Things to Do in East Saint Louis

GCS Ballpark's emerald outfield and manicured base paths pulse with excitement as the Grizzlies prepare for the 2012 season and to reclaim their position atop the Frontier League. Last summer, Grizzlies catcher Landon Hernandez launched 18 homeruns into lower orbit, good enough for fourth best in the league. Hurling fastballs into Hernandez's glove will be former MLB farmhand Pat Arnold, and skipper and St. Louis native Phil Warren returns for his sixth season in the Grizzlies dugout, from where he has collected several prestigious records including most managerial wins and most sneezes confused as bunt signs.

Between AD 700 and 1400, the city of Cahokia gradually rose from the floodplain of the Mississippi River to become the largest city north of Mexico. Across 6 square miles, its population of 20,000 people worked together to create a thriving community grounded in astronomy, agriculture, and economics. To this end, they erected large, lasting structures such as an enormous wooden calendar that notified citizens about the changes of the seasons. Giant earthen mounds served as the foundation of the city and the site of the big mud fight that decided the mayoral election each year.

Through careful excavation, research, and reconstruction, the Cahokia Mounds Museum Society aims to preserve the site and educate visitors about its importance. During visits, guests on self-guided tours can explore 800 acres of the city, including the 100-foot-tall Monks Mound and Woodhenge, the giant calendar.

Gateway Fun Park delights visitors year-round with a range of entertainment attractions for all ages—from group outings and birthday parties to packs of friends wiling away the afternoon. Mini golfers aim for the green amid two 18-hole courses' babbling brooks, stone partitions, and miniature buildings. Drivers safely let loose their suppressed road rage by bouncing into each other in bumper cars. A full-scale go-cart track gives lead feet of any age a taste of the open road, and the kiddie track lets kids ages 4–9 finally take the wheel their parents normally refuse to let them eat.

Sculpted into the rolling hills of western Illinois, Clinton Hill Golf Course’s undulating fairways flow into large, challenging greens across two distinct, nine-hole layouts. Mature arbors pepper the landscape, threatening the autonomy of airborne balls while providing scenic, shady plots in which golfers can pause to gawk at the layout’s lush greenery and herbivorous golf carts grazing on native grasses. A longer layout and a higher concentration of bunkers supply the bulk of the difficulty on the front nine, and water hazards await at seven holes on the course’s back nine, placing a high demand on confident swings and deft club selection. Those looking for new gear can peruse Clinton Hill’s pro shop, which peddles golfletic apparel and accessories from the game’s top brands. After a round of aggressive pin-hunting, players can retreat to Big Mama’s BBQ & Casual Dining, where guests can enjoy live sporting events on one of several TVs or revive sleepy golf bags with an icy beverage.

With a combined 82 lanes, the St. Clair and Bel-Air Bowling Centers send pins toppling through open bowling, leagues, and other events. St. Clair's pro shop, first opened in 1977, doles out high-quality equipment, service, and enforced timeouts for rebellious pins, and the Beer Frame Lounge allows bowlers to stop for a pint while gazing down at the lanes. Pizzas, adorned with unlimited toppings, sail from the oven onto the plates of waiting guests of St. Clair Bowl, and a homestyle soup bar fills bowls and bellies in Bel Air Bowl's restaurant.