Arch Madness has been held in St. Louis since 1991, and in that time the Jays have won the title seven times. Creighton isn’t just the dominant team on the court, though. They annually bring one of — if not the — largest contingents of fans with them. Those fans have many favorite haunts and hangout places, but with Creighton set to play before a CU-record of almost 4,000 of their fans in St. Louis this weekend, many of them first-timers, WBR thought it might be good to give them a primer of things to do in St. Louis.
Travel
If you fly into St. Louis, eschew costly cab rides and take the MetroLink light rail into downtown. It costs $2.25 (so have a quarter handy), it takes about 30-40 minutes, and it lets you off at any of a number of stops in downtown — including directly behind the ScottTrade Center if you prefer. The 8th and Pine stop is the closest to the Hyatt Regency, about a three block walk. A cab ride will set you back about $20 and take about the same amount of time, so unless you’re completely opposed to sharing a train with other people, there’s no other way to go.
Tickets
Chances are, if you’re heading down to St. Louis this week, you have tickets already. If not, don’t worry — they’re easy to get ahold of, and bargains are all around. Taco Bell’s in the Greater St. Louis metro have coupons to save $12 off the price of a single-session ticket, which is a terrific deal. Other discounts and coupons can be found on this page.
Thursday and Friday’s sessions typically have a decent secondary market on the streets surrounding the arena, with prices wildly unpredictable depending on your negotiating skills and the desperation of the sellers. Saturday, and even Friday night, this market picks up as fans of teams that have been eliminated begin unloading all-session tickets they won’t be using.
Pregame
Creighton’s official team hotel, the Hyatt Regency at the Arch, will be decorated to show support for the Jays. Before each game, a pep rally with players, coaches, the band and Jays Dancers will be held to send the team off to the arena in style. This is a favorite spot for kids to get autographs from players. Typically, fans then walk to the arena en masse if the weather allows, which turns the sidewalks into a sea of blue.
Friday afternoon from 2:30-4, the alumni association will host a reception in one of the ballrooms in the Hyatt. Check their Facebook or Twitter page for details.
Inside the Arena
ScottTrade is a gigantic arena, and the home of the NHL’s Blues. It seats over 22,000 for basketball, and as such, some of the seats in the upper deck are a freaking journey from the court. With that said, sightlines are excellent from everywhere I’ve sat. Surprisingly, that’s true even from the upper reaches of the top deck, and if the crowd is sparse — such as during the last game of the day on both Thursday and Friday — security generally lets you move down to closer seats.
Beer is sold in the arena, but expect to pay much more than you do at CenturyLink Center — a 20 ounce beer will set you back between $9-$12, depending on what you order. Concessions are standard arena fare (burgers, hot dogs, pizza, etc.), and again, are priced a bit higher than comparable items sell for in Omaha.
The arena is about a 20 minute walk from the hotel, and it’s also on the MetroLink train line if the weather is inclement.
After the Game
Over the years, Creighton fans have adopted several establishments as their “home base” for celebrating wins (or drowning their sorrows after a loss). Because the official team hotel has been the Hyatt at the Arch for years and years, the watering holes at nearby Laclede’s Landing are favorites. There’s also many excellent restaurants around the hotel that are taken over by MVC fans.
If you’re hungry:
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
Located in the lobby of the Hyatt, this steakhouse will be full of Jays fans all weekend long.
Brewhouse St. Louis
Another restaurant located inside the Hyatt, Brewhouse is a sports bar with a pretty varied menu and is laid back enough to be family friendly.
Jack Patrick’s Bar and Grill
Located about halfway between the Hyatt and the ScottTrade Center on 10th and Olive, this place has everything: shuffleboard, pool tables, greasy food and cold beverages.
“The Hill”
You’ll need a cab ride or to drive your own car to get here, but The Hill district is an unbelievable collection of restaurants, shops, bars, and entertainment. Heading up the Hill is a solid choice if you’re looking for a quieter evening with your significant other, or if you’re just not in the mood for the rowdier downtown establishments.
If you’re thirsty:
Sundeckers
Your typical sports bar, Sundeckers is the unofficial Creighton bar and has embraced it by hanging a Jays flag both outside and inside the bar on Arch Madness weekend. They do have a kitchen with pretty good bar food (burgers and sandwiches) but it’s more bar than restaurant, so it’s best not to bring the kids here.
Morgan Street Brewery
Morgan Street is a huge place with several discrete rooms and floors, all offering a different vibe. The brewpub on the main level has a great menu and is basically a restaurant. There’s another room with a dancefloor that gets pretty wild and attracts a college-age crowd. My favorite area is the basement area, which is much more laid back and has shorter waiting times to get your next beverage.
Big Bang Dueling Piano Bar
Located about a block from Sundeckers and Morgan Street, Big Bang is a Thursday night tradition as Creighton fans attempt to outbid fans of other teams to get the pianists to play their school’s fight song. Expect to hear “The White and the Blue” a lot, which is awesome.
There can be a steep cover charge here, depending on the night, but if you show your same-day ticket stub from the MVC Tourney, you get in for free.
Tigin’s Irish Pub
Located in between the Landing and the Hyatt, this is another favorite hangout for Jays fans and is one of the closest bars to the hotel. Their kitchen serves authentic Irish cuisine and is surprisingly good.
The Hyatt Hotel Bar
This is an underrated hangout, and is a favorite of veteran fans that aren’t into the madness of the establishments on the Landing. Often, people congregate in the lobby itself, turning it into one big laid-back Jays fan convention.
Lumiere Place Casino
About three blocks past the Laclede’s Landing establishments, this is a full-fledged casino and has gambling, entertainment — Eddie Money concert on Friday night! — and has several restaurants as well.
Tourist Attractions
With the first game not until 1:35 on Saturday, there’s time to check out some of St. Louis’ tourist attractions. The Anheuser-Busch Brewery tour is a quick cab ride from downtown, and worth the trip — it’s a really interesting tour of their facilities, and you get complimentary samples at the end!
The Gateway Arch may seem like cliched tourist fare, but it’s worth your time if you’ve never been up to the observation deck. The trams that take you up the leg are like something out of a 1960s science-fiction movie, and the observation deck itself looks like interior of a spacecraft from StarTrek. Plus, the views of St. Louis are breathtaking.
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Is there a favorite spot that we’ve neglected to mention? Let us know in the comments, or add to the ongoing conversation on the Bluejay Underground.