Dave & Buster's, Maryland Heights

Location: 13857 Riverport Dr, Maryland Heights, MO 63043

Website: http://www.daveandbusters.com/st-louis

This place is fun! When you walk in there is an information desk where you can decide how much money you want to spend. I spent $14 and got a card loaded with 60 chips on it. Each game is about 3-5 chips and it lasted my 2 kids about 30 mins which was plenty. They felt like they played a bunch of stuff and when we ran out of chips I said it was time to go because our money was gone and they were OK with that. If you win tickets they load those onto the card also and you just insert the card into a reader to see how many tickets you have. It's WAY easier than feeding 500 tickets into a machine that counts them (ahem Chuck E. Cheese). We won 188 tickets which was only enough for a piddly piece of laffy taffy. Most of the prizes were hundreds and hundreds of tickets, but you can keep your card and bring it next time and keep adding to it, which is nice. There is a restaurant right in the Midway where the games are, as well as one that is closer to the entrance. The menu looked good but we didn't order anything. They have private banquet rooms and do kid parties also.

Dunegant Park, Florissant

Location: 1930 Derhake Rd, Florissant, MO 63031

Website: http://www.florissantmo.com/egov/apps/locations/facilities.egov?view=detail&id=19

Playground Ground Cover: Wood Chips

Their website says there are 3 playgrounds here, but I searched the entire place and only found 2. The first one is older and the second one is smaller but newer. There are bathrooms here and pavilions as well.

The first playground has a tic tac toe board, a bridge, a double slide, a xylophone, a pretend storefront, a zipline, a bouncy step thing, some stepping stones, a long climber, and various bars and poles. 

There used to be a skate park here but it was demolished because of "issues".  Probably vandalism and crime.

Second playground within sight and across the parking lot of the first one. This playground is 3 stories tall with a big slide, a rock wall, a clear bubble window, 4 sling swings, a nature tracker game where you have to locate some animals hidden all over the structure, and various bars and poles. It's meant to resemble a big tree house. 

 Big sand pit, possibly an old horseshoe pit?

Little White Birch Park, Hazelwood

Location: 449 Olian Dr, Hazelwood, MO 63042

Website: http://www.hazelwoodmo.org/services/parks

Playground Ground Cover: Wood Chips

The park is kind of hidden behind the Hazelwood Police Department. It has a picnic site, playground, and lighted tennis courts. The playground is older and there's some graffiti on it. There are supposed to be 4 sling swings but someone wrapped one over the top bar so there are only 3. There is a rock wall, 3 different slides, a bridge, and some bars and poles to climb on.

 Someone got one of the swings stuck up there.

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Co. Factory Tour, St. Louis City

Location: 5025 Pattison Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110

Website: https://www.chocolatechocolate.com/pages/chocolate-factory-tours

From the website, "Fulfill a childhood dream and visit the Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company factory, candy kitchen, and world headquarters! The Abel Family opened their new plant in 2012 and offers FREE factory tours 5-days-a-week! We will take you down onto the factory floor so you can see, hear, smell and taste chocolates right in front of your eyes! We will show you our candy kitchen and chocolate enrobers - so you can watch our candy makers hand make chocolates right in front of your eyes! Our Chocolate factory is becoming a popular St. Louis tourist destination, with over 50,000 visitors each year!"

Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. New as of 2022 everyone must have a reservation. 

TOURS RUN EVERY 1/2 HOUR (EXCEPT FROM 12:00 - 12:30)

When you arrive you come in through their retail store where they sell all their chocolate goodies which are delish but not cheap. They also have a clearance area of marked-down chocolate so you might find something there as well. You tell someone behind the counter you're there for the tour and wait. They'll give you the tour hat and go over the rules with you. The first time I went my kids were younger and they didn't like wearing the hat at all, but it's required.

Then they'll take you into the factory. The entire tour lasts about 10 minutes. They'll talk about how they make the chocolate and what they make. Most of the kids didn't want to listen and wanted to run around which they didn't like. At the end, they give you free chocolate.  It's usually a misshapen piece or a variety that isn't selling, but it's still yummy! 

Kids can pretend to stir the chocolate in this copper kettle.

Waiting for the tour to start

We went right before Easter and these bunnies were 3 feet tall and solid chocolate. They went for $600 dollars! She said a lot of corporate people bought them for the company or private events. 

GENERAL RULES:

1. We are an FDA registered manufacturing facility - we ask that you wear closed toe shoes
2. We will provide you a "TOUR HAT" that is required to be worn at all times during the tour
3. If you have ANY food or nut allergy - please let us know, as we are taking you directly on the factory floor
4. You MUST stay behind the yellow ropes during the tour
5. ALL tours are accompanied by a tour guide
6. Tours last between 15-20 minutes
7. EVERYONE MUST PRE-BOOK A RESERVATION
8. Our Max Capacity is 10 people per tour (new 2021 policy)
9. As of 7/22/2021 - ALL GUESTS MUST WEAR A MASK ON THE TOUR

World Chess Hall of Fame, St. Louis City

Location: 4652 Maryland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108

Website: http://www.worldchesshof.org/

The following pictures were taken in the Kings, Queens & Castles exhibit. Commissioned by the World Chess Hall of Fame, this exhibition was developed in partnership with The Magic House. When it leaves here in Sep I was told it will be moving to the Magic House and then traveling around the country.  The exhibit is a whole lot of fun! They have dress up with regal robes and knight-wear, a life sized chess board, slides, crafts where you can make your own crowns and shields, and large Lego type blocks to build with. The staff will also gladly play a game with you and my daughter really enjoyed it! Chess is the oldest skill game in the world, and there is information about it's history and how to play all over the walls.