It’s no secret Columbia isn’t known as the most exciting place on earth. Luckily, more entertainment is only a small road trip away: St. Louis. This two-hour drive promises culture and venues Columbia doesn’t offer.
**Forest Park**
If you make this trip during fair weather, be sure to check out Forest Park. Some of the best attractions at Forest Park include the Saint Louis Zoo, Art Museum and an ice skating rink. The best part? Forest Park is completely free. Entering the zoo is free any time and the Saint Louis Art Museum’s special exhibits are free on Fridays. Beware of parking fees, but they’re fairly inexpensive for a group to pay. The zoo’s parking will run you $12 per car, but there’s always free street parking.
Where: Bounded by I-64, Kingshighway, Lindell & Skinker
Cost: Free General Admission
**City Museum**
If you’re looking for some back-to-the-playground fun, you have to check out the City Museum. This isn’t your typical, do-not-touch, look-around museum. It’s actually a giant playground. From roaming the Enchanted Caves to playing in the ball pit to swinging in the Skateless-Skate Park, The City Museum allows visitors to be kids again. After climbing, sliding and playing, the 21-and-over crowd can sit down and have a drink at the in-house Bale Out Bar.
Where: 701 North 15th St.
Cost: $10 to $12
**Royal Dumpe Dinner Theater**
If you’re getting tired of the typical dinner-and-a-movie dates Columbia has to offer, you can travel to St. Louis’s Royal Dumpe Dinner Theater. The name is a little off-putting, but this dinner theater transports you back to Medieval Times when Henry VIII ruled the land. You don’t have to dress up, but you are expected to play along with the show, so don’t be surprised when you’re called onstage. Reservations are required.
Where: 809 North Second St.
Cost: $24.95 per person (includes dinner)
**The Darkness**
St. Louis is also home to the scariest haunted house in America, The Darkness. If you’re looking for more than a corn maze or haunted hayride, look no further than this two-story, Hollywood-worthy haunted house. The Darkness has been featured in numerous national media, and if you want your 15 minutes of fame, the Travel Channel will be filming there Friday.
Where: 1525 South Eighth St.
Cost: $20
**Lemp Mansion**
If The Darkness doesn’t get your heart pumping, you could try staying the night at the Lemp Mansion, rated the fourth scariest haunted attraction in America. The Lemp family owned one of the largest breweries in the world until prohibition and suicide began plaguing the family. Legend has it, you can still hear, see and smell some of the Lemp mansion ghosts during your tour through the underground brewing tunnels and mansion. Sure, you can make it through the tour, but are you brave enough to stay the night?
Where: 3322 DeMenil Place
Cost: Tour $30, Overnight $125 to $245
**Anheuser Busch**
InBev may have purchased Anheuser Busch, but the historical brewery still gives tours in St. Louis. These complementary tours include a stop in the Hospitality Room, where one can enjoy their favorite Budweiser product and a look at the Budweiser Clydesdale stables. If you want more Bud, more behind-the-scenes and more sampling, take the Beermaster Tour, which promises a closer look at the art of beer making. Bonus for tour-takers under 21, the price drops from $25 to $10.
Where: 12th & Lynch Streets
Cost: Free to $25