A Hidden Jewel in St. Louis - Don't Miss the Magic Chef Mansion!…read more What a historic gem! The Magic Chef Mansion is one of St. Louis' most stunning and best-kept secrets. If you haven't taken a tour, you are truly missing out. This architectural treasure offers a glimpse into another era--where craftsmanship, elegance, and timeless beauty meet. What makes it even more special is the incredible care and devotion of Shelly, the current owner and resident. It's amazing how she has lovingly restored the entire interior, tracking down original furniture, lighting fixtures, and period-appropriate details to bring this mansion back to its former glory. What an act of love--and one that every visitor can feel the moment they walk through the doors. Every room is a story, and the guided tour is filled with fascinating history, local lore, and exquisite details. Whether you're a St. Louis native or a visitor, this is an experience that belongs at the top of your list. The Magic Chef Mansion isn't just a tour--it's a living, breathing piece of art and history. Don't miss the chance to be a part of it.

This is a wonder!!!! Beautifully maintained and decorated mansion. Owner guided tour for our…read moregroup. Charge for tours but well worth seeing this amazing turn of the 20th century mansion.

My two boys, 9 and 7 years old, had the best time feeding the animals and walking around.read more

This place was....interesting…read more I'll be honest, it popped up as a pumpkin patch. My sister just moved to the area and was looking for one close for her kiddos, and this was around the corner, so we decided to give it a try. To start, it was $10/person to get in, which wasn't really promoted. We've lived many different places and have never had to pay to get into a pumpkin patch, so that was a surprise. Kids were the same price, also a surprise. The property is pretty cool, they have some farm animals. They sold food to buy but half the animals you couldn't feed and the other half were already full from being fed so much. We assumed it was a regular petting zoo and bought some food before seeing it, so we ended up with leftover bags of food and no animals to feed. The hay ride only went once hourly so you basically had to wait around forever if you wanted to ride it. The maze was cool and the concept seemed really fun to find a message BUT the first word on the message was "God" and honestly, nowhere did they promote this farm as a religious-based experience. Lastly - the pumpkins. We came here for one reason. They don't even grow pumpkins on site, they ship them in, and they don't keep them stocked. I think we had like 20-30 pumpkins to choose from, if that, and they were picked over. We had a 4YO and a 6YO and they couldn't pick any of the pumpkins up, all the kid size ones were already sold. I feel like this could be a good spot for what it is, and if it was marketed as that - a Christian family fun farm experience. But, that's not what we had expected based on the marketing they had, so it was a bit of a disappointment for us.

This place was really interesting. I learned a lot from the movie and displays. They gave a…read morediscount for having a national park pass ‼. I found out some new things about Lewis and Clark

This is a nice small museum that is devoted strictly to Lewis and Clark and their expedition. It's…read morenot a big museum but does a nice job of covering the travels of Lewis and Clark. It's located right on the river and has a deck with a nice scenic view of the river. Friendly staff and neat museum. Allow about an hour.

With gyms being closed, I have recently been going on runs throughout my neighborhood and stumbled…read moreacross this sweet little neighborhood farm. This farm apparently opened in 1991 and has been one of the oldest operating community gardens in the St. Louis area. Perhaps, making sense because it's so close to the floral district. It's certainly a centerpiece of our neighborhood and adds a green vibrancy to what otherwise would be a brick and concrete dominated area. There are beautiful flowers surrounding the gardens and lush plants, vegetable and flowers throughout.

Willoughby Heritage Farm and Conservation Reserve is a peaceful little escape right in…read moreCollinsville, IL that is perfect for slowing down your day and taking in some good nature vibes. They have a few miles of hiking trails, but beware they are kind of hard to follow and it's really easy to get lost, but also pretty easy to get back on track! They have farm animals you can feed, pet, and check out along with vintage farm equipment dotted all over the farm. It's free to visit and is definitely a local hidden gem in this town!

