A wonderful place for a family visit is Grant's Farm. It is located just outside of St. Louis in Affton, Missouri. It was a one time home of our 18th President, Ulysses S. Grant. In the early... More

A wonderful place for a family visit is Grant's Farm. It is located just outside of St. Louis in Affton, Missouri. It was a one time home of our 18th President, Ulysses S. Grant. In the early 1900s, it was purchased by the Busch family of Anheuser-Busch, Inc. fame. It was their home for many years prior to opening it to the public. It is now a 281 acre wildlife preserve. Although Grant's Farm is not as highly publicized as some of the other places to visit in the St. Louis area, it is one of the best! It is a wonderful place to spend a morning or even the day. Entry into Grant's Farm proper is free, but you must pay to park. This wonderful preserve is home to hundreds of exotic animals from around the world, including several varieties of deer, horse and cattle, including my children's favorite, the Oreo Cookie Cow (actually a Belted Galloway). Upon entering the property through a covered foot bridge, you wait in line at Grant's Station for the next tram to take you on a tour of the wildlife preserve. The longest time I have ever waited was during the Fourth of July weekend -- forty five minutes. This, however, is a rarity, as the wait for a tram is generally only ten minutes or less. On the tram ride, one of the first sites you see is Grant's cabin, called Hardscrabble. It is the only existing home that was actually built by a president. Although he only lived there a short time while his "real" home was being built, it is still an exciting piece of history. There are tours periodically throughout the year through the cabin, but these are few. If you do happen to be lucky enough to go into the cabin, you won't be allowed on the second floor; it is closed due to age, and is not considered structurally sound. It is worth visiting when the cabin is open for tours though, just to gain insight into that piece of history. After passing through a gate that separates Hardscrabble from the actual preserve, the tram ride continues. The length of the ride varies depending on the cooperation of the animals who call Grant's Farm home. You see, if an animal decides to block the roadway, which does happen, you are stuck. During one visit, the tram my family was on was "held hostage" by the bison for about fifteen minutes! It was quite interesting though as there were deer on one side of the tram and a baby calf on the other licking the tram. There is no guarantee that you will see animals on your ride though. Of the dozen or so times I have been there, there was only one time that I consider the tram ride a failure, because we saw no animals except for ducks and the fish in the pond. A personal recommendation is to go during cooler weather when the animals are more active or in the early morning if you go during the heat of the summer. After the ride through the preserve, you are dropped off at one end of the Tier Garten near the petting area for the goats. You can purchase a bottle to feed the the babies. There are also a variety of animal shows in outdoor theaters throughout the day. (Signs are posted with the times.) There are several other animal exhibits to see, including bald eagles, giant tortoises, and elephants. After a walk though the Tier Garten, my family is always ready for a soda in the Bauernhof. This is also the area to catch a tram back to Grant's Station. After our tram ride out, we like the visit the General Store. There are several souvenir shops located throughout, but this is the largest -- and our favorite. Once used by the Busch family as a stable, it is now a show area for their carriage and tackle collection. There are a variety of horses stabled there as well. This is also the area to catch the tram back to Grant's Station. After our tram ride out, we like the visit the General Store. There are several souvenir shops located throughout, but this is the largest -- and our favorite. A final stop at Grant's Farm should be the Clydesdale training and breeding are located at the north end of the parking lot. Known as Label Stable, you are almost always guaranteed wonderful Clydesdale views. For more information, check out the website at www.grantsfarm.com.
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Grant's Farm is a great place to take the family for a day of fun without being as overwhelming as the zoo. Entrance to the Farm is free however they have begun charging for parking. Children... More

Grant's Farm is a great place to take the family for a day of fun without being as overwhelming as the zoo. Entrance to the Farm is free however they have begun charging for parking. Children enjoy the tram ride through the open areas to see Zebras and other large animals roam free. Historically it is educational to see the home that President Grant built. While small, the animal exhibits provide a close up look, especially when you hand feed the goats and sheep. While there, don't miss the shows which provide some action and entertainment as well as education. Adults can enjoy a sample of an AB product while relaxing in the courtyard. Our family always enjoys a visit to the farm and it is not nearly as exhausting as visiting the zoo.
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We visit Grant's Farm several times a year with our big family. It's free - parking is minimal - and it's lots of fun. The kids get to see all kinds of animals living "free", interact with goats and... More

