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104 reviews for Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour & Gift Shop
Review Highlights
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"At the end of the tour, there was free beer available." In 34 reviews -
"You're going to see Clydesdales." In 7 reviews -
"Best part is that it is all free." In 12 reviews
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104 reviews in English
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Review from Ashley R.
St Louis, MO
4/27/2012
Now I'm not a beer drinker, but I do kind of love factory tours. And free samples. The Busch Brewery tour has both.
The tour is informative, quick-moving, and family-friendly. We took the tour as part of my birthday celebration, and even my underage siblings found it interesting. They also enjoy complimentary soda and pretzel while we enjoy our beer samples. As I said above I am not a beer drinker, but I was happy to see that they sampled their blueberry cider (which was decent) and the Bacardi Sangria (which was yummy).
They even took a commemorative photo of our group during the tour, that we decided not to purchase. But it was funny to see our photo (we all made muscle-man poses) already printed and ready to go.
Definitely not a waste of an hour or so. -
Review from Sara P.
San Francisco, CA
4/17/2012
Totally worth a visit and it's FREE.
They run tours about every 15 minutes and are about an hour long. You will be outside so dress appropriately! It was pouring the day we went.
You will see:
Clydesdales, their stables + maybe a dalmatian (if you're lucky!)
Learn about how the beer is stored & processed. The smell outside is intoxicating...that is if you like barley.
See the bottling line.
And of course, the hospitality room. They have a few surprises in there - like Wild Blue, a blueberry lager. -
Review from Kathleen C.
St Louis, MO
4/15/2012
It's Free! and there are SAMPLES!
The tour goes around the AB campus, I've been on small brewery tours on the East coast, where you just walk in one room. This tour is definitely the full experience.
Tour guides are very knowledgeable. I've been on the tour 3 times and I wouldn't mind going again.
Go here first, buy some goodies at the gift shop, then swing by Gus' pretzels for a salty snack to go with your new beverages. -
Review from Tiffany Y.
Los Angeles, CA
5/22/2012
Can't beat it. 10 bucks. Beer tasting class takes place upstairs in the classroom. Fun and informative. You learn the best way to enjoy different beers. ie wheat beers, i never knew what that silt at the bottom of the bottle was! :) You get a certificate at the end with your name on it and bottle opener. Good times.
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Review from Drew H.
Bend, OR
5/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Good tour free......even if not a fan of the light see through beer, the history itself is worth the time...free beer at the end, a large group experience. not the usual micro brewery for sure
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Review from Evan Thoreau H.
2/23/2012
Say what you will about the beer -- this is truly the holy grail of brewery tours.
Not only is AB one of the largest and most historic American (cough, InBev) brewers, but it has been brewing in this location for centuries. The AB brewery is truly the beating heart of St. Louis (Cardinals who?) and the tour is a great excursion for visitors and residents alike.
You know you're in for a treat as you're driving down Broadway and the aroma of hops and barley just overtake you. As one of the last remaining FREE brewery tours, AB is a great deal. You get an hour of walking around the extremely clean grounds and buildings, listening to historic and informative information. It's the perfect length and amount of information for building up a thirst.
(Local hint: if you sign up for the 'stables' tour only, you get a fifteen minute viewing of the famous Clydesdales before turning back to the hospitality room well the rest of your group forlornly stumbles on through another 45 minutes of beer deprivation).
And of course, the big payoff is all about the beer. Despite the fact that you get only two 10 oz. samples (I've found if you go up for a third or fourth and you're not the last straggler, they don't mind), you get to choose between classics and new concoctions alike. Pretty sweet.
As a final word, I'll admit outright that I am definitely not a Bud man, but I have NEVER tasted Budweiser that was better than the stuff they pour right on site. Bud. Weis. Er.Listed in: Brewmance, You Can Find Me in St.…
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Review from Lupe d.
