Things to Do in O'Fallon

At Pottery Hollow, kids and adults alike find inspiration to create ceramic works of art from a fanciful story about a potter in need of an apprentice to help him and his fairy friends adorn ceramic mugs, platters, and knickknacks with colorful paint. Guests enter the potter's enchanted hollow—complete with twisted tree trunks and brightly colored chairs—to work on the unpainted pieces stored deep beneath the forest. While guests create their masterpieces, staffers keep them supplied with paints and brushes and take finished pieces to be baked in the kiln.

In addition to walk-in sessions, Pottery Hollow's three locations host parties and events such as mommy-and-me sessions, bridal showers, and corporate events. And on Friday nights until 9 p.m., ladies can create beautiful works of art while sipping on their favorite BYOB drinks. Staffers also craft custom pieces in less than a week, which can be given as gifts, kept as future heirlooms, or offered as sacrifices to the home-decor gods.

Rows of red, green, and golden lights stream above the solid maple skating rink at Fun Spot Skating Center, where guests glide along during open hours and special skating events. Much like the popular video game Extreme Hoop Trundler 2012, Fun Spot blends classic and modern entertainment, filling the retro space with computerized light sequences set to digital stereo sound. A full-service pro shop works to outfit guests with well-fitting skates, and an onsite snack bar fuels festivities with pizzas, soda, and other eats.

Fred M. Kemp, Sr. fell in love with the first Mercedes-Benz he ever bought. So he bought 40 more. Over the course of 30 years, his obsession created a collection of some of the rarest and most groundbreaking cars ever made. Upon his passing in 2004, he deeded his cars to the public for exhibition and education, founding the Kemp Auto Museum born to house his extensive collection.

Kemp's legacy includes one of Karl Benz's patent Motorwagens, which captivated the public's imagination when Mrs. Benz drove the device 112 miles to visit her mother in 1888. At the other end of the spectrum sits the 1960 Mercedes 220SE Cabriolet, whose 134-horsepower fuel-injected engine could have ferried Mrs. Benz to her mother's house in about an hour. Visitors can take either docent-led or audio tours to see the standing exhibit, or catch one of the touring special exhibits, featuring classic cars such as department-store Crosleys and classic engines such as Fred Flintstone's feet.

An authentic trolley with brass rails and bells and outfitted with modern padded seats and air conditioning glides through St. Louis’s historic neighborhoods as knowledgeable tour guides wax poetic about the city’s past and present. Guests gaze out of the trolley’s charming arched windows during the 23-mile ride, catching sight of a much larger arch standing sentry over downtown sites such as St. Louis Union Station and the Mississippi River. Tour guides fling droplets of wisdom like handfuls of rice at famished newlyweds, sharing anecdotes about historic Laclede’s Landing and Forest Park, the site of the 1904 World’s Fair, the first summer Olympic games held in the U.S., and the first forest.

The fully narrated tour departs and returns from Lumiere Place Casino on the riverfront. Tuesday and Thursday evenings, fearless tour goers can follow along a haunted walking tour that highlights some of the city's macabre past, including the St. Louis fire and the Bloody Island.

Though most people hate the feeling of getting lost, that’s the point behind spending a day at the maze at Brookdale Farms. Not because the staff wants guests to wander aimlessly, but because the maze makes for a great way to enjoy the autumn sunshine at a relaxed pace and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Open as a family-friendly jaunt during the day and as a haunted attraction at night, the maze tests navigators’ skills and affords a rare view into how scarecrows live when they think no one is looking. Outside the maze, the farm offers other autumnal activities such as pumpkin slingshots, pony rides, adrenaline-pumping ziplines, and a hay jump, inviting families to spend a full day disconnected from their televisions, computers, and employer-mandated tracking devices.

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.