Special Events

Marine Week
Don't miss it when the U.S. Marines beseige the Gateway Arch on Friday and Saturday, June 24-25. The amphibious assault demonstration is part of Marine Week and features six military aircraft: the MV-22 Osprey, AH-1W Cobra attack helicopter, AV-8B Harrier, CH-53E Super Stallion, CH-46E Sea Knight, UH-1N Huey. The demonstrations will happen at 4 p.m. on June 24, and 2 p.m. on June 25. Static displays are open all week and allow kids to climb in the cockpit of some of the helicopters.

Photo of Marine Week Boston courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Fair Saint Louis Air Show
One of the main attractions of "America's Biggest Birthday Park," or Fair Saint Louis, is always the air show. From July 2-4, fairgoers can see the Black Daggers, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command parachute demonstration team; the F/A 18 Super Hornet; the Red Eagles and several other aircraft performances.

Photo by Alex Schenk Photography and courtesy of Fair St. Louis. Jim Maroney performs during Fair Saint Louis.

Year-Round Attractions

James S. McDonnell Prologue Room at Boeing
A summer aeronautical treat, the Prologue Room at Boeing is open to walk-ins Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the months of June, July and August. The Prologue Room displays large-scale models of the F-15 Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet and AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. Models of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the C-17 and Air Force One are also available for inspection. Families will enjoy seeing rockets, missiles and engineering mockups of spacecraft. Visiting the Prologue Room is free. The Prologue Room is located in Building 100 at the corner of McDonnell Boulevard and Airport Road. During non-summer months, group tours of the Prologue Room are available by calling 314-232-6896.

Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum
More than 50 antique and vintage planes are on display at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum at Dauster Flying Field in Creve Coeur Airport. Families can visit the museum Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum even offers open cockpit rides in a Stearman World War II biplane trainer and a North American SNJ-5. Call 314-434-3368 for pricing details. The museum is located at 3127 Creve Coeur Mill Road, St. Louis, Mo., 63146.

Gateway Helicopter Tours
Get a bird's-eye view of the Gateway Arch, and other downtown landmarks during a flight with Gateway Helicopter Tours. Tours start at $35 and vary in length from 3-20 minutes. Pilots lift off from a helipad floating in the Mississippi River and reach speeds of more than 100 mph. Reservations are not required for tours, but helicopters do not fly in rainy or windy weather. The tour office is directly below the Gateway Arch Grand Staircase at 50 N. Leonor K. Sullivan Blvd., St. Louis, Mo., 63102. Call 314-496-4494 for details.

Radio-Controlled Airplane Clubs
The St. Louis metro area is home to numerous radio-controlled airplane clubs. Most clubs invite spectators to watch as they fly their miniature airplanes and helicopters. There are two great places to watch radio-controlled aircraft and talk to the pilots that fly them. The St. Louis R/C Flying Association maintains a field at 788 Augustine Road, Eureka, Mo., 63025. Weekends and Wednesday evenings are good times to visit the airfield, according to the organizations website, with Sunday afternoons featuring the most pilots and aircraft. Buder Park, 215 Valley Park Road, St. Louis, Mo., 63026, is also a remote-controlled airplane hotspot.

St. Louis Sprout researcher This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it compiled this list of best bets. Mefford is a St. Louis native and a local insurance broker who works from home to spend time with her 2-year-old daughter. Having a flexible work schedule has allowed her family to keep a very active schedule full of swim lessons, playgrounds, countless zoo visits, and long weekends out of town.

Best Bets articles represent the views and the research completed by St. Louis Sprout & About journalists and are not driven by advertising or requests by vendors or venues. Best Bets do not imply an endorsement of a business or activity.

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