4/10/2012
For years I avoided going on this tour because whenever I was in St. Louis it was usually with my son or nieces and nephews and I thought it was for the 21+ crowd -- only to find out that they really accommodate kids - future drinkers of the world, right? might nice of them - hehehehe. Really nice tour of the AB facility. You can't ask for more than a FREE tour, FREE beer, FREE, pretzels, and FREE soda. Cool thing to do if you are visiting St. Louis on a budget - like me :-D
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Review from Christy G.
Saint Louis, MO
3/28/2012
Embarrassed as I may be to admit, I have never taken the AB tour until just last week though I've been a resident in the area for over 15 years! Before you gasp, know I'm not a big beer person and no one ever gushed about how great it was. Enter myself, and I'll begin the gushing!
The grounds of AB is beautiful and secured, so you don't get in unless you work there or are on a tour. Some basics, it's about an hour long, outdoors with a moderate amount of walking, and it's FREE. Additionally, you get two free beers (in 8 oz glasses) at the end of the tour as well as free pretzels and all you want Pepsi fountain soda. What I particularly liked was that it was organized, fast-moving, and detailed. I learned a lot, but it didn't drag on. It was just enough. We got to see a lot of things (e.g., the Clydesdale horses, assembly line, etc.) and learn a lot of things (.e.g, how beer is made, how they choose their Clydesdales, etc.). They have this tour down to a science, with tour guides who know what they're doing (at least our two) who are very knowledgeable and accommodating. In fact, after you see the Clydesdale stables (about 15 minutes into the tour), they offer to take you back to the Hospitality Room to get your free stuff instead of waiting through the whole hour. Wow!
And once you reach the Hospitality Room, whether after the stables or after the full tour, they have most of their beers on tap right there. I was delighted to get a Shock Top draught. And they had their newer Bud Platinum bottled (12 oz). I don't think one could ask for more from this tour, especially it being FREE with free beer. AB obviously goes to a lot of trouble to provide this (i.e., staff time, trolley service, etc.) so I give mad props to them for doing it so well.
My only criticism is that I had trouble figuring out what times they do tours (as it's not listed on the website at the moment) but when we arrived, they said they do then at 45 minutes on every hour. Luckily, we arrived at 10:30, just in time for the 10:45 tour.
I would highly recommend as it's a great, free way to learn about something so rooted in St. Louis and enjoy some refreshing beers. It is one of those things you probably only need to do once, unless you want to return again just for the free beer ;) -
Review from Jon F.
3/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Cool tour, but chilly in the winter!
Great to see the history and production of one of 'Merica's most consumed beers. The free tasting at the end is great, and seeing some of the process, the quantity, and the history of the buildings and company is pretty amazing. The tour guides we had were very nice and answered all of our questions well. It is surprising to see how many brands and brews are under the Anheuser Busch name.
Little did I know that I actually like shock top wheat IPA (despite not being a fan of the rest of the shock top line).
Fun afternoon activity especially if visiting. You can't beat free - but there is also a more advanced tasting / brewing class that you can pay ($10?) for. -
Review from Tracey W.
12/31/2011
Another notch in the St. Louis bedpost.
Went here for a private tour. or maybe it was just the free public tour and they told us it was private to make us feel special. P.S. This is why I'm making 75.5 cents for every dollar anyone with a penis makes.
This was a hot and smelly way to spend an afternoon, but then again, so is the zoo, which, by the way, is also free. If you don't think this place smells bad, you're probably an alcoholic. And since I suggested that, now you're going to have to answer "yes" to the survey questions that ask you "has anyone ever told you that you might have a drinking problem?" for the rest of your life.
The tour was interesting, we had a good guide, and it was bigger than the microbrews, although I much prefer touring microbrews. At the end you get to sample beer that tastes like piss. (Sorry St. Louis. I'm not going to start liking Budweiser and rooting for the Cardinals just because I was duped into moving here.) I gotta say, though, once you've seen one, you've kinda seen them all, and the allure of going on brew tours wore off by my third week of being 21.
