With parent’s weekend coming up, it’s likely that moms and dads from across the globe will slowly be appearing on the Wash U campus. Throw in a brother or sister (or two or three or four… or more?), a collective desire to explore, and the fact that you know very little outside the Wash U bubble, and you’ve realized the potential for disaster.
So how does a wise collegiette solve the Parents’ Weekend Problem (™)? Easily, thanks to HerCampus Wash U’s guide to parents’ weekend! Read on, and discover activities that will please any family member—and maybe you can even have fun in the process!
For the kid at heart: City Museum
Have a little brother that needs a place to run wild? A parent that just needs to let loose? Maybe you need to run rampant after your midterms? If you answered yes to any of those questions—and even if you said no—the City Museum is the place for you. Located in the former International Shoe building, the City Museum is a playground for adults and children constructed of old architectural and industrial objects. With more than four floors of fun, the City Museum will definitely allow your whole family to feel like kids again!
For the household hipster: the Delmar Loop
If the standard St. Louis attractions are “too mainstream” for some family members, the Delmar Loop provides the perfect alternative to the typical tourist activities. Avalon Exchange is a top-notch thrift store, Vintage Vinyl houses new and used CDs, DVDs, and LPs, Blueberry Hill has an excellent hamburger and small-concert vibe, and the Tivoli Theatre is the place to go for art, foreign and limited release films. If you’re feeling really artsy, the Tivoli is even having Friday and Saturday night screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show—but tickets sell out fast!
For fans of red birds or sox: The 2013 World Series
Although this is a pretty pricey outing for the weekend, the timing is just right for all Wash U baseball fans and their families. Saturday and Sunday nights of parents’ weekend, the Red Sox face off against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Forget all your hometown prejudices, if you can, go cheer on your adopted hometown’s best sports team!
For the one celebrating the end of the government shutdown: The Arch
Forget Obamacare or Smokey the Bear; the biggest catastrophe as the result of the government shutdown was the closing of St. Louis’ monumental claim to fame, the Gateway Arch (pun intended). However, the beloved Arch is up and running, just in time to show your parents St. Louis’s most famous attraction! Check it out, take an obligatory Instagram pic, and hop a ride up the elevator.
For the naturalist of the group: Missouri Botanical Gardens
Forest Park is so last season! If the weather allows you to go exploring outside, try out a new green location at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. With a 79-acre garden in South St. Louis boasting a 14-acre Japanese garden, one of the world’s largest collections of orchids, and the incredible Climatron greenhouse. The gardens are the perfect opportunity to get outside and enjoy the beautiful St. Louis fall.
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/
For the foodie(s): everywhere
While BD might be serving up the best campus food in the country, it doesn’t compare to the plethora of top-notch restaurants around the St. Louis area. There is literally something for everyone: Pi for the pizza-lover, Pappy’s for the BBQ-aficionado, Tani Sushi Bistro for the adventurous eaters, and, of course, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard for a sweet end to a sweet night. With all the options, it would be a shame if you didn’t take advantage and stuff yourself on parents’ weekend (and on your parents’ dime).
So there you have it! With a list this long, parents’ weekend is guaranteed to be a fun-filled couple of days. So get ready to show your parents and families all that Wash U and St. Louis have to offer!