Things to Do in Union

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.

Shopping at a boutique is like coveting a fashion-savvy friend's wardrobe, except that you can take home a knockout pair of jeans without worrying that your bootylicious bud wore them better than you to an auto plant. Whereas department stores follow trends, boutiques create them with innovative looks from top designers that you won't find anywhere else in town. Byrd Style Lounge cultivates a collection of classic lines and edgy designs, perfect for those who want one-of-a-kind looks but don't want to sift through thrift or pay top dollar for something someone's grandma already wore.

It's hard to cut a rug properly. You have to measure room dimensions, don safety goggles, and use a proper pair of carpet shears. Today's side deal to Dance St. Louis lets you leave this labor of love to the professionals. For $25, you get one ticket (up to a $50 value) to a performance of the Moscow Festival Ballet at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the University of Missouri–St. Louis campus. Tickets are general admission, and seating in the orchestra and parterre sections will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis. All tickets for all showtimes must be redeemed by phone or in person at the Dance St. Louis box office in Grand Center (open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday). Tickets must be redeemed before Thursday, April 22.

Every Thursday through Saturday night, two pro piano players sit down at Jive and Wail's two baby grand pianos and proceed to bang out Top 40 hits from a plethora of eras, including time that has not yet come to pass, though these future-songs cannot be heard by present-day ears. Audience participation is not only encouraged but demanded by the dueling pianists—who are not above threatening their audience with atonal jazz if no song requests are forthcoming. Once you've made your request, the bar's high-tech sound system makes sure you won't miss it while refreshing your tipple at the full-service bar.

Elizabeth Birkenmeier, Scott McMaster, Jerry Vogel, and Jason Cannon bring Scotland playwright David Greig's sensual show to life for mature audiences. Set on a remote island off Scotland's coast and directed by Philip Boehm, the play explores three characters entangled in a web of sexual tension on the eve of World War II. The lyrical play is at once a keen exploration of human nature, a moving study of young emotion, and a powerful snapshot of a world teetering on the brink of cataclysm.

Just a short drive from the metropolitan tangle of St. Louis, Twin Rivers Canoe Rentals releases urbanites into the gentle, spring-fed waters of the Meramec River. Adventurers may choose which vessel will best cut through the water’s rippled pane that flickers with shadows from the canopies of trees lining the shore. In a kayak, a single boatman may ply past largemouth bass and flathead catfish or spy a whitetail deer sneaking a drink on the banks while its doe is at church bunco. Canoes can comfortably seat two people and a cooler, whereas rafts transform five to seven passengers into an inflatable party. The leisurely pace and tranquil environs encourage groups to stop and swim or to tether to shore for a picnic.:m]]