If you're with frat bros who actually drink Budweiser, they will think this is cool.
It's free, so if you've got nothing else to do, do it.
If you've got anything else to do, do that.Listed in: Cheap Bastard
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Review from Jona X.
N HOLLYWOOD, CA
1/11/2012
This was amazing for a free tour. It lasted an hour and included two free drinks (and not puny shot glass sized drinks either, but 12-ish oz. cups). There is also a soda machine, pretzels, and other snacks available in the tasting room.
I took pictures of the different areas on our tour (approximately 6 stops we made), and nothing was restricted from photography, which was nice.
If you wanted, you could probably just sneak into one of the tasting rooms without even going on the tour. There are several entrances from the main gallery area, but you didn't hear that from me :P -
Review from Liz G.
Saint Louis, MO
2/7/2012
Okay, so I have to admit something that can sound pretty embarrassing for a St. Louis native. I do the brewery tour at least once a year. Yes, the tour is always the same but it's free, you get to walk among some seriously historic architecture and at the end? FREE BEER!
I bring out-of-town friends, I go with people who have been there a million times, it's just simple fun for something to do. I can never get enough of the Clydesdale's stable and those Tiffany windows and light fixtures nor the gargoyles looking down at you from atop building corners. That little Bevo fox has to be one of my favorites - c'mon folks, A-B is as American as apple pie, baseball (Go Cards!) and the flag itself.
One of these days I'll stop being cheap and pay for the brewmaster's tour, because there's more than the ordinary tour stops included. -
Review from Jenna L.
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
FREE? Seriously? I've never heard of a free brewery tour. It's a great tour of the Clydesdale's and how the beer is made and bottled. You end with two free beers, free soda, and snack. I don't think you can beat that.
Word of the wise: dress warm and be prepared to walk a little and spend an hour on the tour. -
Review from Anchovy G.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2012
I enjoyed it very much. Just gotta do it if you are in St. Louis.
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Review from Jonina S.
St Charles, MO
10/31/2011
I just did my 2nd Beer Master tour. Totally worth every penny because of the beer tasting, glass and hat souvenir, and guided tour of the whole Brewery in about an hour.
This tour was very personalized because it was just me and my friend. My friend was blown away by how much the tour guide was full of knowledge about the whole place that all her questions were about how did the tour guide retain so much of the knowledge because it was so much..lol.
I caution anyone who is not a walker or has trouble standing because you will be doing a lot of that.
I'm not a beer person but I seriously love the taste of Bud Light straight from tap. -
Review from Todd K.
FREE BEER! Free Tour. Gift stop and more. Oh, and FREE BEER!
I have taken the tour several times over the past few years. Though I am not a huge beer drinker, I do enjoy seeing how stuff is made. The tour takes about an hour and leads you through the beer making process one building at a time. The cheerful, enthusiastic tour guides provide historical tidbits about Anheuser, Busch, their company and the beer making and bottling process. At the stables you can see the huge Clydesdale horses and if you are lucky the dalmatians will be wandering around looking to be petted. The bottling plant is kind of fascinating watching thousands of the bottles flying around getting filled and labeled (no Laverne and Shirley and no theme song though). After the bottling plant, you board a shuttle that takes you back to the main building where the tasting room and gift shop is.
They have several different beers on tap (standard InBev and Anheuser-Busch products plus seasonal beers, e.g., Shock Top Pumpkin) and you get two samples (about 10 oz each). There are bags of pretzels plus a soda fountain for the kids and those who don't drink beer.
The main building houses the museum full of advertisements and other Anheuser-Busch paraphernalia from over the years plus historical company facts. Their gift store is full of shirts, glasses and many other logo items.
Besides their free tour, they do offer a few different alternate tours for a fee which take you onto the floor of the bottling plant and offer other special perks. -
Review from Cherie O.
