Demographers may be interested to know that the City of St. Louis (Pop: 301,578) is part of a metropolitan statistical area defined by the US Census Bureau as 15 counties spanning Missouri and Illinois. The metro area is growing in diversity but relatively stagnant in size. And, the Midwestern city will be the site of the next annual meeting of the Population Association of America (PAA) so demographers of 2026 may also want to know: What should we do there?
The Population Studies Center spoke with our own St. Louisan Bob Kaikati, the beloved Administrative Core staff member who handles IT and facilities at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. Bob agreed to be interviewed on condition that we offer bullet points without fluff about how awesome he is.
THE CITY MUSEUM
Bob says: “The City Museum is essentially a play house for adults and children alike, with tight, claustrophobic crawl tunnels that snake in and out of the building, ramps, swinging ropes, and a big old slide that runs from two floors up to the exit.” The venue serves wine slushies and beer on the roof and from the 19th-century cabin on the first floor.
BUSCH STADIUM
Bob says, “You’ll get a true feel for St. Louis if you can make it to a Cardinals game. You’ll want to see the crowds because St. Louis is a baseball town. The fans are not mean and spiteful. As long as they’re not playing the Cubs, they’re happy fans.” You’ll have to catch a game against the Brewers May 5 (6:45 pm) or get to the day game May 6. The stadium is a 10-minute walk (.5 miles) from PAA.
ANHEUSER-BUSCH BREWERY
The Anheuser-Busch Brewery offers tours of both its brewery complex and Budweiser Clydesdale stables. You can pick up a beverage or two at the end of the brewery tour. Bob recommends: Stella Artois.
THE ARCH
The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial that includes the Gateway Arch commemorates the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Thomas Jefferson’s vision of westward expansion, and the site of a fictional battle scene in which Percy Jackson falls improbably into the Mississippi River. Bob says: “It’s the gateway to the West. Once you made it out there in the 1800s, you were ready for your adventure.”
FOREST PARK
Bob says: “Forest Park is on my big-3 list of things to do in St. Louis because it has so many things to do– an art museum, a history museum, and a greenhouse that is not worth mentioning. It also has a free zoo that is one of the best in the nation.”
ALSO MENTIONED…
- Laclede’s Landing, a 10-minute walk from the PAA venue, is a cobblestone-paved riverfront district with venues to eat and drink
- St. Louis Science Center
- Italian dining on The Hill, including the small bistro, Zia’s on the Hill
- St. Louis Bread Co., the origin of Panera
- With kids: The Magic House
- The Missouri Botanical Garden: “A very beautiful place to walk around and collect your thoughts.”
This post was written by Tevah Platt, communications manager for the Population Studies Center.