We’ve had a few adventures over the last few weeks – despite spring allergies totally kicking my butt – and I figured it was time I started sharing them. Our most recent wandering? Grant’s Farm in St Louis. This adventure started like 90% of our adventures did when we were in Korea: with me having no clue what we were actually in for. But it also ended as most of our Korea adventures did: with all of us being glad we went. If you’re in the St Louis area and you’re looking to save money, don’t miss out on Grant’s Farm.
Visiting Grant’s Farm in St Louis
Grant’s Farm is a wildlife park that stretches over a whopping 280 acres of land near St Louis. The farm was originally built by Ulysses S. Grant (Union Army General in the Civil War and 18th President of the United States) after the land was gifted to him by his father-in-law in 1848. Within the grounds sits Grant’s log house (which is about a mile from its original location), a variety of art exhibits from different American artists, as well as over 900 animals.
Now owned by the Busch Family, Grant’s Farm has been open to the public since 1954. Their purpose is to educate about environmental sustainability, conservation, and to preserve the historic significance of the area. One of the best parts of Grant’s Farm? Admission is FREE.
While admission is free, there is a fee to park. For more information on parking, see the “Things to know” section at the bottom of this post. It was a short walk from the parking lot to the tram that took us to the farm. Because it was a Saturday, it was busy – which meant we had to wait for about 20 minutes to board the tram. Once we did, however, we were taken on a 10-15 minute tram ride through beautiful rolling hills filled with a variety of different animals. We got a quick history lesson on Grant’s farm and then we were dropped off at the entrance.
We first stopped at the gift shop to get our souvenir magnet (which is the only kind of souvenir we collect now). Then we headed straight over to the goat petting zoo. We purchased two bottles of milk for $2 each and the kids had so much fun feeding and brushing all of the adorable goats. All ages are welcome with the goats, but children 5 and under must be accompanied by an adult. And as a word of caution: the goats will chew on anything they can get to – which includes clothing and hair. L kept getting her ponytail chewed on – although she thought it was hilarious – and the goats kept untying my shoes!
After getting our fill of the goats, we headed over to Grant’s Farm Animal Friends show (showtimes listed below) where we got to meet all kinds of little critters including macaws, a porcupine, and a ball python. The kids loved the show and they especially loved getting to pet some of the cute animals. The show lasted approximately 20 minutes and we were grateful to spend some time sitting in the shade.
Grant’s Farm was well worth the visit – especially since we were already in St Louis that day. If you’re at Fort Leonard Wood and you’re looking for something to do that won’t break the bank (and you don’t mind driving a couple hours), then Grant’s Farm is just the thing.
’til next time…
Ash
Things to know about visiting Grant’s Farm
Cost: Admission is FREE, but you do have to pay for parking. We reserved a parking spot online (visit the Grant’s Farm website for more information) because we heard that parking fills up FAST – especially on weekends. We paid for an afternoon parking pass which allowed us to show up anytime in the afternoon for $16.99. Since this was the ONLY expense, we were happy to pay that for the parking. Grant’s Farm is also a CASHLESS operation, so come prepared with your credit/debit card for any snacks or animal food you wish to purchase. There are plenty of things to spend money on once you’re in the park if you want – including a carousel ride for $4 a person, camel rides for $10 a person, and a parakeet house where you can bring a food stick in for $3 (must have food stick for entry). We opted not to purchase any of these extras (because a lot of kids means the costs add up quickly), but they are great and relatively affordable options for some.
Hours:
Friday – Sunday – *9:00am – 10:00pm
Beginning May 27th, 2024, Grant’s Farm is open 7 days a week
*Parking lot entry closes 90 minutes before park closing; Deer Park tram rides end 2 hours before closing
For more details about hours, please visit the Grant’s Farm Website.
Grant’s Farm Animal Friends Showtimes: 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm
Amenities: There are bathrooms in the parking lot, as well as in the building that the tram drops you off at once you get to the farm. There are plenty of food options throughout the park (but be prepared to pay a pretty steep price – as you’d expect from a place like this). Outside food and drink is not allowed (except water bottles). There are at least two gift shops: one right before you board the tram and one right after you exit the tram. There are plenty of places to sit in the shade throughout the park.
Strollers: Strollers are allowed and they’ll even transport your stroller on the tram with you.