11/4/2011
I've been on the A-B Brewery tour several times, and I've never really gotten into it. The first was as a tourist, the second was as a "repeat tourist" (my sister loves this tour and insists on going all the time), and the third was bringing a friend here who had never been. Everyone should go at least once, but I sometimes wonder if it's a tourist thing. Sort of like how Willis Tower is to Chicago or the Riverwalk is to San Antonio.
Waiting times for the tour varies. I've waited anywhere from fifteen minutes to over an hour. I guess it just depends on the year and the time you go. I think they've changed the tour around at times because the most recent time I went, they showed the Clydesdales and the dalmatians first (which I don't really remember them doing) and THEN they said "If you're just here to see the Clydesdales, then we're done, and you can head back to the tasting room." WHAT? There's an option? I'm not sure if it's a new option or an option they give towards the end of the day or what, but it was new to me. But since my friend had never seen a brewery before, we pressed on with the tour.
I've been on several brewery tours in Germany, and I always think that this tour is a bit on the sterile side. It's huge on the promotional business, and you never really get to see anyone at work. It's like they make all the beer in secret buildings, but all you get to see are the museum buildings. You stand around outside a lot, and you can gawk at the architecture (which I do throughly enjoy), but I feel like there is something missing.
The tour guides then shepherd you back to the tasting room where you can get your two full glasses of beer and/or pop and all the pretzels you could possibly want. Trying out the new beer is pretty cool, but the pretzels get old after awhile. Free is free though. On your way out, you can stop by the souvenir store for all things A-B.Listed in: Party Hearty Soulard!
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Review from John H.
8/28/2011
I don't really care for any Bud products. In fact, I really hate a lot of them. But this tour is good clean fun. And free.
I've been on the tour several times, and if you want an idea of what your tour will be like, know this: among your tour companions will be at least one mulleted fellow in jean shorts. Remember that he's a pilgrim and this is his Mecca, so be nice to him. Here are a few of the observations and comments he'll make when the tour is on:
"Who's ready to get this party started?" - in the gift shop before the tour has started.
"Take me 'bout a week to go through one of those!" - on the size of the massive fermentation tanks.
"Tastes alright to me!" - on the car trunk skunked beer they have a few persons sample. Mullet jort man will always volunteer to be one of the taste testers. Always.
"Let's go get some fuckin wings." - after he's finished his free samples.
Enjoy the tour, and enjoy your time with mullet jorts. He'll glow like a bride on her wedding day. -
Review from Robert F.
2/11/2012
As a homebrewer and a craft beer aficionado, I have a lot that bothers me about the beer industry and Anheuser Busch itself. But it is in a way a symbol and icon of American life and a cool story. The stables for the Clydesdales was a highlight, the tour itself a bit boring. But the thing I admire most about the Bud brand is its consistency and machine like ability to deliver a popular product. Regardless of whether or not my hope is that the craft brewers cut into market share and people open their palates to better tasting beer, the whole place is still impressive. And although the tasting room was very unattractive, I was still salivating for a cold one on the house by the end of the tour.
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Review from Steven R.
8/14/2011
I love beer but I don't even know if there is any help for this one.
I loathe most AB products but figured it would be mildly interesting to view the origin and headquarters of this monster industry. While it is amazing to see what a massive complex makes up the brewing facility that produces so much swill, it's also exhausting. Maybe it's because of the size of the place but the tour seems needlessly long and seriously disorganized.
For starters, about fifteen minutes of the tour is wasted on the famed Clydesdale horses. I came for a brewery tour, not a horse fun fact session. Maybe soon they'll add a "Life and Times of Spuds McKenzie" exhibit. Most importantly while it is a large facility it all just feels disconnected from any sort of craftsmanship. You view large pieces of equipment in even larger spaces seemingly devoid of any human contact. Unlike most breweries where you see employees actually working, this one seemed like it was on auto pilot. The anonymity of every room made it forgettable and I felt as if this tour done in pictures or online would involve less time and be just as informative. Unless you are a huge fan of Bud products the tasting at the end is a pittance for the time suck.
