Categories: Family-Friendly
Grant's Farm
Author: Pam Wilson
Treat your family to a fun-filled day of animals and history when you visit Grant's Farm, where President Ulysses S. Grant built and lived in a log cabin. The 281-acre farm includes wild animals, animal edutainment (it's educational and entertaining), and a peek into the past.
Grant’s Farm Attractions
Tram Ride
Upon entering the property, visitors board a tram for a tour that includes the historic log cabin President Grant built and lived in for three short months in the fall of 1856. The cabin has an interesting history, and during Living History Weekends guests are allowed inside the cabin.
The Grants were given 80 acres to create a farm and had every intention of living on and farming the land. The cabin took three days to build with the help of Grant's friends. Check out the flag that is flying beside the house. It has 31 stars to represent the number of states in the Union in 1856 when Grant built the cabin. Behind the cabin is the mule stable and the original ox-cart Grant used to haul wood to the marketplace.
The gate outside Grant's cabin is comprised of 2563 Civil War gun barrels from the Federal Arsenal.
A Ride Through Deer Park
Imagine being in the midst of a herd of buffalo! Your magical tram ride continues through the 180-acre Deer Park. Your children will never know this is an educational experience as a Grant's Farm docent points out many of the 1000 animals representing 100 different species from six continents. (Here, the volunteer asks which continent is not represented and most children know it is Antarctica, due to the climate. They point out there are no penguins.) You might get lucky and the herd will wander your way. Keep your eyes open as many of the animals blend right into their background.
Of the many interesting sights are giant koi fish that often swim to the top of the lakes. Grant's Farm differs from a zoo in that the animals roam freely through the park and it is the humans who are visiting. Though they may appear tame, they are still wild animals and are respected as such. As the owner of Grant's Farm, the Anheuser-Busch company uses its corporate resources to promise and deliver animal conservation and education.
Many animals make their home at Grant's Farm, including: Axis deer, Bison, Aoudads, and Black Buck antelope. Pere David deer, once on the endangered species list, live here as well. Grant's Farm has succeeded in maintaining a small herd and producing one Pere David deer each year, resulting in their removal from the endangered list. Wapiti, Wtusi, and Zebra coexist with water fowl and two ostriches.
If you watch carefully you will see one species of mother animal taking care of another species of young. Older children will find it fun to watch the animal, behavior and figure out whom really is the dominant animal including the pecking order.
The Tier Garten
Tier Garten translates to “small animal garden” and once you and your family disembark in the Tier Garten there is much to see and do. Grant's Farm encourages guests to get closer to animals. Ask anybody about their visit to Grant's Farm, no matter what their age, and they will tell you about their close encounters with the goats! Pygmy goats have been at Grant's Farm since 1954.
Grant's Farm has guinea pigs, chickens, bunnies, and ducks, plus more exotic species like lemurs, kangaroos, and Aldabra tortoises that come from an island off India. There are also bald eagles that fly through the park.
Fun activities inside the Tier Garten:
1. Feed the goats. For $1 you can buy a bottle of milk and enter their yard to feed them. This is great fun for kids of all ages as the goats adore being fed by bottle.
2. Animal encounters. Grant's Farm is home to two African elephants that are part of an edutainment program. This is shaped husbandry, no silly tricks. Because the handlers need to influence and control the animals to ensure their health, they utilize the animal's natural behaviors to teach guests while working with the animals. Check for show times. They usually begin at 10:00 am and conclude by 4:00 pm.
3. Observing small animals. Throughout the Tier Garten there are small animal enclosures and often handlers walking around with animals for children to touch.
4. Camels and llamas. Though the animals are behind fences, there is an opportunity to purchase feed and have them eat out of your hands.
5. Show Stopper Snacks offers a range of snack foods including kettle corn and funnel cakes.
6. Ice cream stands are also available.
Bauernhof
Bauernhof translates to barn house or farmstead. The Bauernhof was the very first building, built here on the property in 1911. In Germany, the Bauernhof is known as the heart of the home. This Bauernhof is a beautiful setting in which to enjoy a meal. Look for the clock tower as it looms above the Bauernhof.
Activities in the Bauernhof:
1. Check out the Carriage Room to the right of the magnificent clock tower. Though the apartments around the Bauernhof were originally lived in by care-takers and relatives, the carriage house was built specifically for carriages. The room is massive and beautifully decorated in wood paneling and brick. It hosts private parties and the Muscular Dystrophy telethon. During the holidays the carriage room is used to visit with St. Nick.
2. In the courtyard you will find the Brat House which offers brats, hot dogs, pizza, and French fries.
3. Hospitality Bar. What better way to cool off and sample Anheuser-Busch products? Samples are offered free of charge and include the entire line of AB products.
