Grants Farm

I took a couple of days off work this week so that I could spend some time with Cheryl & Beth before Beth starts school. After having breakfast at IHOP (International House of Pancakes) we visited Grant's Farm. This is the 281-acre ancestral home of the Busch family (owners of the Busch brewery which amongst other things brews Budweiser Beer). It is located just south of the city of St. Louis on Gravois Road & is about a 10/15 minute drive from our house. The Farm is home to more than 1,000 animals representing more than 100 different species from six continents.

The Farm takes its name from the 18th President of the USA, Ulysses S. Grant. In the 1850s, Grant founded and farmed a portion of the 281 acres. His cabin (house) still stands within the grounds & is apparently the only property to be built by & lived in by a US president.

Other than parking, this is another attraction that is free. First you board a tram that takes you through the park grounds. Items of note on this part of the visit were the fence made out of civl war rifle barrels (about 2200 of them!) & the gates that are apparently used in the Budweiser adverts done by celebrities. The tram stops at the main 'zoo' type area that has some of the animals on display. We watched a really cool perfomance by one of their African Elephants which was really interesting. We then bought a drink in a souvenir cup. This was really good as it only cost $5 & refils were free! It was really hot (about 32 degrees) so we spent some time relaxing in the shade at the Bauernhof, which is a replica of a 19th century German farmstead. Beth also enjoyed dipping her feet in the nearby water fountain!

Beth fed a Pygmy Goat some milk (which she thought was cool as there was a picture of one on her souvenir cup) & we then had a quick look at the carriages & horses in the Bauernhof. We then got the tram back to the entrance where we had a look in the gift shop, which has a tree growing through it!?!