Authored by Bill Siever and Ron Cytron (Local Arrangements Team)

Contact our TS 2026 Local Arrangements team (local@sigcse2026.sigcse.org) if you have any questions about visit St. Louis.

Arrival into St. Louis

Arrival by Air

St. Louis Lambert Airport is approximately 15 miles (24km) from downtown and the America’s Center. To get there:

• Ride-sharing apps (Uber/Lyft)
• Cabs
• Car rentals
• MetroLink (light rail)

There are just two terminals and the locations for ground transportation depend on the arrival terminal.

Terminal 1

MetroLink (public transportation / light rail): Door 1, Ticketing Level, east of all ticket counters
Rental cars: exit 17 (on the west end of the island curb)
Metro Taxi: Door 14 to Garage Yellow Level
Uber/Lyft: Door 6 (Ticketing Level)

Terminal 2

MetroLink (public transportation / light rail): Door 12, through the parking garage.
Rental cars: outside exit 12 (on the inside curb of Arrivals Blvd.)
Metro Taxi: Door 12
Uber/Lyft: Door 12

Arrival by Train

Amtrak station downtown, at the St. Louis Gateway Transportation Center

Arrival by Bus

Greyhound bus arrival at the St. Louis Gateway Transportation Center

Onward from the St. Louis Transportation Center

• It’s about 1.5mi (2.4km) to the Convention Center
• Walk 28 minutes
• Drive 7 minutes
• Metro-Link light rail Blue or Red line “east” to the Convention Center stop (should be open by the conference)

Public Transportation / MetroLink

MetroLink has two lines, the Red line and the Blue Line. The Red Line connects the Airport to the Convention Center and downtown (the Blue Line does not go to the airport). Fare is $4.00.

• Arriving / going East: From the Airport to the Convention Center Station takes about 36 minutes and runs every 20 minutes from 4:56am-12:56am.
• Departure / going West: From the Convention Center Station to the Airport also takes about 36 minutes and runs every 20 minutes from 4:10am-12:11am.

Things to Do

Need something?

• Downtown Schnuck’s Grocery Store (contains a CVS pharmacy)
• Dry cleaning at Band Box Cleaners
• Catholic Mass
  • St. Francis Xavier College Church (at St. Louis University)
  • Not close, but this is where folk music in Catholic worship originated
  • The Old Cathedral, beautiful and historic, a 20-minute walk
  • The Cathedral Basilica, worth a visit but further away
• Protestant services
  • Third Baptist Church
  • Grace Baptist Church (at the Convention Center, 1000 N. 7th Street)
  • Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal Church of America), a 12-minute walk
• Jewish
  • Central Reform Congregation
• Islamic
  • Al Mu’minun Islamic Center
• Hindu
  • The Hindu Temple of St. Louis

Areas of interest, walkable / near the Convention Center:

• Washington Avenue (restaurants and bars)
• Laclede’s Landing
  • Restaurants and Bars there
  • Including The Old Spaghetti Factory
• Gateway Arch and Museum
• Busch Stadium (Cardinals National League Baseball)
• Enterprise Center (Blues National Hockey League, season active during conference)
• Stifel Theater
• Union Station
  • Aquarium
  • St. Louis Wheel
  • More attractions indoors: maze, ropes course
• City Museum (check this out, it’s more of a cool exploration experience than a museum)
• National Blues Museum (music, not the hockey team)
• Horseshoe Casino (Caesar’s property)

Areas of interest, a short drive or Metro-Link ride from the Convention Center:

• The Grove (many shops, restaurants, bars)
• Central West End (CWE) (Metro: Central West End) (many restaurants)
• The Hill (Italian area with bakeries and restaurants)
• World Chess Hall of Fame and Chess Club (14 minute walk from Central West End stop)
• South Grand (large selection of ethnically diverse restaurants)
• St. Louis University
• Washington University
• Concordia Seminary
• Forest Park, ample parking, with free admission (except special exhibits) to
  • Zoo
  • Science Center, connects to the planetarium
  • McDonnell Planetarium
  • Art Museum
  • History Museum
  • Muny “opera” (quiet during the conference)
  • Jewel box (display greenhouse)
  • 10K path around the park (wheels and heels on separate trails)
• Soulard and Farmer’s Market
• Contemporary Art Museum
• Third-Degree Glass Factory (pieces for sale and glass blowing)
• Anheuser-Busch Brewery (tours and tasting)

Sweet tooth

• Crown Candy Kitchen
• Gooey Butter Cake, walk 5 minutes to the Downtown Schnuck’s Grocery Store
• Insomnia Cookies, a 7 minute walk, open until midnight
• Clemintine’s Naughty and Nice Ice Cream (boozy and non-boozy ice cream)

Foodie Favorites

• Clemintine’s Naughty and Nice Ice Cream (boozy and non-boozy ice cream)
• Pappy’s Smokehouse (BBQ)
• Sugarfire (BBQ)
• Sauce on the Side (calzones etc.)
• Old Spaghetti Warehouse
• St. Louis-style Pizza
  • Imo’s Pizza (Chain with many locations)
• Venice Cafe (south city, near the brewery)
• Sushi Ai (all you can eat sushi, 6-minute walk)
• Pharaoh’s Donuts (7-minute walk)

Drinks and Bars

• (frozen) Clemintine’s Naughty and Nice Ice Cream
• The Thaxton Speakeasy, a 7-minute walk, password needed
• The Crack Fox, a 9-minute walk
• The House of Soul, a 8-minute walk

Fun & Games

• Chess at the St. Louis Chess Club
• St. Louis Pinball pinballs, escape rooms, board games
• Other close-by “escapes”
  • Escape The Room St. Louis, a 7-minute walk
  • Float St. Louis
• Pieces Board Game Bar and Restaurant

Music

• Jazz St. Louis (reservations recommended)
• The Thaxton Speakeasy, a 7-minute walk, password needed
• The Crack Fox, a 9-minute walk
• The House of Soul, a 8-minute walk

Family Favorites

• City Museum (15-minute walk)
• The National Museum of Transportation
• The Magic House (satellite location closer to convention center: MADE for Kids)
• St. Louis Zoo
• Science Center
• McDonnell Planetarium
• Downtown Library (14-minute walk)
• Gateway Arch (18-minute walk)

Unique in the region:

• Gateway Arch (18-minute walk)
• Old Town St. Charles
• City Museum (14-minute walk)
• The Magic House

History:

• Cahokia Mounds
• Missouri History Museum
• Gateway Arch Museum (18-minute walk)

Nature & Exercise

• Camping
  • Klondike Park
• Forest Park
  • St. Louis Zoo
  • Saint Louis Art Museum
  • Science Center
  • Missouri History Museum
• See the city via Great River Greenways
• (Easy) Cycling: Katy Trail

Quirky:

• City Museum

Art

• Saint Louis Art Museum
• Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis

Shopping

• St. Louis Galleria (metro stop)
• Plaza Frontenac (drive)