I stopped by this evening about 4:30 to take a look around. It is a gorgeous, small farm with lots…read moreto do! There is a gorgeous garden, which is a photographers playground -- bees, beautiful butterflies and hummingbirds pollinating all around and enjoying the sweet nectar. Flowers everywhere -- it is so beautiful! It was super quiet as I walked around, it was just me and two hikers that went down to the little trail and back. This is such a wonderful play for kids! There are turkeys walking around loose, that just pass by, so used to humans, obviously. There are two pigs in a pen, a few goats chilling on their tables and a horse, two donkeys in the barn. Friendly, and curious if I had treats to give. (Which you can feed some of the animals, others have signs not too.) Groundhogs running around too but they do hide! Not scary at all. Lots of space for a shaded picnic lunch and a good sized play area for kids. It's well worth checking out. It is gorgeously maintained and the animals are beautiful, so very well taken care of. Just go, already -- It's good for the soul! :) Will definitely be back.

This little-known and hidden museum is located inside the supposedly haunted Mineral Springs Mall…read morebuilding in downtown Alton. Some say it is fitting, as Alton is known to be one of the Top 10 haunted places in the United States. The building itself was a hotel that opened over a century ago, and several paranormal sightings have been reported over the years. You can kind of get the idea once you set the foot in the place. Its only five dollars admission, and you get to learn a lot about, well, ways people tortured people for centuries. First off, this museum is not for everyone. There are some offensive and disturbing parts here, as one would sense. This is basically for the open-minded, and for those who have a keen sense of history. The museum is a bit small, but there are several things that await the visitor. The woman who operates this museum has apparently done so much research and collected so many artifacts about the 'torture' subject. You can definitely tell she had an enjoyable time doing this! The weapons/chambers/photographs are accompanied by several materials that talk about how people were tortured. The first paragraph usually explains how the device operated, and the history behind when it was used (like what time period and what country/continent). The always controversial topic of slavery (in most countries of all periods of time) is also explained here. I'd rather not give away too much. You may find the subject on torture interesting! When reading these, I had to put myself in these people's shoes. Whether they were the victims, or the people who lived under one supreme ruler who frequently used the torture devices on the folks under them. Some of these torture methods are still being used today in some parts of the world, sadly. If you make a weekend trip to Alton, check this place out. Unfortunately, the museum is not open during the week, just on Saturday and Sundays. Be sure to check the hours.

$5.00! This museum is for those who love "campy" things. I enjoyed it, in a way that I enjoy…read morevisiting Graceland without being an Elvis fan. If you are into this kind of entertainment than this is for you. Leave the kids at home though. Lovely lady will answer all your questions, and she drives a hearse! How could you not enjoy her museum knowing these facts?!

Came to Magic House a while ago for a tour around the facility and the staff was really helpful in…read moreteaching me about each of the areas that they have. I like the versatility of their spaces and how different areas are geared towards children as well as adults. The interior space provides a simpler setup that isn't overwhelming for kids, but is also also engaging.

For $7.50 per kid this place was top tier. There was so much for kids to do with so many different…read morestations. I gave this place 3 stars because the staff was so incredibly unhelpful. There were supposed to be around to help families but every time you asked them for help they would say things like "well did you read the instructions." Additionally, I asked a staff member how the digital paint station worked and the response was "touch the screen" The staff was extremely dismissive and even though the WiFi network said guest, there was no public WiFi. While my kids had a blast and I'd come back, I'd definitely lower my expectations of anyone to assist. M The kids loved it though! How they

This mushroom shop is a hidden gem! It's quite literally hidden in the basement of the shops of…read moredowntown St. Charles, MO. They grow their own fresh mushrooms from lions mane to blue oysters and turn them into some of the most delicious pizzas and other dishes around. They make some of the tastiest cookies with lions mane too. You can really taste the quality, care, and love for mushrooms that go into everything, making it flavorful and totally unique. Most of their ingredients are vegan too! It is the perfect spot for any mushroom lover!

ErbeFarms is officially up and running in the food truck and let me tell you, he did not…read moredisappoint! The mushrooms were fresh, light, and perfectly crunchy, paired with that vegan aioli sauce. It was definitely a 10/10. He's got a BBQ option too, but it was a little too tangy for my taste. Oh, and I had to go back that weekend for more. I grabbed a Vegan Brisket Pizza (no onions for me) and added mushroom bacun. Plus, I got to try a sample lions mane cookie that will blow your mind while I was there. Yes I said Mane as in . It was so good! No animal was harmed in the making of the cookie . Go check him out you will not be disappointed. Oh and Kevin Babb performed inside of Meade Hall and he was really good. Overall this was a good night filled with good music and food. #agooddaytobeblackandvegan #erbefarms #veganreview #stlvegan #veganfoodie