City Foundry STL is a mecca of amusement. Housed in the tastefully transformed 100-year-old Century Electric Co. factory in Midtown, the bustling entertainment district provides enough fun for an entire weekend.
Depending on your schedule, we recommend experiencing as many of these activities as possible.
Feast at the Food Hall
At the heart of City Foundry STL, a European-style food hall dishes out international cuisine from more than 15 chef-driven restaurants. Fresh ceviche from Sureste, classic toasted ravioli from STL Toasted and sweet and spicy jackfruit tacos from Kalbi Taco Shack will spark your appetite. If you need something heartier, dig into a kathi roll stuffed with chettinad chicken and mint mayonnaise from Turmeric Street Style, a wild mushroom pizza from Fordo’s Killer Pizza or Swamp Thang (succotash soup topped with crawfish tails and sautéed shrimp) from 4Hens Creole Kitchen. If you’re traveling with kids, they’ll love the elevated grilled cheese and scrumptious mac ‘n’ cheese bowls at Steve’s Meltdown.
For dessert, indulge in a cinnamon roll waffle from Press Waffle Co. or keep it light with a pineapple-mango ice pop from Poptimism. Want to save the sweets for later? Stop by Patty’s Cheesecakes, where you can grab traditional and petite cheesecakes in signature flavors such as blueberry-basil-bourbon, strawberry-balsamic, banana pudding and Mexican chocolate to-go.
Get Blown Away by The Big Show at Alamo Drafthouse
A scary big screen and startling cinema sound combine to create The Big Show at Alamo Drafthouse. Harnessing cutting-edge technology, The Big Show delivers the biggest, boldest, purest way to see a film – exactly the way the director intended! In the theater, guests become fully immersed in the movie and its story, with little to no distractions. Need more convincing? Leather recliners, side tables and efficient service add to the best film-watching experience in St. Louis.
Par-Tee at Puttshack
Not your typical mini golf course, Puttshack features Instagram-worthy, tech-infused holes – plus, global flavors, craft cocktails and upbeat tunes to get you hyped! As you play, chip your ball into a beer pong table for a hole-in-one. Sail it down a half pipe while avoiding hazards. Tap it through a Tetris board without hitting any of the pieces. And putt it past True or False depending on your answers to trivia questions. Those are just a few of the over-the-top challenges that you’ll face at Puttshack. To keep you fueled for another round, order sweet and spicy Brussels sprouts, chorizo and cheese empanadas and Thai fried chicken to share. Wash it all down with signature drinks such as the Smoked Pineapple Mezcal Margarita, Very Berry Mule and Cold Brew Espresso Martini.
Marvel at the Museum of Illusions
At the Museum of Illusions St. Louis, nothing is as it seems. The new attraction at City Foundry STL mesmerizes visitors of all ages with perspective-changing rooms, enthralling installations and spellbinding images. Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be taller or shorter? Take a stroll through the Ames Room, where you’ll grow from a dwarf to a giant in a matter of steps. You can also hang from the façade of a multistory building, serve your kid’s head on a platter and try to walk through the Vortex Tunnel without getting sick!
Enter the Future at Sandbox
Sandbox is a futuristic, full-body, virtual-reality experience where you can see and physically interact with every player. Inspired by Star Trek’s Holodeck, the exclusive worlds will make you feel like you’re living inside a game or a movie. Thanks to Hollywood motion capture cameras, 3D precision body trackers, custom hardware and haptic suits, you truly become the action when you enter Sandbox’s original worlds. This experience is meant to be shared, so gather a group of up to six people and get ready to journey into space or survive a zombie ambush – talk about team building!
Un-Wine at City Winery St. Louis
The brainchild of Michael Dorf, who founded the first location in New York City in 2008, City Winery delivers an indelible experience where guests can enjoy intimate performances, upscale dining and, of course, wine. Seating 225 people, the St. Louis venue hosts approximately 200 shows a year. With each ticket, you get a reserved seat, and throughout the show, you can enjoy food and drinks. The food menu focuses on tapas-style dishes, and the house-fermented wines flow from camera-ready barrel heads. If you don’t have time for a show, stop by the restaurant for a glass of Pinot Noir, Syrah or another housemade wine on tap – you can also choose a wine flight, which comes with four two-ounce pours.
Shop Local at Golden Gems
This lifestyle brand inspires customers to live unapologetically with bold mantras that decorate everything from keychains to notebooks to T-shirts. Sisters Amanda Helman and Susan Logsdon design all the products, and they make many of them, including black, white and pink banners that empower readers to “Make Cool Shit – Take No Shit” and “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down.” “The phrases on our products are messages that we need to hear,” Logsdon explains. “They might be messages that we didn’t hear as girls, or they might be messages that we recite as women. Our products remind you to take up space and live life on your own terms.”
They also hand-pour perfumes reminiscent of wildflower fields, dark tobacco and sweet citrus, among other aromas, to help you define your signature scent. “From stickers to bags, our products subtly remind you to be bold or candidly remind people that you’re here,” Helman says, “and with everything we make, we want to celebrate fun.”
Rent a Bike at Urban Shark
Want to tool around town on two wheels? Urban Shark offers a selection of bikes, from comfort to mountain to tandem, for your cycling vacation. You can rent bikes by the hour, day or week, depending on your itinerary. From City Foundry STL, pedal east to the Gateway Arch or west to Forest Park. Both journeys are less than four miles.
Part of Big Shark, a local bicycle company, Urban Shark is an exciting addition to the Midtown renaissance that City Foundry STL has sparked. It’s also located next to the developing Brickline Greenway, a network of paths and places that will connect 14 St. Louis neighborhoods, inviting exploration and discovery while creating equitable opportunities for everyone to thrive.
Throw a Party at 18Rails
A versatile venue and event space at City Foundry STL, 18Rails has a grand entrance inside the Food Hall. Deriving its name from the nearby hub of 18 rail lines that connect St. Louis to the rest of the country, the space maintains its industrial roots but adds chic aesthetics and modern conveniences. Natural light floods into the room from a wall of windows, and 18Rails can accommodate 300 seated or 700 standing. Voted the best caterer in St. Louis year after year, Butler’s Pantry operates the space, and it can host a whole gamut of events, from meetings to parties.
Customize a Candle at The Candle Fusion Studio
Hands-on creativity awaits at The Candle Fusion Studio. When you arrive, head to the fragrance library to find your signature scent. Does Anjou pear, baked bread, bonsai, bubble bath, campfire, fig, Hawaiian lei, lemongrass, straight razor or whipped cream appeal to your senses? Once you’ve made your decision, the candle-making process takes approximately 30 minutes. After they’re poured, the candles take two hours to set, which gives you plenty of time to enjoy other adventures on this list!
