America’s Center Convention Complex – Things To Do With Your Team

Soon after arriving at the America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis you’ll understand why “America’s Center” is such a fitting name for this impressive complex. While at the America’s Center Convention Complex you and your team will feel as if you’re at the very center of everything that St. Louis has to offer. Located in the heart of downtown St. Louis on Washington Avenue, one of the busiest and most vibrant streets in the entire city, the America’s Center Convention Complex is surrounded by countless attractions and places to go eat, many of which can be found right down the street from the complex. Given its unbeatable location, it only makes sense that the America’s Center Convention Complex itself is just as standout. The complex is actually comprised of four distinct facilities: the Cervantes Convention Center; The Dome at America’s Center; the St. Louis Executive Conference Center, and the 1,400-seat Ferrara Theatre, each equipped with a distinct array of world-class amenities. In total, the America’s Center Convention Complex features 502,000 square feet of exhibit space in addition to a 28,000-square-foot ballroom located in the Cervantes Convention Center. As sprawling of a facility as the America’s Center Convention Complex is, you and your team will definitely be eager to venture out from the complex and visit some of the best attractions and restaurants that can be found in St. Louis.

Things to Do

Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch is the most iconic landmark in St. Louis and perhaps even the entire United States. As the nation’s tallest monument, the Gateway Arch towers 630 feet above St. Louis, symbolizing the westward expansion of the United States. A visit to the Gateway Arch certainly isn’t complete without taking an amazing souvenir photo at the base of the monument, but the view from the outside of the arch is only half of the experience. On the inside of the Gateway Arch you’ll find Journey to the Top, which, as the name implies, is a tram ride that will take you and your team to the top of the structure where you can experience breathtaking panoramic views of the city and beyond; Monument to the Dream, an award-winning documentary about the construction of the Gateway Arch; and The Arch Store. 11 North 4th Street, Saint Louis, MO 63102

Citygarden

Just a short walk away from the Gateway Arch is Citygarden, an urban park unlike any other. Spanning two blocks, Citygarden features two dozen impressive sculptures in a completely accessible and interactive setting. You won’t find any “Do Not Touch” signs on any of the sculptures at Citygarden. The interactive fun continues at the park’s “spray plaza.” Young children visiting Citygarden can enjoy running through the plaza’s 102 separate jets of water, which spray in a multitude of shifting, computer-controlled, colorfully-illuminated patterns. 801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63101

City Museum

You might pass by this next attraction after you leave the America’s Center Convention Complex. Don’t let the name fool you, St. Louis’ City Museum is practically anything but. Housed in the 600,000-square-foot former International Shoe building, the City Museum is a fantastical amalgamation of children’s playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel. Opened in 1997, the City Museum was created by internationally-acclaimed artist Bob Cassilly and his longtime crew of just 20 artisans. The whole attraction is constructed entirely from unique found objects like reclaimed building materials, old chimneys, salvaged bridges, construction cranes, miles of tile, and even two abandoned planes; hence the name “City Museum.” It boasts not only the world’s largest jungle gym, MonstroCity, but also over 30 spiral slides ranging from five stories to 10, the Enchanted Caves, the Everyday Circus, and more. When it’s time to take a break, stop by the Cabin Inn for some refreshments. At the very top of City Museum is the seasonal Rooftop Garden. The garden is one of the City Museum’s most incredible aspects, if they can even be compared. It features a working 1940s Ferris wheel, even more giant slides, fountains, and unforgettable panoramic views of St. Louis. 750 N 16th St, Saint Louis, MO 63103

National Blues Museum

Less than block away from the America’s Center Convention Complex is one of St. Louis’ newest and most popular attractions, the National Blues Museum. Opened in 2016, the National Blues Museum features a wide variety of innovate, interactive, and state-of-the-art exhibits showcasing the history and legacy of blues music, as well as its significant impact on American culture and the world. Although the blues is a genre known for lyrics as sorrowful as they are soulful, you and your team definitely won’t be feeling the blues as you explore the 23,000 square feet worth of music history at this unique museum. 615 Washington Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63101

Busch Stadium and St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum

Whether you’re visiting America’s Center Convention Complex with any Cardinals fans or just a group of people who enjoy watching a good game of baseball, a visit to Busch Stadium, the home of the Cardinals, and the adjacent St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum is a one of a kind way to spend an afternoon while in St. Louis. Even if you aren’t able to catch a Cardinals home game during you visit, you can still take a tour of Busch Stadium, which are offered year-round. The hour-long tour of Busch Stadium will provide you and your team with a unique, behind-the-scenes look at various aspects of the facility. You’ll get to take in the view from the radio broadcast booth, see World Series trophies up close in the Champions Club, and imagine yourself as a big leaguer during a stop in the Cardinals dugout. After embarking on a tour of Busch Stadium, head to the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum, located in the St. Louis Ballpark Village, where you can learn even more about the legacy of one of baseball’s most storied franchises. The collection featured at the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum is the largest team-held collection of baseball antiques, with over 16,000 total artifacts and hundreds of thousands of archival photographs, and is second only to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 700 Clark Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63102; 700 Clark St, Saint Louis, MO 63102

