stay right next to little (and even older) children to help guide them. You also have the option of going inside the goat pin. You’ll also want to test your skills at throwing the feed to the camels- they’re used to catching it mid air! You can take a ride on a camel.
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3. Check out the famous Clydesdale horses in the stable. At any given time, there are between 5-15 horses you can pet.
4. Take a spin on the carousel.
5. Check out the elephants at an Animal Encounter show, offered five times each day.
6. Get a snack at the Bauernhof aka Farmstead. The courtyard has tons of tables for resting wary feet and eating lunch. There are plenty of typical concession food (bonus: bratwurst!) and make sure the adults check out free samples of Anheuser- Busch beers. You can also feed parakeets at the entrance to the Bauernhof.
Bonus: On your way into (or out of) the farm, leave an hour or so to check out the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Park, part of the National Park System (read why I alway make time to stop at a NP site here). You can take a house tour, watch a 22 minutes film, take a walk on the property path, or check out the historical museum inside the stable. Make sure to get your National Parks Passport Stamps.
