My husband didn’t move to St. Louis until he was ten years old but I was born and raised here. Because he lived other places before settling in St. Louis (his Dad was in the Army, so of course they moved a lot), we have talked about moving from St. Louis ourselves. But we always come to the same conclusion – there’s just no way. We are so lucky to live in St. Louis, a city where there is so much to do and impossible to get bored of.
One of my favorite things about St Louis is all of the different neighborhoods there are to explore. You can literally pick any neighborhood in St. Louis and spend all day there – which is exactly what I did recently with my family! We love to get out there and explore and one of our favorite places to go is Kirkwood, Missouri. There’s so much to do there for all ages but it’s an especially family-friendly neighborhood. From the moment you arrive, you’ll love walking the sidewalks and peering into the little shops or checking out the gorgeous landscaping. If you’re looking to get out with the kids, Kirkwood is the place to go!
Lunch
There’s a ton of great places to eat in Kirkwood and we decided that Mike Duffy’s would be the place to go this time. I love eating out on the patio and they have an incredibly kid-friendly menu – not to mention some of the BEST burgers in St. Louis.
From delicious burgers and sandwiches to a kid’s menu that includes staples like mac and cheese, hot dogs and of course, toasted ravioli, everyone in my family was incredibly satisfied at Mike Duffy’s in Kirkwood!
Farmer’s Market
Downtown Kirkwood has a fantastic Farmer’s Market – it’s somewhere that we go several times a month to pick up fresh fruit and veggies. You can easily walk here from Mike Duffy’s and really from anywhere in downtown Kirkwood. My kids love picking out their own food and looking at all of the gorgeous flowers too.
Dessert
After shopping at the Downtown Kirkwood Farmer’s Market, it was time to decide where the kids wanted to go for dessert. There were plenty of choices within walking distance – McArthur’s Bakery, Strange Donuts and The Custard Station. All of the kids voted for ice cream so we headed down the street to The Custard Station, where we also had the chance to see a train go by – I think I was more excited than the kids!
Train Station
After getting custard, we had planned on heading to The Magic House to end out our fun day in Kirkwood. However, we walked past the train station again and since the kids had never been inside before, we decided to stop in. I’m so glad we did because the kids loved it! There were a few trains for them to play with and Hayden loved talking with the employees. I think a short train ride may be in store soon!
The Magic House
After exploring the train station in Kirkwood, we headed to The Magic House. You could walk there, but we decided to drive because I was pretty sure all three kids would take a nap afterwards (and I was right!).
So much has changed since I would visit The Magic House as a kid. All three of my kids are in love with Wonder Works – an early childhood STEM exhibit for children ages 2-8. We could honestly stay hours there without even exploring any other part of The Magic House and that’s pretty much what we did.
After exploring Wonder Works, we spent a lot of time in The Village which is another favorite of theirs.
I had such a fun day with my family in Kirkwood – just one of many family-friendly neighborhoods in St. Louis! You’ll love all the the things you have to do whether you’re with the family or not!
Want a chance to win a $1,000 STL Staycation or a $100 gift card to spend in your favorite neighborhood? Share your favorite neighborhood experiences on Instagram using the hashtags #LuckytoLiveHere and #ExploreStLouis. Visit St.LouisCivicPride.com/LUCKY for more info and entry terms.
A special thank you to Cathy Spyers Photography for capturing our day!
Disclosure: I was compensated for this post but all thoughts and opinions are my own. I feel that I am so #LuckytoLiveHere!
I love Kirkwood, too! It was fun seeing your trip documented! We love the Farmers Market there, too!