World Famous Clydesdale Stables
This is the original home and breeding farm for the world famous Clydesdales. The horses are housed inside the stables, and roam freely in the pastures. There are 45 mares, stallions, and foals housed here, with twelve to fifteen colts born yearly. The horses, including the Hitch Horses that participate in parades and festivals, are trained here.
To qualify as a Hitch Horse, a Clydesdale must stand 18 hands (6 feet at the shoulder) high, weigh 2000 pounds, be bay in color, have four white stockings, a blaze of white on his face, a black mane and tail, and have a gentle temperament.
Clydesdales have a rich history beginning as draft horses originally from Scotland. Strong horses were needed to haul, plow, and cart farmers and their equipment. Today, the breed is known for their hauling power and confident style. And, they are even bigger than their ancestors once were.
Inside the stables, find interesting facts about the Clydesdales including a comparison to a regular horse. Have your picture taken with a “gentle giant” or treat yourself and wander along the path out to the grounds and see the babies and other horses. There are also grounds keepers who can answer any questions about these beautiful horses.
Gift Shops
The General's Store is located within the Bauernhof. Find AB merchandise, Grant's Farm souvenirs, gifts, and a Build-A-Friend workshop.
Xcursions carries upscale souvenirs as well as animal conservation gifts.
Label Stable located in the Clydesdale Barn carries Clydesdale merchandise.
Hours Of Operation:
Grant's Farm opens in the spring in celebration of Grant's Birthday, usually the second weekend of April.
Spring Hours:
Wednesday-Friday 9am-3pm
Saturday 9am-3:30pm
Sunday 9:30am-3:30pm
Summer Hours:
Tuesday-Friday 9am-3:30pm
Saturday 9am-4pm
Sunday 9:30am-4:00pm
Fall Hours:
Wednesday-Friday 9:30-2:30pm
Saturday and Sunday 9:30am-3:30pm
The Park closes 90 minutes after entrance closing time.
Call 314-843-1700 to confirm hours.
Admission:
Admission is free to Grant's Farm.
Parking costs $8 per car and $20 per bus or over-sized vehicle.
Dining Near Grant’s Farm
Worked up an appetite? Visit these restaurants, located near Grant's Farm.
Happy Joe's Pizza (7918 Watson Road, 314-961-4074) has been in business at the same location for over 31 years. It's kid-friendly and famous for Taco Pizza. The menu includes sandwiches, pasta, pizza, and a salad bar as well. Call for nightly specials and the Pizza of the Month. Happy Joe's offers a lunch buffet of pizza and salad for $7.00 and a nightly Pizza Buffet from 5-8 pm for $5.63. Nearest intersection: Laclede Station Road and Watson (located one block east).
Open nightly at 5pm, Sam's Steakhouse (1025 Gravois Road, 314-849-3033) offers all types of steak: tenderloin, porterhouse, New York strip, chicken, veal, seafood, and a filet & lobster combination. Price range: $25-$35 per entree. The menu includes appetizers, salads, twice baked potatoes, and a kids menu for $5.25. Find Sam's Steakhouse at Laclede Station Road and Gravois.
Sybergs (7802 Gravois, 314-832-3560) is a local sports bar and grill and has been serving up pizza, burgers, and chicken wings for over 25 years. They claim to be the first restaurant to have shark chunks on their menu, serving them grilled, char-broiled, or Cajun-style. Sybergs offers their own signature pizzas as well as a children's menu. Make sure you ask about the Supreme Pizza. Sybergs opens at 11 am and has last call at 1:00 am.
Activities Near Grant's Farm
Still haven't seen enough? Try these fun activities located near Grant's Farm.
Grant's Trail: Biking/Walking Trail
Enjoy one of the city's most beautiful trails where you can ride, walk or roller blade on 8.2 miles (one way) of flat, paved path. This trail is located behind residential homes, an athletic complex and outlying pastures of Grant's Farm. You will also ride or walk by Grant's Farm and the famous Clydesdale horse yards. During the summer months, look for the sno-cone stand, which offers a fun way to cool off. This trail is free and open to the public. Parking is available at Whitecliff Park, Tesshire Drive, or Reavis Barracks Road. Call 314-416-9930 or go to Trailnet.org for more information.
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
In 1852 Ulysses S. Grant came to visit his West Point roommate Frederick Dent, Jr. who grew up at Whitehaven, the family's home in St. Louis. Here Grant met and fell in love with Julia Dent, his roommate's sister, who was raised to be a southern belle. In 1827 Julia's father, Frederick Dent, made Whitehaven his permanent residence so he could follow his passion of being a “gentleman-farmer.”
