St. Louis

As WashU students, we take part in the gentrification of St. Louis. I encourage everyone to approach entering the community not as a tourist who is passing through for 4 years, but as an individual who is committed to engaging with the community. – Jessica Yu, 2021

History of St. Louis

Will be updated soon

Transportation Options
  • Public Transportation & Metro
    • How to Ride the Metro
      • Identify which bus or Metro you need to take to get to your destination via Google Maps
        • Type in your destination and click the transit option (bus shape) and it’ll give you a few options on which buses/trains you should use.
      • Check arrival times on Transit app (official app for the Metro & has the best real time or buses and the light rail)
      • Board bus or Metro
    • Tips for safety on Metro
      • Bring a cell phone AND pay attention to your surroundings  
      • Try to travel with friends
      • Avoid being alone in a Metro car (ride in conductor’s car)
      • Try to avoid the Metro late at night 
  • Enterprise Car Share
    • COVID-19: This program is currently suspended
    • Car Share is a great option if you don’t have a car on campus but want the independence of driving yourself! At the beginning of the year you’ll hear more about this as an option, but it’s fairly simple to sign up. After the signup process all you have to do is request a time and go to the car!
    • Rate: $5/hr or $60/day
    • This is paid for by The Gephardt Institute if used for community service purposes
Free/Low-Cost Activities
  • Graffiti Wall
  • Sculpture Park Downtown 
  • Forest Park
    • St. Louis Zoo
    • St. Louis Art Museum
    • St. Louis History Museum
  • Best Hikes
  • Jazz at Holmes
    • This occurs most Thursdays from 8-10 pm in Holmes Lounge. The event brings in artists from around St. Louis and elsewhere
  • ResLife Programming
    • Part of living on-campus is having a Residential Advisor (RA). RAs are provided as a resource to help you navigate living on a college campus, so use them. Part of their job is also planning events to help build community (and many of these events will involve free food). Come for the free food and make friends with some of your neighbors while you’re at it!
  • CS40 Programming
    • The Congress of the South 40 plans many free events during the year and also offers discounted tickets to movies, plays and events in St. Louis. They advertise heavily on Facebook and in Bear’s Den – so keep an eye out!
  • Taylor STARS
    • Taylor STARS plans events throughout the year and also provides a set number of tickets to shows, movies, etc. Make sure to keep up with emails/newsletters to sign-up!
  • Performing Arts Dept
Discounted Tickets
  • It is very common for Residential Colleges to sponsor a limited number of free tickets to WashU performances. These usually go on a first-come, first-served basis, so make sure to check your email to stay on top of these offers.
  • Examples of other discounts: 
      • St. Louis Cardinals: Student days pre-scheduled
        • Aside from student days, most Cardinal games have $6 tickets
      • Jazz St. Louis, Ferring Jazz Bistro
        • $11 student tickets for a really, really cool place where tickets normally push toward $100
      • St. Louis Symphony, Powell Hall
      • “Student Rush” at the Fabulous Fox Theatre
        • For shows that don’t sell out, the Fox will run a “student rush” promotion. This means that starting two hours before the show, students can get discounted tickets (usually the cheapest ones are $10-25, depending on the show) at the box office. This is a great way to experience live theatre!