Sorry AB, had to walk up to iTap for some real beer to drown my sorrows after this one. -
Review from Jeanie M.
7/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
The tour took about an hour. It was informative and interesting. The tour guides were entertaining. And it was free!
At the end of the tour, there was free beer available. I had diet soda instead. I'm such a dork.
Parking was free and there was plenty of it.
The gift shop had terrific items--and the prices were reasonable. There were mugs (of course), barbecue sauce made with beer, postcards, clothing, bottle openers and more. -
Review from Andrew C.
7/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is definitely something that you should do if you're visiting the city of St. Louis.
Let me preface this trip with a short story: Tried going 2 other times in the past 6 months with coworkers. First time: hail storms. Second time: Tornado warning...Third time: thunder, lighting, and some random weather pattern that came outta nowhere...but luckily the bad weather stopped and the great tour began!
We went with a group of 10 people, and the free tour accomodates up to 60 (or so i've heard)...running every 10 or so minutes. The tour guides are very knowledgeable and it's interesting to see how this place brews their beer and the care that actually goes into it.
Free Tour Quick Tips: Bring comfortable shoes, be prepared to be cold for 10 minutes while in one of the rooms, Pretzels + 2"ish" beers available in their tasting room after the tour is over -
Review from Erika M.
7/28/2011 1 photo
First beer tour & I was impressed!
We were pretty amped at the fact that it was free! But to enhance our beerxperience, we decided to attend beer school for $10. It was a short presentation by a very knoweldgeable young man (who's name I've forgotten) of how beer is made and the different types of beer, followed by a tasting of 5 beers. In addition, you get an honorary brewmaster certificate and a free Budweiser bottle opener (worth a couple of bucks at the gift shop). Totally worth it, in my opinion. We followed up beer school with the tour. About an hour long. Tour guide was friendly and pretty awesome. No restrooms along the way, by the way. Buuuut, the tour ends with two free full-sized samples of any beer they have on tap and a snack (pretzels). Happiness.
Pros:
Free tour
Free beer samples
Parking is abundant
No hassle/waiting for a tour
Tour is pretty informative
Con:
It was freakin' hot that day! Most of the tour is outdoors, so bring some water, sunscreen and a parasol. -
Review from Ashley W.
San Diego, CA
9/15/2011
I visited the Anheuser-Bush brewery on a recent trip to St. Louis and must admit that I was pretty disappointed. It's hard to complain about something that's free, but I really felt like I got what I paid for on this tour.
The tour was HUGE and the guides lacked even a hint of enthusiasm. They gave information about the history of the brewery in the same unvaried tone for nearly an hour. Snooze...
The only interesting thing I learned was about the number of different beer brands owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Budweiser was certainly front and center throughout the tour though.
It's hard to complain about tastings (the Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat was superb), but we didn't even stay for our second tasting, because the line was at least 25 people long.
Anheuser-Bush offers some premium tours for a fee, which might be worthwhile to check out if you're planning a visit. -
Review from Stephanie L.
Indianapolis, IN
4/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
This tour is legit. Free parking, free beer and a free tour of the brewery? It can't get much better then that.
When I visited St. Louis, I immediately put the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour on the top of my to-do list. I was super impressed with the brewery. I really enjoyed the tour- from the Clydesdales to the canning- you get to see the complete brewing process. The tour lasted about an hour, but I never got bored. There was just so much great information! The guides were great- only problem was we kept getting backed up to the tour in front of us, so there was a lot of waiting around to get into certain buildings. Other than that, the tour was great!
And the free beer. Can you really complain when they give you free beer? At the end of the tour you are given 2 free samples (pretty good size), and are able to choose from a wide variety of Anheuser-Busch products to sample. I was really surprised they didn't only serve a standard beer like Bud, but also let you try other products such as Shock Top and AmberBock.
I definitely recommend the brewery tour for any St. Louis visitors. Have kids? No problem. There were lots of families on the tour, and the bar at the end offers soda and various drink selections for the under 21 crowd.