Originally there were 875 acres of land. Today at Whitehaven 9.5 acres of land still include the original house (which has been restored to its Parisian green color), a summer kitchen and laundry, horse stables built in 1970 (soon to be converted into a museum), a chicken house, and an old ice house.
Park Rangers give 30-minute tours of the buildings and discuss the significance of the property and its relationship to history. There are interactive activities, a short video, and a book store. Admission is free. Hours of operation: 9am-5pm, 365 days a year. Last tour begins at 4 p.m. Parking is free. Once you are on Grant's Road, the parking lot is located on the right before you get to the Grant's Farm parking lot. For more information, call 314-842-3298.
The History of Grant’s Farm
Ulysses S. Grant, born and raised in Point Pleasant, Ohio, attended West Point and roomed with a young man named Frederick Dent, Jr. After graduation, Grant was stationed at Jefferson Barracks, near the Dent family home. The young Grant would visit the Dent family at their plantation, Whitehaven, and it was here that he met and fell in love with Julia Dent.
In 1850, Frederick Dent gave Julia and Ulysses approximately 80 acres to create a farm. Grant cleared the land himself, and with the help of friends and neighbors built the log cabin that now sits on Grant's Farm. Grant is known as the only United States President to build and live in a log cabin that still stands today.
The Grants lived in the cabin only 3 months in 1856. In 1857 Julia's mother died, and the Grants and their children moved back into the main residence with Julia's father. It was during this time that Grant moved downtown to earn a living in real estate to provide for his family.
In 1860 the War Between the States broke out and President Lincoln called Grant into service. Grant was victorious in the Civil War, and was then pressed into service as our 18 th President, serving two terms. After his two terms as President, he and Mrs. Grant traveled the world as ambassadors, representing the United States as an emerging power.
The cabin now sits about a mile from its original location where the Grants farmed their land. It was exhibited at the World's Fair in 1904, where it sat atop Art Hill in Forest Park. In 1907, Adolphus Busch bought Grant's cabin in order to preserve it.
Check out places of interest near Grant's Farm:
Happy Joe's Pizza
7918 Watson Road,
St. Louis, MO
Happy Joe's Pizza (7918 Watson Road, 314-961-4074) has been in business at the same location for over 31 years. It's kid-friendly and famous for Taco Pizza. The menu includes sandwiches, pasta, pizza, and a salad bar as well. Call for nightly specials and the Pizza of the Month. Happy Joe's offers a lunch buffet of pizza and salad for $7.00 and a nightly Pizza Buffet from 5-8 pm for $5.63. Nearest intersection: Laclede Station Road and Watson (located one block east).
Sam's Steakhouse
1025 Gravois Road,,
St. Louis, MO 63123
Open nightly at 5pm, Sam's Steakhouse (1025 Gravois Road, 314-849-3033) offers all types of steak: tenderloin, porterhouse, New York strip, chicken, veal, seafood, and a filet & lobster combination. Price range: $25-$35 per entree. The menu includes appetizers, salads, twice baked potatoes, and a kids menu for $5.25. Find Sam's Steakhouse at Laclede Station Road and Gravois.
Sybergs
7802 Gravois Rd,
St. Louis, MO 63123
Sybergs (7802 Gravois, 314-832-3560) is a local sports bar and grill and has been serving up pizza, burgers, and chicken wings for over 25 years. They claim to be the first restaurant to have shark chunks on their menu, serving them grilled, char-broiled, or Cajun-style. Sybergs offers their own signature pizzas as well as a children's menu. Make sure you ask about the Supreme Pizza. Sybergs opens at 11 am and has last call at 1:00 am.
Kerry Cottage
2119 S. Big Bend Blvd.,
St. Louis, MO 63117
Kerry Cottage is a charming St. Louis shop that celebrates the spirit of Ireland and has the perfect gifts for your Irish (or Irish-at-heart) friends and family.
Anheuser-Busch Brewery
2800 S 12th St,
St Louis, MO 63118
The famous Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis is the company's world headquarters and the largest of its 12 breweries.
Augusta Winery
5601 High Street,
Augusta , MO 63332
Visitors come to see the sprawling vineyards and taste the wine. The winery features a wide selection of wines with a wide price range.
Bauernhof
Grant's Farm,
St. Louis, MO
Bauernhof translates to barn house or farmstead. The Bauernhof was the very first building, built here on the property in 1911. In Germany, the Bauernhof is known as the heart of the home. This Bauernhof is a beautiful setting in which to enjoy a meal. Look for the clock tower as it looms above the Bauernhof.
