Why go there

Home of the Gateway Arch, St. Louis is often referred to as “Gateway to the West.” With a metropolitan population of about 3 million, the city offers a wide range of attractions, including free museums and Six Flags St. Louis, and is, of course, home of Anheuser-Busch and the St. Louis Cardinals.

What to do there

Donna Andrews, public relations director for Experience St. Louis, said the city offers “family-friendly” world class attractions, from tours of the Gateway Arch to modern casinos and free museums. Visitors can spend days exploring the city’s museums or strolling through Forest Park, a 1,300-acre park known as St. Louis’ “Crown Jewel.” In the summer, visitors can catch a baseball game at Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Must see

In addition to Forest Park, which includes the St. Louis Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, Science Center and the Muny Opera, one of the area’s other must-see attractions is the St. Louis Anheuser-Busch factory, which offers free tours and more elaborate Beermaster tours.

For the kids

St. Louis strives to be family-friendly, offering educational museums, as well as Six Flags St. Louis. Visitors to Six Flags can ride dozens of roller coasters or catch some sun at the water park.

Pocketbook friendly

Many of St. Louis’ area museums are free for visitors, including the St. Louis Zoo, which is celebrating its 100th year with special “Zootennial” exhibits.

Online/Twitter/Facebook

Visitors can check out www.explorestlouis.com for more information about attractions, hotels and upcoming events.

Save the date

This summer, some of the well-known musical acts coming to St. Louis include the Eagles and the Dixie Chicks, performing June 24 at Busch Stadium. Beginning May 15, the exhibit “Vatican Splendors: A Journey through Faith and Art” also comes to St. Louis. The exhibit explores 2,000 years of Vatican history and includes 170 works of art.