But for those of us who can enjoy the beer...drink on! -
Review from Stephen H.
Overland Park, KS
5/15/2011
The A-B tour is mandatory for anyone who likes beer, even if you're a snob and only drink craft beers. One has to concede that without the big dog pushing the market on the "quantity" side, there's not the luxury of creating the "quality" side and I think that craft brewers all over St. Louis and all over America are riding on the wave of beer popularity pushed by A-B and its brands, which, unlike many other breweries, survived the insane Puritan madness known as Prohibition.
You're going to do a fair amount of walking. You're going to go into warm areas and cold areas. You're going to see Clydesdales. You're going to be with a lot of other people. You're going to get to drink two beers at the end. You'll get to see the history behind what was an American institution until InBev bought it some years ago now. Don't miss it.Listed in: 80 Places to Enjoy in St Louis…
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Review from Kristen D.
Murfreesboro, TN
5/31/2011
I had a great time learning about beer of all things. If you want some "great wife" points, this is an easy way to get it done. On our otherwise super whack trip to Saint Louis for memorial day, the hubbster really enjoyed this place. It has some value for people who don't drink as well. It is a really intense process to make beer which is not really what I expected. I like seeing the horses as well, and the history of the buidling. You will enjoy it, but if you didn't you get free beer at the end. Win-Win right?!
very cool. This is a short review because I hate being the spoiler! -
Review from Brandy W.
6/22/2011
Let's compare things, shall we?
Schlafly Bottleworks v. Budweiser
Allowed us to walk into areas of their factory: BOTH
Gave us beer: BOTH
Gave us more than two beers: Schlafly
Had knowledgeable tour guides that were actually old enough to drink beer: Schlafly
Taught me a bunch about beer making: Schlafly
Who wins? You got it... Schlafly.
I was a little bitter because Budweiser had a broken screen where we had to watch the bottling process-- and we couldn't go see the bottling process. Meh. The best part. Argh.
Plus, they couldn't answer basic questions because the tour guides were college students.
Go to Schlafly Botteworks after your crappy Bud tour and drink more beer. :) -
Review from Angela C.
1/28/2011
One of those All-American things that are not actually American. Who cares? We take credit for it anyway and use it like its all ours - like the English Language and Freedom Fries. And, yes we capitalize it once it's ours.
The Budweiser tour was pretty decent. You get to see the Clydesdales mascots roaming outside and their pretty posh stable. You get to watch some video on how beer is made. You get to see the machines that bottle beer so quickly it'll make some of you drool on the spot. You get to walk around the buildings and learn about the Budweiser brand (and how it's now owned by InBev). You get to ride a trolley. And, you get to consume free beer at the end. Pretty touristy all around, but definitely worth a trip if you're visiting St. Louis.
2 interesting things to ask if they don't tell you: How did the American breweries like Budweiser get through the prohibition? And, as an employee perk, how much does your tour guide get in free beer?Listed in: Breweries: they make beer, i…
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Review from Caitlin C.
Boston, MA
3/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
While in St. Louis, we knew we wanted to check out the AB brewery since they offered a free tour. What we didn't realize was just how informative this hour long tour would be!
Our tour guides were Tony and Matt, and they were very friendly and professional, and didn't seem to mind when I and a few others lagged behind the group to take pictures.
I'm a big architecture person, and the brewery definitely did not disappoint! From the beautiful clydesdale stables (with the giant horses and cute dalmatians!) to the factory buildings themselves, this place had a lot of simple, classic and gorgeous architecture.
And the two free beer samples? Those didn't hurt either! -
Review from Amanda C.
7/5/2011
If this were the first brewery tour I'd been on I probably would have liked it more. In comparison to Coors, this was more disorganized, slower, the tour guides seemed disinterested, and it was crowded and a long wait on a summer afternoon.
However, it was cool to see where Bud products are made and am glad to have seen it. The free beer at the end made for a fun afternoon. -
Review from Lucy G.
