The City offers a variety of day trips and tours throughout the year. Escorted trips include motorcoach transportation, admission to the scheduled activities and planned stops at restaurants or enroute snacks (dining may or may not be included in the fee). Some tours are narrated. All tours meet in the west parking lot at City Hall, One St. Peters Centre Blvd. Following is a list of upcoming motorcoach tours that the Rec-Plex has scheduled. For more information on current tours, call 636.939.2386, ext. 1400, or visit Rec-Connect and sign up now.
SPLENDORS OF THE VATICAN - SOLD OUT! Fri., July 16 9 AM-4 PM
Experience 2,000 years of Vatican art, artifacts and history by artists such as Michelangelo and Bernini during this narrated trip that includes the "Splendors of the Vatican" exhibit at the Missouri History Museum. The exhibit contains 170 rare pieces from the Vatican, most of which have never been allowed outside Rome, including Michelangelo's tools used in the Basilica and Sistine Chapel. St. Louis is one of only three American cities fortunate to be selected to host this magnificent exhibit. We'll also tour the masterful and inspirational religious art collection at the acclaimed St. Louis Art Museum, plus visit St. Agatha's Catholic Church and learn about its rich Polish heritage. Enjoy lunch at Favazza's on the Hill, where we'll be served chicken spedini, a side of pasta, salad, bread, beverage and a cannoli for dessert. Your tour fee covers transportation, tour guide (Linda Koenig), all admissions, lunch and all tips and gratuities. $79 per person
ST. LOUIE BREWS Sat., July 17 • 9:15 AM-4:15 PM Tues., Aug. 3 • 9:15 AM-4:15 PM
Spend the day touring St. Louis’ most famous brew houses! We start at Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Company, watch custom coffee rosting and sample fine coffees; tour the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, Clydesdale stables and the hospitality room; lunch at "The Stable" a new restaurant in the old Lemp Brewery. After lunch, tour the haunted Lemp Mansion, then enjoy a root beer float at Fitz’s in University City and watch root beer being processed on site. Your tour fee covers transportation, tour guide, admissions, lunch, float and gratuities. $72 per person
THE "BIG HOUSE" TOUR: PROS AND CONS Wed., Sept. 8 7:30 AM-5:30 PM
Recently opened to tours, the 1836 Missouri State Prison at Jefferson City, with its tiers of cells and wealth of stories, is as fascinating as it is foreboding. On our engaging tour, we will see the prison much as it was when the inmates and guards lived there. Lunch will be at a local favorite–Prison Brews. After lunch, we’ll tour the magnificent domed Missouri State Capitol. Before we head home, enjoy an ice cream treat at Central Dairy. Your tour fee covers transportation, tour guide, admissions, lunch, and gratuities. $72 per person
NIBBLE & NOSH INTERNATIONAL Sat., Oct. 2 8:45 AM-4 PM
You don’t have to travel far to sample foods from across the globe! Try a wide variety of ethnic foods, including Persian, Italian, Greek, Thai, Bosnian and Ethopian delicacies, without leaving St. Louis. We stop at Olympia Kebab House, Grbic, Meskerem, Café Natasha’s, King and I and Gelateria del Leone. We’ll also have the opportunity to shop for international groceries and baked goods. The day also includes a surprise stop! Your tour fee covers motorcoach transportation, tour guide, lunch and gratuities. $63 per person
IN THE ARMY NOW Thur., Oct. 21 8 AM-5 PM
Travel I-44 to visit one of the most important Army bases in the U.S. Located in Missouri’s rolling hills, Fort Leonard Wood is home to training and education services and facilities vital to the safety and security of our country. Bonus is how beautifully the post is situated and landscaped. We’ll tour the post and the John B. Mahaffey Museum of Engineering, Military Police and Chemical Warfare School, see actual training sessions, and enjoy a delicious lunch at one of the post’s dining facilities. Your tour fee covers transportation, tour guide, lunch and gratuities. $58 per person
HAUTE HOSPITALITY: HISTORIC HOTELS OF ST. LOUIS Fri., Nov. 12 8:45 AM-4:15 PM
St. Louis has been home to many of the finest and largest hotels in America. On this tour, we will be welcomed into the Seven Gables, the Chase, the Coronado (we’ll lunch here as well), the Drury Plaza, the Renaissance and the Mayfair. The ballrooms, dining areas and lobbies of these historic hotels are magnificent. Your tour fee covers transportation, tour guide, lunch and gratuities. $60 per person
HOLIDAY MYSTERY TOUR Sat., Dec. 4, 2010 8 AM-6:30 PM
Travel with tour guide Linda Koenig to a secret destination guaranteed to add merriment to your holiday season. Linda promises you a scenic drive, historic holiday decorated houses and mansion, a little history, a little culture, and a delicious dinner. Keeping our destination a secret adds even more to the total enjoyment of this festive trip. Please note: Some of these historic destinations require going up a small number of steps to enter and view the sights, and therefore are not very handicap-accessible. Your tour fee covers transportation, tour guide, admissions, gratuities, and meal. $74 per person
TREE-MENDOUS HOLLY-DAY TOUR Fri., Dec. 17, 2010 12:30-8 PM
You'll want to sign up early to book your seat to this tour. Join guide Linda Koenig on a holiday journey that includes history, shopping, some of the Hill's best Italian food, and wonderful holiday displays. Visit the magnificent, holiday-decorated Campbell House on Lucas Place, and learn about this painstakingly restored mid-1800's Greek Revival townhouse. The Robert Campbell family and their 10 servants lived here among the Victorian furniture, stenciled ceilings and fine appointments. Come inside Walter Knoll's floral establishment on LaSalle Street for some bargains on holiday decorations, gifts and fresh plants. At the Missouri Botanical Garden's Ridgeway Center, view the gorgeous giant wreath display and stroll the magnificent annual floral display. The tour then heads to the Hill for shopping at Di Gregorio's Market and Missouri Baking Company, and a scrumptious meal at Zia's, where we'll be served chicken spedini, Zia's famous house salad, a side of pasta, bread and beverage. We'll cap off the evening with St. Louis County's biggest and best holiday lights display at Tilles Park. Your tour fee covers transportation, tour guide (Linda Koenig), all admissions, dinner, and all tips and gratuities. $71 per person
For more information on current tours call 636.939.2386, ext. 1400, or visit Rec-Connect and sign up now.
Day Trips and Tours