You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a fun and memorable summer vacation. St. Charles is an affordable destination for visitors, with plenty of free things to do to keep you busy. Located off I-70 near the middle of the country, St. Charles is a great road trip destination for families traveling from near and far. Take advantage of these free things to do in St. Charles and discover activities that will help you make the most of your travel budget this summer.
GET CREATIVE AT THE FOUNDRY ART CENTRE
The Foundry Art Centre is St. Charles’ vibrant home to the arts. What was once a train car factory owned by the American Car & Foundry is now home to multiple galleries and artist studios. All art exhibitions are free and open to the public.
The Foundry Art Centre is open with extended hours from 5 PM to 8 PM on the first Friday of every month. Spark your creativity as you spend time in the galleries, meet studio artists, and participate in an array of art programming and entertainment. New exhibitions often debut on First Fridays, adding to the buzz and excitement!
The Foundry Art Centre also hosts a handful of free events throughout the year. On the second Saturday in June, there’s the Block Party, the largest steamroller print making event in the Midwest. Watch as steamrollers press ink from a carving onto a canvas sheet, making a print before your very eyes. Shop at the print market, enjoy live music, food trucks, and get up close and personal with heavy machinery from Public Works. On June 24th, la Fete du Midsummer, a Frenchtown gathering, takes place at the Foundry Art Centre. Featuring free family fun, food and drinks from local restaurants, art activities, and live music, it’s a great way to gather with the community and celebrate the area’s French heritage.
EXPLORE THE KATY TRAIL
Whether you’re looking to take a stroll through nature or have a cycling adventure, the Katy Trail is the perfect spot to be. Stretching 240 miles throughout the state of Missouri, the Katy Trail is the longest developed rail-trail in the country and happens to run through St. Charles and Historic Missouri Wine Country. Find families on walks, people training for their next 5K, or bicyclists cruising along the mostly flat limestone trail. In St. Charles, two train cabooses and the KATY Depot sit along the trail, paying homage to the trail’s history. The KATY Depot, originally built in 1893, was restored and relocated to where it currently sits in the late 1970s. Visitors can find Victorian Santa here at Christmastime during Saint Charles Christmas Traditions®.
If you follow the Katy Trail west, you will end up in the towns of Defiance and Augusta. Enjoy views of the scenic countryside and a glass of award-winning wine from wineries near the trail.
VISIT A LOCAL FESTIVAL
St. Charles is home to many free festivals throughout the year. St. Charles summer festival highlights include Riverfest: a St. Charles 4th of July celebration with carnival rides, food vendors, live music, a parade, and a fireworks show.
In mid-August, Main Street and Frontier Park turn into the Festival of the Little Hills, where over 300 craft booths and food & beverage booths reside for the weekend. Listen to live music and take the kids to the kids’ corner for some good ol’ summer fun.
In mid-September, MOSAICS Fine Art Festival takes place on Main Street where over 100 juried artists specializing in clay, drawing, glass, leather, and other mediums exhibit and sell their artwork. The Children’s Village gives kiddos the opportunity to participate in hands-on art experiences where they can create their own make-and-take art masterpieces. Bring your kids (ages 14 and under) to the Mary Hediger’s Memorial Art Shop for Kids, a kids-only gallery where they can buy professional artwork from participating artists for a nominal fee.
Those are just a few of the free events in St. Charles. Make sure to plan a trip in the fall and winter for our free signature events: Legends & Lanterns® in October and Saint Charles Christmas Traditions® in the winter for some holiday fun.
GET YOUR GROOVE ON AT FREE CONCERTS
Enjoy free live music in St. Charles all summer long. With numerous concert series throughout the city and several restaurants hosting live music, there’s no shortage of live entertainment.
Bring your lawn chairs down to the 100 to 200 blocks of North Main Street for Music on Main from 5 PM to 7:30 PM on the third Wednesday of every month from May through September. Food and drink are available to purchase, or grab dinner from a restaurant on Main Street beforehand for a rocking good time.
Every second Wednesday from May through October, from 6 to 8 PM, the Beale Street Concert Series comes alive at the Streets of St. Charles. Enjoy great food from nearby restaurants, bring your lawn chairs, and get ready to groove to the music in St. Charles.
On the 600 to 900 blocks of N. Second Street, Hot Summer Nights turns Frenchtown into the place to be on the second Saturday of every month from June through September. The night starts at 6 PM where beer, cocktails, and food are available to purchase, and the music begins at 7 PM and ends at 10 PM for a full night of fun.
Visit the New Town Amphitheatre for the New Town Concert Series on select dates this summer. Bring a blanket and lawn chairs, pick a good spot on the lawn, and enjoy the rhythm. Local restaurants, a sno cone shack, and an ice cream stand are nearby for food and refreshments.
Join the St. Charles Municipal Band down by the riverside at Jaycee Pavilion in Frontier Park for a lovely concert at 7:30 PM on Thursdays in June, July, and August. For a swanky jazz concert, go to the Big (Jazz) Band’s concerts at the same place and time, except on the second Sunday of the month.
LEARN ABOUT LOCAL HISTORY
St. Charles has been historically awesome since 1769. Take a walk down brick-lined Main Street as you admire the historic architecture of the shops and restaurants located in buildings that date back to 1815. Learn about famous frontiersmen, Daniel Boone, Meriwether Lewis, and William Clark, who all passed through St. Charles during their lives (memorialized by their statues in the historic district). Drive out to the Historic Daniel Boone Home in Historic Missouri Wine Country to learn more about Boone and see his family’s 1799 homestead. It is free to walk around the grounds that include a reconstructed 19th century village. Guided tours of inside the home are available for a small fee.
Sign up for a “Hit the Bricks” Main Street tour to learn more about the fascinating people, places, and moments that have occurred in this charming city. For a nominal fee, you can take this guided walking tour and become a self-proclaimed expert of Main Street. Choose from three tours, each offering unique stories about Saint Charles. “The Key to the West: Pioneers, Explorers, & Traders…Oh My!” covers the 400 to 900 blocks of S Main Street and discusses the city’s role as the launching point of explorers, the story of a nefarious plot hatched by a US vice president, and more. “MO Than Meets the Eye: Surprises of the First State Capitol” covers the 300 block of S Main Street to the 300 block of N Main Street and discusses the city’s role as Missouri’s first state capitol, a local saint, local connections to wars, and more. The third tour is “Macabre Main Street,” where you will uncover true tales of treason, villainy, and the paranormal in St. Charles.
GO ON A HIKE
Summers can be hot and humid in Missouri, but St. Charles has numerous shaded (and short) trails for you to get your nature-fix without getting too hot. Near the Streets of St. Charles sits the Bangert Island Loop, a 2.3 mile loop through a wooded area with views of the Missouri River. Klondike Park is home to several trails including the Klondike Overlook Trail, a 0.5 mile out-and-back trail that brings you to the top of a bluff with views of the Missouri River and the surrounding area, which is perfect for pictures and scenic views without being in the heat for too long. Of course, if you want something longer, there is the 240-mile-long Katy Trail that goes through St. Charles, to Historic Missouri Wine Country, and beyond. Popular with bicyclists and runners, users can make their hike as short, or as long, as they’d like.