Lake City, FL
5/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Recommend "Beer School" for $10 bucks each.
For about ~30 minutes you sit in a classroom with 10 other people as they serve you 4 samples & pretzels and teach you about which glasses to use, info about hops, ales, etc.
Best piece of info- when you pour your beer in a glass- try to get a fat head of foam that way the foam wont be in your belly creating farts when you sleep.
You leave class with the tiniest buzz, a certificate, and a bottle opener.
Not too shabby. -
Review from Danny W.
12/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
Since watching the Beer Wars documentary I've been a strong supporter of the smaller breweries. Although I'm pretty against The Big Three (Bud, Miller, Coors) which make up about 85 percent of the market share, I took a "when in Rome" type attitude in St. Louis...plus the tour was on my buddy Abby's bucket list.
I've been on a few of these tours before and have concluded that they're generally not as cool as they sound. It's usually about an hour of boring science talk when half way through I realize that I don't really care how it's made...I just like to drink it.
Well the Bud tour actually kept me pretty intrigued throughout the entire thing. Between the Clydesdale horses, the Dalmatians, facts about the bottling and packaging process, and free samples at the end, this tour was excellent for guys like me with a short attention span. Best part of all...the whole thing is completely free!
If in the STL. I think if there's one thing to check out the Bud tour would have to be it.
Oh yeah...minus one star for the World Series pokes. As a Cubs fan I was not amused. -
Review from Abby S.
It's so funny that I live within walking distance of the A-B Brewery, yet rarely go on the tour. Taking out-of-town guests here is the best, as they are amazed because 1) the tour free and 2) yes, you get free beer at the end!
San Diego CM Danny W (aka Sleazy Santa) and I took the tour earlier this week, as he's never been to St. Louis before and I'm pretty sure he likes beer. Although he's a self-proclaimed Miller guy (bleh!), he did admit that he likes the occasional can of Busch... now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!
During baseball season on the weekends, the tour center is crazy busy! People arrive hours before a tour starts just to get their name on the list. Then they wander over to Gus' or Benton Park Cafe to eat and wait it out. This past Tuesday, however, we just walked in and were added to the 2:15 tour, no problem. It pays to have a job with flexible hours for sure!
My favorite part of the tour is probably the Clydesdales. Oh, and the dalmatians in the stable. Say what you want about the Busch family, but I love the fact that they love animals so much. Between Grant's Farm, Busch Gardens and Sea World, these people own quite the menagerie!
My other favorite part of the tour is the free beer at the end. Duh! Although Danny and I were not able to enjoy our two complimentary beverages, we did get to taste some holiday ale, which was a good way to get the afternoon started. And I'm pretty sure that nobody monitors how much you drink here, so if you wanted to park yourself and enjoy more than your two beers, no one would stop you.
Another notch crossed off my bucket list! Only a few more to go! -
Review from Jennifer P.
Saint Louis, MO
7/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour is free, so it's a favorite place for out-of-town guests. I've been several times, and if the tour guide is personable, then it's a fun time. But I have witnessed some dull tour guides, which have made the experience a little bit boring. But the beer at the end of the tour is free, so boring tour guides aside, the tour is great.
If you plan on going, though, be sure to wear close toed shoes. If you wear flip flops, you will not be able to do the full tour with everyone else. An out-of-town guest wore flip-flops and had to take a different route to some of the tour sites. He wasn't allowed to ride the escalator. We were told it was because his shoes were open-toed. -
Review from Dawn M.
4/1/2011
When we decided to go to St. Louis for a few days, and I started looking around for things to do, this tour came up a number of times.
I suggested it, and was greeted with luke warm responses, at best, from my family. After a tiny bit of persuading, all agreed we would try the tour.
Got there for 10a tour at about 9:55. The free tour started promptly on time. It was well executed by a team of two - one talking, one herding, with them switching at each stop.
