Things to Do in Mehlville

Skyview Drive-In, opened in 1949, has weathered the ravages of multiple tornados, enduring as a two-screen throwback to old-school cinema. When the sun sets, the twin screens display double features of recent Hollywood releases in clear digital format, while FM radio simulcasts the soundtracks. The viewing area—organized so taller cars never cut off smaller cars' sightlines—borders a playground for youngsters and a concession stand with classic movie snacks. Celebrating its roots, the theater occasionally hosts class classic car (defined as 1987 or older) night where the driver is admitted free. For first-timers, Skyview Drive-In offers thorough responses to FAQs.

Both a firearm emporium and shooting range, Sovereign Arms seeks to inform and instruct its clientele on the benefits of safe firearm use with classes that range from concealed-weapon licensing to church-security training. The staff also offers private security services in scenarios ranging from international travel to high-stakes Uno tournaments.

Since swinging open its doors in 1965, Rock Roll-O-Rena has provided a safe hub for lacing up and rolling around or simply kicking back with friends and family. Second-generation owners Glen and Jo Donna Neifert keep the facility in top shape, sending skaters gliding across the hard maple floor as speakers shell out top 40 tunes.

Off the rink, bleacher seating, a fully stocked concession stand, and arcade games divert attention from unhip physicists lecturing skaters on centripetal force, and air conditioning maintains a cooler atmosphere during the summer months. Dedicated to keeping the community strong, Rock Roll-O-Rena also offers a strong incentive for youngsters to keep up their grades, trading a discount pass for each A on a report card not earned by staining it with alphabet soup.

In 1981, a group of North St. Louis residents gathered together to solve a problem: the decline of their historic neighborhood. Together, they formed the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group, a nonprofit organization committed to preserving the history and culture of North St. Louis, which dates back to 1816. Today, the group focuses its time and manpower on maintaining and restoring historically significant buildings. In addition to construction and demolition projects, the group's staffers hold annual festivals and events to raise money for surrounding businesses, support local artists, and fund a grocery co-op aimed at bringing locally sourced produce to North St. Louis.

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 36-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.