Plan Your Visit — The Delmar Loop

Sample Itineraries

How to spend it

Three ways to walk the Loop, depending on how much time you've got.

Please double-check business open hours before planning your day. Hours vary by day and time, depending on when you are planning your visit.

Timing It Right

Best time to go

◐

Weekday afternoons

Quietest time to browse Vintage Vinyl and Subterranean Books without a crowd.

✦

Friday & Saturday nights

the Loop at its fullest — marquees lit, venues loading in, patio seats hard to find.

☀

May through September

The Levitt Concert Series brings free outdoor shows to Phillip Lucier Park on the Loop.

▤

Festival weekends

STL Vintage Nightfest and the Flyover Comedy Festival both take over the street — energizing, but plan for crowds and closures.

The Ground

Find it on the map

Every stop on the Loop, mapped. Search a craving, tap a pin, get directions.

The Loop runs along Delmar Boulevard, spanning the St. Louis and University City line, roughly from Skinker Boulevard on the east to Big Bend Boulevard on the west. Tap a pin to open that stop — Details opens its Loop profile, Directions opens Google Maps.

Getting There

Six ways in

MetroLink

The Delmar Loop Station sits right on the Loop — no transfer to a bus needed.
Runs on the Red Line, with easy connections from downtown St. Louis and Lambert Airport.
The easiest option if you're coming from anywhere else on the MetroLink line.

MetroBus

Several MetroBus routes serve Delmar Boulevard and the surrounding area.
Buses connect the Loop to neighborhoods not directly on the MetroLink line.
Check Metro Transit's trip planner for current routes, stops, and schedules.

Loop Trolley

The Loop Trolley is a heritage streetcar running along Delmar between the Loop and Forest Park.
Service is seasonal from April through October.
Check the Loop Trolley schedule.

Driving & parking

Metered street parking runs along Delmar and side streets — busiest on weekend nights.
Several surface lots serve the district; look for Loop-branded parking signage.
Close to Highway 64/40 — a short drive from Clayton, Forest Park, and downtown.

Biking & rideshare

Bike racks are common outside shops and venues along the Loop.
Rideshare drop-off is easiest at either end of Delmar rather than mid-block during events.
Washington University's campus borders the Loop, so it's a short ride or walk from campus.

Accessibility

the Loop is flat and sidewalk-based for its full length — an easy wheelchair-accessible walk.
The MetroLink Delmar Loop Station is accessible, with elevator access to the platform.
Individual venue accessibility varies — worth a quick call ahead for older buildings.

Parking

Where to park

Free and paid lots line Delmar between Skinker and the MetroLink station, with metered street parking filling in the gaps.

Map of free, paid, and event parking along the Delmar Loop

Blue pins are free lots, dark blue pins are paid garage parking, and orange marks lots that close for events. Metered street parking fills in along Delmar and the side streets.

FAQ

Good to know

Yes — the Loop, the Walk of Fame, and window shopping are all free. You'll only pay for what you eat, drink, or buy a ticket to.

It's one walkable mile, entirely on foot from end to end. Most people park or take MetroLink once and walk the rest.

Both — the Loop straddles the border. It reads as one continuous street regardless of which side you're on.

For popular shows, yes — check each venue's listings ahead of time. Walk-up tickets are sometimes available for smaller shows.

the Loop is well-lit and busy on weekend nights, especially near the venues. Standard city awareness applies, as anywhere.

Vintage Vinyl, Subterranean Books, Blueprint Coffee, and most restaurants are all indoors — plenty of the Loop still works in bad weather.