How to Plan Your Visit to Grant’s Farm near St. Louis, MO

Grant’s Farm is a wonderful combination of petting zoo, beer garden, and many things in between. It is owned by the Busch Family, who purchased the estate from President Ulysses S Grant.

I read a lot about Grant’s Farm, and how it was a great place for babies, toddlers, children and adults. We couldn’t agree more, but there are things I should have planned better.

My toddler proclaimed on numerous occasions this was “the best day ever”! At other moments we had two very hot, tired kiddos. Knowing what I know now, I’ll make changes the next time we go. But we will, for sure, be back.

You can find out how we fit Grant’s Farm into our four day itinerary for St. Louis here. Read on, for a bit of tips and tricks for this neat adventure.

What is Grant’s Farm? What can you do?

A visit to Grant’s Farm is a choose your own adventure. Given we’d never been there, we opted for the most simple version. When we go back, we’ll add a few more experiences.

It’s $20 to park ($16 if you buy ahead of time). You can have a fun-filled day without spending another dime (this is what we did). Or, you can add on a number of experiences that range in price from quite reasonable ($10) to significant ($399).

From the parking area, you can either visit the Clydesdales (pictured in the opening) or you can head in the opposite direction to the tram. The tram takes you through Deer Park, which is full of wildlife (deer, elk, bison, etc). The ride ends at the Tier Garten, which is where all the shops and petting zoos are. If you walk through the Tier Garten, you’ll reach the Bauernhof Courtyard (Beer Garden), where free adult beverages (and many food options) await.

The grounds are beautiful, and mostly shaded, which was VERY much needed during our visit. In the middle of May, the average high is supposed to be 77F, but of course it was 92F.

Through the Beer Garden is the tram, which will take you back to the parking lot.

Our two year old loved the tram ride. This made his day (honestly, his trip). He’s very into trains, and we got to see so many animals running and chasing each other. We even had Bison on the bridge that we had to stop for. It was really neat.

But, looking back, we should have partaken in a few of the “extras”.

• For $10 you can get a Fun Pass which includes two goat feedings (pictured on the left), one carousel ride, and one Bomb Pop

• For another nominal fee, you can “pan” for gold. (I don’t remember the cost, but I want to say it was between $5-$12 depending on how much sediment you wanted to sift through.)

• For another nominal fee, you could ride a camel. This looked super fun as well.

I really think my toddler would have loved the Fun Pass, but the line to buy the tickets was in the sun, and long (so buy them online ahead of time!) We did have a really sweet woman who had extra milk give my son the bottle to feed the baby goats through the fence. He thought it was the neatest thing, so I know he would have loved being amongst the chaos of the baby goats.

There are personal tours you can add to your visit to Grant’s Farm as well. They are:

• Animal Encounters Tour ($26, children under 4 are free)

• Busch Family Estate VIP Carriage Ride Tour ($299 for four people, children under 4 are free)

• Clydesdale Closeup Tour ($26, children under 4 are free)

• Private Behind the Scenes Tour ($399 for 12 people)

All of these sound quite neat, depending on your budget and your kid’s attention spans. I’d like to partake in a few of these someday (especially the ones that go through the history). They do give some history of the estate on your tram ride (which I loved).

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After you walk through the Tier Garten, you’ll reach the Bauernhof Courtyard (Beer Garden) which is pictured above. It happened to be Maifest the weekend we were there, which is a German Festival with live music, German food and a Maypole. We were so excited for this. It’s exactly what our kids are into (live music and dancing). But it was so dang hot. They try to give the courtyard shade with the table umbrellas, but it was limited, and of course, the tables with shade were taken. We drank our two free beverages quite quickly (they had so many to choose from, not just beer) and tried to enjoy the live music while wrangling a one year old that wanted to walk everywhere in the sun. Eventually, we just had to stand in line with our second drinks to get on the tram.

*Something to note: You can bring strollers to the Tier Garten and Bauernhof Courtyard area. But to do so, you have to unpack your strollers and give them to the Grant Farm employees who transport them separately to the end of the tram ride where they are waiting for your arrival. You then do the same when it’s time to go back to the parking area.

Tips and Thoughts for Visiting Grant’s Farm:

• Our biggest “mistake” was planning the St. Louis Zoo and Grant’s Farm on the same day. We had seen so many amazing animals and exhibits that morning at the zoo, that the petting zoo didn’t have as big of an impact as it would have on a different day. (Though, seeing those Bison right next to our tram was so cool!)

• Given the high heat, we still put too much emphasis on the fun we would have at Maifest in the Beer Garden. Most of the park is in the shade, but the Bauernhof Courtyard really isn’t. Knowing that now, I would deemphasize the time in the Beer Garden, and have my kiddos partake in the Fun Pass.

• It was busy when we arrived which was at about 2pm on a Saturday. The park, at least when we were there, stayed open until 8pm. By the time we left around 5pm, there was no longer a wait for the tram. I would consider getting there near opening (9am) or waiting until dinner time to visit to avoid waiting for the tram.

• Grant’s Farm does have a lot of Special Events. So make sure you check the event calendar ahead of time. Special Events don’t necessarily cost more (Maifest was free) but it could mean it’s a lot more busy.

• Research the Private Tours ahead of time (they do sell out!) and see if some make sense for your family. We’ll be doing this the next time we visit.

• Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site is right across from the entrance to Grant’s Farm. We’ll be stopping here (it’s free!) when we visit Grant’s Farm again.

Overall Summary: A neat place we could have planned better

Usually we’re good at calling audibles during vacation but the high heat caught us off guard this time around. I really can’t wait to visit again and I’m glad we went during this trip to St. Louis. We’ll get the kids a Fun Pass next time, and I’ll probably consider the Carriage Ride Tour, especially if grandparents come (as that would help with the cost). I would also most likely go first thing in the morning (and end with a noon adult beverage) and then pop over to the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site across the street before heading back to the city.