The last time I was in St. Louis I was still in my 20s, and I had the energy to party all night. After many shameless social media posts and ten years later, I had the opportunity to revisit The Lou with a friend of mine from Indianapolis. St. Louis is more or less centrally located, so it is easy to travel to from almost anywhere in North America. This makes St. Louis a fantastic destination for a long weekend getaway.

There is a variety and abundance of places to explore in St. Louis. So, immediately after checking into the beautiful Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta Hotel, we walked to the Saint Louis Science Center. This is just one of many attractions located in Forest Park, an area larger than New York’s Central Park. During our visit, the Science Center was displaying a riveting Pompeii exhibition. Guests had the opportunity to relive the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and the rediscovery of the Roman city of Pompeii which contained more than 150 authentic artifacts and engaging interactive exhibits.

The last time I was in St. Louis I was still in my 20s, and I had the energy to party all night. After many shameless social media posts and 10 years later, I had the opportunity to revisit The Lou with a friend of mine from Indianapolis. St. Louis is more or less centrally located, so it is easy to travel to from almost anywhere in North America. This makes St. Louis a fantastic destination for a long weekend getaway.

There is a variety and abundance of places to explore in St. Louis. So, immediately after checking into the beautiful Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta Hotel, we walked to the Saint Louis Science Center. This is just one of many attractions located in Forest Park, an area larger than New York’s Central Park. During our visit, the Science Center was displaying a riveting Pompeii exhibition. Guests had the opportunity to relive the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and the rediscovery of the Roman city of Pompeii which contained more than 150 authentic artifacts and engaging interactive exhibits.

It’s no secret that City Museum is one of the absolute best attractions St. Louis has to offer, so when the beloved art-project-turned-adult-playground throws an event, you can bet it’s equally exciting. Enter City Nights at City Museum, a four-night-only affair that takes over the building’s rooftop with live music, a light show, art by a variety of vendors and more.

Back-to-school time can be stressful for children with a learning disability. The St. Louis Learning Disabilities Association is hoping to make that transition easier.

Having started in the 1960s as a community grassroots effort, the St. Louis Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) aims to provide educational and emotional support for children living with disabilities, as well as their parents and educators.

“Whether it be educational coaching, assessments, advocacy, you name it, LDA equips these students with the tools and the confidence they need to be successful in school and then in life,” said James Huang, LDA board director and client.

Topping the list is City Museum, located at 750 N. 16th St. in Downtown West. The museum, playground and amusement park is the most popular museum in St. Louis, boasting 4.5 stars out of 1,206 reviews on Yelp.

Despite not being a major city by population, St. Louis holds its own against other larger cities with its tourist attractions, quirky foods, and iconic sites. Sports fans, foodies, and site-seers can all find activities within the city. Because of the city’s smaller size and the close proximity of attractions, experiencing a wide variety of St. Louis culture is possible even in a short amount of time.

Recently I spent one day in St. Louis, taking in as much as possible of the city. Within 12 hours, I saw a portion of the Botanical Garden, visited the top of the Arch, ate locally famous pizza, saw the site of the 1904 World Fair, and explored local neighborhoods.

When the Washington University in St. Louis Class of 2023 arrives Aug. 17, a Saturday, they will experience a nine-day Bear Beginnings orientation program that is more inclusive, more fun and, yes, more days.

Traditions such as Convocation, SUp All Night and the Common Reading Program discussion will continue. But Bear Beginnings also will include new programs such as immersive experiences in St. Louis, a residential life block party and “Dialogue Across Difference,” a workshop introducing students to university values of free expression and inclusion.

According to 2017 data collected by the US Department of Education, 63 percent of fourth-graders read below a “proficient” achievement level, and low-income students face the highest risk of literacy problems. The importance of reading to a child’s academic and personal development has challenged literacy nonprofits to think outside the box on how to get students engaged with reading. In North Kansas City, Missouri, the world’s first “explor-a-storium” is being built to rise to the challenge.

The creators and owners of The Rabbit Hole museum, Debbie Pettid and Pete Cowdin, ran a popular children’s bookstore called the Reading Reptile for nearly three decades. In 2015, they took the leap into their passion project of creating a nonprofit museum that would build culture around children’s books and provide a more immersive, explorable experience of reading.