We visit Grant's Farm several times a year with our big family. It's free - parking is minimal - and it's lots of fun. The kids get to see all kinds of animals living "free", interact with goats and camels and elephants, and see lots of shows. The hospitality center, sposored by Anheuser Busch, is the best part - since you get two free single servings of any AB product!!! The kids eat their pretzels and icees and dad gets a cold beer in the Biergarten to end the afternoon.
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This is a great outdoors alternative to a zoo. At Grant's Farm you can see the animals closer, watch shows and demonstrations. Everyone also love to feed the goats- but watch out, the last time I... More

This is a great outdoors alternative to a zoo. At Grant's Farm you can see the animals closer, watch shows and demonstrations. Everyone also love to feed the goats- but watch out, the last time I was there a goat attacked my shirt. I was okay, but a small child might be scared. They also have the horses to look at, and a train to ride.
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This is such a great place to take your family. This is the former home of Ulysses S. Grant. There are acres upon acres to see here. The Busch family now owns this land and gives free tours of the... More

This is such a great place to take your family. This is the former home of Ulysses S. Grant. There are acres upon acres to see here. The Busch family now owns this land and gives free tours of the grounds. There is a shuttle that takes you around the farm. They have animals from all over the world there. There is a petting zoo of baby goats where the kids can feed them a bottle. There are Giraffes, and Monkeys, and even Bald Eagles. There is some fun for the adults as well. There is the Busch garden where you may purchase Brats and taste the beer free. Admission is free however you must pay for parking. What a great place.
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Grant's farm is another great place to go in St. Louis. Its so fun and FREE! You do have to pay to park but its well worth it. Upon entering, you get to ride a tram around the farm. You can... More

Grant's farm is another great place to go in St. Louis. Its so fun and FREE! You do have to pay to park but its well worth it. Upon entering, you get to ride a tram around the farm. You can see Grant's former house, many types of animals and feed goats as well. They have animal shows and you can see the renowned Anheuser Busch Clydesdale. You can also sample Anheuser Busch products for free too. It really is a fun place to go.
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There are not many places you can go with a mini zoo, a beer garden, historic carriages, a tram tour and a large mister to play in and get soaked on a hot day? The phrase "jack of all trades and... More

There are not many places you can go with a mini zoo, a beer garden, historic carriages, a tram tour and a large mister to play in and get soaked on a hot day? The phrase "jack of all trades and master of none" well fits, but it is refreshing and makes for an afternoon well spent. Remember that this is also a free day out (excepting food and parking) and it is well worth your time. Also, if you need more than the mister, there is a park down the street with a larger pool available.
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Grant's Farm is hard to categorize. Take a tour through this property of the Anheuser-Busch family to see the many wild buffalo, elk and other animals. See the world famous Clydesdales, the very... More

Grant's Farm is hard to categorize. Take a tour through this property of the Anheuser-Busch family to see the many wild buffalo, elk and other animals. See the world famous Clydesdales, the very ones that pull the Anheuser-Busch beer wagon. It's a strange and wonderful place, and best of all, it's free.
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When it is a nice day and we have nothing to do we love to take our children to grants farm. It is free admission and you can bring drinks and snacks in. It does cost 5.00 to park but it is so well... More

When it is a nice day and we have nothing to do we love to take our children to grants farm. It is free admission and you can bring drinks and snacks in. It does cost 5.00 to park but it is so well worth it. My kids love the tram that takes you to the animals. The animals get so close to the tram and they get so excited. Grants farm is not overwhelming and the kids do not get exhausted. They love that they can touch the animals
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Grant's Farm is a St. Louis treasure. Owned by Anheuser Busch, the farm is tucked away in a South County location and features animal shows, African elephants, Clydesdales, and a hodgepodge of other... More

Grant's Farm is a St. Louis treasure. Owned by Anheuser Busch, the farm is tucked away in a South County location and features animal shows, African elephants, Clydesdales, and a hodgepodge of other animals. There is the obligatory petting zoo as well where kids can feed the goats. For beer drinkers, free samples of AB products are offered daily here. A highlight is the tram ride in the deer park, where you will see a variety of animals roaming free.
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