Grant's Farm - Atlas Obscura

Grant's Farm

What was once a presidential estate is now an exotic menagerie and home to the Budweiser Clydesdales. 

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Although “Home on the Range” is technically the state song of Kansas, it turns out downtown St. Louis is where the buffalo roam and the deer and the antelope play. Belonging to the former beer-brewing Busch family, Grant’s Farm is a 281-acre historical estate located just south of St. Louis and is best known for housing more than 900 animals of over 100 different species, including buffalo, deer, lemurs, ostriches and camels.

Prior to being bought and maintained by the Busch family, this land was owned and operated by America’s 18th President Ulysses S. Grant. In 1848, Grant and his wife received the property as a wedding present from his new bride’s family. By 1855, Grant began sawing logs and gathering materials to build a two-story cabin on the land.

Within the farm’s enclosure stands Grant’s Cabin, which was fully completed in 1856 and prevails today as the only remaining structure hand-built by an American president. The fence that sits across from the president’s cabin was fashioned from 2,563 rifle barrels as a Civil War memorial.

Today, Grant’s Farm is sustained as a symbol of Anheuser-Busch’s commitment to wildlife conservation and preservation. The Tier Garten amphitheater provides visitors of all ages an up-close and personal experience with a multitude of animals, including kangaroos, birds and pygmy goats.

Most of the bigger and more exotic creatures can be seen on a tram tour through the Deer Park, which provides a natural habitat to many bison, antelope, zebras and more. Grant’s Farm is also the official home of the Budweiser Clydesdale Stables, which houses one of the world’s largest herds of Clydesdale horses.

Know Before You Go

Though entry to Grant's Farm is free, there is a $19 per car parking fee. Grant's Farm is also accessible by bicycle via the Grant's Trail bike trail (free bike parking!), which follows an old train line for about 8 miles with Grant's Farm being the center point of the trail. Parking at various points along the trail (other than Grant's Farm) is free.

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