Deer Park
Grant's Farm,
St. Louis, MO
Imagine being in the midst of a herd of buffalo! Your magical tram ride continues through the 180-acre Deer Park. Your children will never know this is an educational experience as a Grant's Farm docent points out many of the 1000 animals representing 100 different species from six continents. (Here, the volunteer asks which continent is not represented and most children know it is Antarctica, due to the climate. They point out there are no penguins.) You might get lucky and the herd will wander your way. Keep your eyes open as many of the animals blend right into their background.
Of the many interesting sights are giant koi fish that often swim to the top of the lakes. Grant's Farm differs from a zoo in that the animals roam freely through the park and it is the humans who are visiting. Though they may appear tame, they are still wild animals and are respected as such. As the owner of Grant's Farm, the Anheuser-Busch company uses its corporate resources to promise and deliver animal conservation and education.
Many animals make their home at Grant's Farm, including: Axis deer, Bison, Aoudads, and Black Buck antelope. Pere David deer, once on the endangered species list, live here as well. Grant's Farm has succeeded in maintaining a small herd and producing one Pere David deer each year, resulting in their removal from the endangered list. Wapiti, Wtusi, and Zebra coexist with water fowl and two ostriches.
If you watch carefully you will see one species of mother animal taking care of another species of young. Older children will find it fun to watch the animal, behavior and figure out whom really is the dominant animal including the pecking order.
Grant's Farm
10501 Gravois Rd,
St. Louis, MO 63123
Treat your family to a fun-filled day of animals and history when you visit Grant's Farm, where President Ulysses S. Grant built and lived in a log cabin. The 281-acre farm includes wild animals, animal edutainment (it's educational and entertaining), and a peek into the past.
Grant's Trail: Biking/Walking Trail
Grant Farm,
St Louis, MO
Enjoy one of the city's most beautiful trails where you can ride, walk or roller blade on 8.2 miles (one way) of flat, paved path. This trail is located behind residential homes, an athletic complex and outlying pastures of Grant's Farm. You will also ride or walk by Grant's Farm and the famous Clydesdale horse yards. During the summer months, look for the sno-cone stand, which offers a fun way to cool off. This trail is free and open to the public. Parking is available at Whitecliff Park, Tesshire Drive, or Reavis Barracks Road. Call 314-416-9930 or go to Trailnet.org for more information.
The Tier Garten
Grant's Farm,
St. Louis, MO
Tier Garten translates to “small animal garden” and once you and your family disembark in the Tier Garten there is much to see and do. Grant's Farm encourages guests to get closer to animals. Ask anybody about their visit to Grant's Farm, no matter what their age, and they will tell you about their close encounters with the goats! Pygmy goats have been at Grant's Farm since 1954.
Grant's Farm has guinea pigs, chickens, bunnies, and ducks, plus more exotic species like lemurs, kangaroos, and Aldabra tortoises that come from an island off India. There are also bald eagles that fly through the park.
Tram Ride
Grant Farm, Main Entrance,
St Louis, MO
Upon entering the property, visitors board a tram for a tour that includes the historic log cabin President Grant built and lived in for three short months in the fall of 1856. The cabin has an interesting history, and during Living History Weekends guests are allowed inside the cabin.
The Grants were given 80 acres to create a farm and had every intention of living on and farming the land. The cabin took three days to build with the help of Grant's friends. Check out the flag that is flying beside the house. It has 31 stars to represent the number of states in the Union in 1856 when Grant built the cabin. Behind the cabin is the mule stable and the original ox-cart Grant used to haul wood to the marketplace.
The gate outside Grant's cabin is comprised of 2563 Civil War gun barrels from the Federal Arsenal.
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
Grant Farm,
St. Louis, MO
In 1852 Ulysses S. Grant came to visit his West Point roommate Frederick Dent, Jr. who grew up at Whitehaven, the family's home in St. Louis. Here Grant met and fell in love with Julia Dent, his roommate's sister, who was raised to be a southern belle. In 1827 Julia's father, Frederick Dent, made Whitehaven his permanent residence so he could follow his passion of being a “gentleman-farmer.”
Tram Ride
Grant Farm, Main Entrance,
St Louis, MO
Upon entering the property, visitors board a tram for a tour that includes the historic log cabin President Grant built and lived in for three short months in the fall of 1856. The cabin has an interesting history, and during Living History Weekends guests are allowed inside the cabin.
The Grants were given 80 acres to create a farm and had every intention of living on and farming the land. The cabin took three days to build with the help of Grant's friends. Check out the flag that is flying beside the house. It has 31 stars to represent the number of states in the Union in 1856 when Grant built the cabin. Behind the cabin is the mule stable and the original ox-cart Grant used to haul wood to the marketplace.
The gate outside Grant's cabin is comprised of 2563 Civil War gun barrels from the Federal Arsenal.