First, the horses - the whole reason we were there, quite frankly. We learned about what it takes to maintain and show the horses - and saw for ourselves that they live in the lap of luxury (for a horse - it's all relative). I have to admit - their stable is probably cleaner than my house - very impressive operation.
We then moved onto the manufacturing - which I thought would be boring. The presentation of the facts was done in a relevant way - and we were moved in and out of buildings at a good pace - the tour passed quickly.
We went thru a number of buildings - each with wonderful things to look at: the beauty of the old buildings, all perfectly maintained; or the amazing technology in place. And the cleanliness is unbelievable!
Last stop was the hospitality room in the same building we started. Breakfast Beer! At that point, we were back on our own to look at their memorabilia collection (including prohibition period) or the gift shop.
A few notes:
1) Dress for the weather - you are going to be going to spend time walking outside between buildings.
2) Wear walking shoes - no flip flops, crocs etc.
3) Bring your camera
4) Not suitable for strollers, and I'm gonna say taking a toddler aged child on the tour is not ideal. Older kids (8 and up?) or babes in arms will do just fine.
5) My only complaint was the tour website - it vaguely states tours run from 10a to 4p - but it's not clear what time each tour starts - I suspect (but don't know) they start on the hour.
All in all - very impressed by the facility and the company.
Would I return: Yes
Would I recommend: Yes - this is a must-do for anyone travelling to St. Louis, including families. -
Review from Amy S.
North Olmsted, OH
7/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Free tour...which is pretty sweet. My husband and I are not Bud fans...but still like hearing the history of the Anheiser-Busch families.
Wear decent walking shoes as it is a 60 minute tour that consists of mainly walking. It was pretty warm today when we went on the tour. Some of the buildings did have A/C, but I was looking forward to being done. Free beer at the end of the tour which is great if you like the Bud brands. soda for the kids...which was luke-warm and a tad flat.
Worth stopping by if you have time to kill in STL. One that I would probably not go to all the time.
BTW...if your GPS is unable to locate the actual location...here is the physical address of the brewery: 1127 Pestallozi St. & Lynch St, St Louis, Missouri. -
Review from Deanne C.
Long Beach, CA
5/22/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Do the tour, it's free and only takes a couple hours. It's a part of St Louis and the facilities are very beautiful and historic.
Best part:
2 free beers at the end
Worst part:
I bought like 20 bud, budlight and natty light koozies as gag gifts for my friends because they were only $1.95. -
Review from Pamela D.
San Jose, CA
6/28/2011
Toured this on my trip to visit the family in January. Would have given 5 stars, but part of the tour was outside and it was VERY cold... brr this Cali girl can't handle.
Tour was very educational and interesting. The sampling at the end was great, got more than I had anticipated. The gifts were reasonably priced, so me and my main squeeze got a few things. -
Review from Natalie E.
Saint Louis, MO
3/12/2012
Anheuser Busch does an amazing job of making their tour informative yet interesting. There is a free hour long general tour but there are options for more detailed or private tours that will cost you. I expected to be bored the entire hour but really enjoyed the experience. The tour begins with a brief history and a stables visit. The Clydesdale were huge. Our tour guide was super friendly and funny which made me wonder how scripted the tour was because she had a lot of good jokes. The middle part of the tour consisted of the brewing process and buildings. Their brewing explanation was really easy to understand and the buildings were gorgeous. The property contains several historic landmarks and all the facilities was constructed with great attention to detail. The final leg was the bottling area during which we got to briefly walk through the packaging floor. They definitely sold me on Budweiser, emphasizing the unique steps in its creation (using beechwood chips to carbonate) and that there is no waste from the factory! After the tour everyone gets two beers. I purchased a $3 pint glass from the gift shop. The gift shop has pretty much anything Anheuser Busch could put their logo on and was all reasonably priced. Definitely a great way to spend the weekend or entertain guests from out of town. The tour does include a lot of outside walking so take weather and fitness into consideration when planning your trip.