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Places to Eat

Pi Pizzeria

With a name like Pi Pizzeria, it’s no surprise that there’s a lot of careful calculation that goes into how they make their irrationally delicious deep dish and thin cornmeal crust pizza. Even their whole grain and gluten-free pizzas are specially engineered to not miss out on even an ounce of flavor. In fact, the pizza at Pi Pizzeria is so well-calculated that former President Barack Obama called it the best pizza he’d ever had. The menu at Pi Pizzeria features a variety of specialty pies like the Berkeley, topped with mozzarella, zucchini, mushrooms, red pepper, Kalamata olives, onions, and garlic; and the Kirkwood, with mozzarella, meatballs, red pepper, and basil; but you can also do some simple addition yourself to craft a unique pie that’s all your own. Pi Pizzeria also offers plenty of tasty appetizers, fresh salads, and oh-so-sweet desserts. 610 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63101

Sauce on the Side

Sauce on the Side is a fast casual restaurant specializing in gourmet calzones that’s near America’s Center Convention Complex. From the Costanza, filled with pepperoni, eggplant, roasted garlic, basil, mozzarella, ricotta, garlic honey oil, and red sauce on the side to the Duke, with BBQ chicken, Applewood smoked bacon, corn salsa, smoked cheddar, mozzarella, smoked chili oil, and BBQ ranch sauce on the side, all of the amazing calzones on the menu at Sauce on the Side are made using only the highest quality ingredients, including hand tossed dough made on the premises daily. If you’re feeling creative you can even create your own custom calzone! Although you probably won’t be able to eat another bite after digging into one of their hearty calzones, Sauce on the Side also serves decadent dessert calzones like one filled with Nutella, bananas, mascarpone cheese, and powdered sugar. If you’re in the mood for something lighter, try one of their fresh salads. No matter what you order at Sauce on the Side, you’re guaranteed to leave full and happy. 411 N 8th St, St. Louis, MO 63101

Sugarfire Smoke House

While at the America’s Center Convention Center, you and your team will be just down the street from Sugarfire Smoke House, one of the best barbeque joints in St. Louis and beyond. What makes Sugarfire Smoke House so great is that it isn’t your typical barbeque restaurant. From the use of fresh, local ingredients, to the awesome culinary exploits of their world-trained chefs and pit masters, the award-winning barbeque they’re cooking up at Sugarfire Smoke House is exceptional. Nowhere else will you be able to find the more unconventional offerings featured on the menu at Sugarfire Smoke House, such as appetizers like pork belly hush puppies with jalapeno jelly and smoked fried artichokes with lemon aioli; satisfying entrees like their signature Big Muddy sandwich, made up of brisket, smoked sausage, horseradish sauce, BBQ sauce, lettuce, and pickles; and amazing dessert options like smoked chocolate chip cookies and a vast selection of homemade pies. Just one bite of anything from the menu at Sugarfire Smoke House is all that it will take for you to understand why this renowned St. Louis restaurant has won countless awards and even been featured on the Food Network! 605 Washington Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63101

Bailey’s Range

There are plenty of places you could go for a good burger in St. Louis. For a great burger however, you’ll need to go to Bailey’s Range, the city’s premier burger bar. What makes the burgers served at Bailey’s Range so special is that each one is made with 100-percent grass-fed Missouri range beef and buns made in-house. Even their ice cream is homemade! The menu at Bailey’s Range is features kids only offerings like chicken fingers, grass-fed beef hot dogs, and grilled cheese, as well as the “Burger Battle,” which pits two new burgers against one another. Whichever one gets ordered more stays to fight another week; the other gets kicked to the curb. Show some support and order your favorite of the two! 920 Olive St, Saint Louis, MO 63101

As you can probably tell from unconventional attractions like the City Museum and unique restaurants like Sauce on the Side and Pi Pizzeria, St. Louis is a city that thrives off of everything and anything that could be considered out of the ordinary. That being said, it won’t take long for you and your team to feel right at home during your visit to this amazing city. Within just a few hours of being at the America’s Center Convention Complex, you’ll all be itching to head into the heart of St. Louis in search of all the great experiences that can be had there.