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While traditional and notable landmarks are fun to check out, it's always entertaining to find those special offbeat spots in a city. Luckily, if you're in St. Louis, Missouri, there are many wacky spots you simply have to see. Load up your family and friends and spend the day exploring these offbeat places in St. Louis. Laclede's Landing Wax Museum Take a stroll through Laclede's Wax Museum to see more than 250 life-size figures of celebrities, monsters, world leaders, cartoon figures, and more. The museum was established in 1983 and covers 10,00 square feet. It is housed in an 1885 cast iron façade warehouse that is listed as a National Historic Landmark. Brace yourself as you walk through the Chamber of Horrors where the realistic wax movie icons, such as Pennywise and the Predator, are sure to give you the creeps. Stop to take selfies with legendary heroes, such as Batman and Superman, and famed celebrities, such as Madonna, The Rock, and Audrey Hepburn. If you love science fiction, you won't want to miss a photo op with R2D2 or a Storm Trooper. Laclede's Landing Wax Museum is located at 720 N 2nd St. It is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis Step inside the unassuming brick building and discover the miniature wonders that are housed inside the Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis. In addition to traditional miniature dollhouses, you'll also find miniature ice cream parlors, mechanics' garages, manors, general stores, pet shops, and treehouses. Each scene has been created with painstaking detail with everything from posters on the walls of mini bedrooms to calendars in ice cream parlors. Marvel at the larger street scenes with apartment buildings and shops, as well as smaller shopping center scenes. If the miniature world calls to you, sign up for one of the workshops where you'll learn to design, build, wire, and decorate your very own miniature mansion. Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis is located at 4746 Gravois Ave. It is open Sunday from 1-4 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Turtle Playground Both kids and adults will thoroughly enjoy exploring and climbing on concrete reptiles at Turtle Playground. Created by Bob Cassilly in the 1990s, this unique playground ditches the traditional swings and slides and instead includes giant, concrete sculptures of local creatures, such as snapping and box turtles. Walk through the enormous snake archway, which serves as the park's entrance, and make your way into the mouth of the giant snapping turtle as it appears to be emerging from the sand. Parents can take a break on the seats that are actually sculptures of baby turtles hatching from eggs and watch the little ones have a blast. Restrooms and a traditional playground are also nearby. Turtle Playground is located on Oakland Avenue across from I64/40 on Tamm Avenue. It is open daily. For an interesting day of fun and entertainment, head to one of these offbeat places in St. Louis. Image via Pixabay.

If you're in the market for a sedan, the Mazda 6 is a vehicle that's worth consideration. This midsize four-door sedan boasts an upscale interior, dynamic handling, advanced standard safety technology, and a powerful turbocharged engine option. You can choose from five trims with the Mazda 6, namely Sport, Touring, Grand Touring, Grand Touring Reserve, and Signature. Here is some more information on this comfortable and attractive sedan. Upscale Interior The Mazda 6 features a roomy cabin as far as sedans go, with respectable head and legroom for both front and rear passengers. The trunk offers 14.7 cubic feet of cargo space, which you can extend by folding down the rear seat. The base Sport trim is well-equipped, featuring dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, an electronic parking brake, remote keyless entry, push-button start, cloth upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a 60/40 split-folding rear seat. The higher trims add many luxury and convenient items like an auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated and ventilated front seats, leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, driver-seat memory, and heated rear seats. If you opt for the posh Signature trim, your Mazda 6 will be outfitted with premium materials like Nappa leather, Japanese Sen wood, and a dashboard and doors that are lined with an Ultrasuede trim. Modern Technology The Mazda 6 boasts plenty of modern technology. The standard Mazda Connect infotainment system is equipped with an 8-inch display, HD radio, six speakers, Bluetooth, and two USB ports. You can also opt for available features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, navigation, SiriusXM, and a premium 11-speaker Bose sound system. In addition, the Mazda 6 also offers impressive standard safety equipment, which includes a rearview camera, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. Available features include rear and front parking sensors, a surround-view parking camera system, and a head-up display. Powerful Engines You can choose from two engines with the Mazda 6. The base engine is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. On option is a turbocharged version of this engine, namely the Dynamic Pressure Turbo SKYACTIV-G 2.5-liter, that generates 250 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. Both engines are paired with a six-speed automatic that sends power to the front wheels. The 2.5-liter will give you an estimated EPA rating of 26 mpg city and 35 mpg highway, whereas the turbocharged engine delivers an estimated rating of 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. The G-Vectoring Control Plus system that is included as standard equipment across all trims, makes for a smoother and more comfortable ride by seamlessly adjusting power delivery and vehicle weight around corners. Offering a robust optional engine, advanced standard safety equipment, and a spacious and upscale interior, the Mazda 6 is a good option if you're looking for a midsize sedan. To see for yourself what the Mazda 6 has to offer, pop by Bommarito Mazda South County and take one for a spin. Image via Mazda USA.

Although you can't go wrong by taking your date to an upscale restaurant for a date, there are also many other, more creative ways to spend a pleasant night out with that someone special. If you live in St. Louis, Missouri, you're spoiled for choice when it comes to finding something creative to do on date night. Here are a few ideas to consider. Date Night Cooking Class If you're looking for a more creative way to spend a date night, you can consider signing up for a cooking class at the Kitchen Conservatory. This venue offers a variety of cooking classes where you can learn to make anything from French macaroons to Chinese dumplings to sushi. In addition, they also host a variety of date night cooking classes. You can, for instance, sign up for a couple's pizza-making class. During this cooking class, you'll learn to make your own pizza dough from scratch. You'll also learn about exciting seasonal toppings you can use, for instance, apple, bacon, and gorgonzola, or pesto, prosciutto, and goat cheese. After you've been introduced to new and exciting topping combinations, each couple gets to create their own, unique pizza. In addition, you'll also get to make your own sangria, a mixed green salad, and salted caramel ice cream. Keep in mind that the Kitchen Conservatory also offers romantic Valentine's couples cooking classes from the 6 through 15 of February, so make a booking now to spoil your partner with something different this Valentine. Painting With a Twist Another way to get your creative juices flowing on a date night is to head down with your partner to the Painting With a Twist studio. This venue offers a variety of art classes for people of all ages and levels of expertise. Even if you or your partner is a complete beginner you can sign up for any art class, as an experienced artist will provide you with step-by-step guidance. You're allowed to bring your beverage of choice to art classes at this venue, so the two of you can sip on your favorite wine while creating artworks that you get to take home with you at the end of the evening. Whiskey Tasting For a dining experience with a difference, book a table for you and your date at Gamlin Whiskey House. This traditional steakhouse doesn't only serve delicious food but also offers whiskey tasting. Their whiskey cellar is stocked with the finest whiskeys from all over the world, including the U.S., Scotland, Ireland, and Canada, as well as their own signature whiskey, Knob Creek Bourbon. While you sip on the fine whiskeys this venue has to offer, the two of you can indulge in the tasty food on offer. On the menu are mouth-watering dishes like Filet & Lobster Tail, Chilean Sea Bass, and Ozark Forest Wild Mushroom Risotto. Or, if you decide to pop around to Gamlin Whiskey House for a late-night tasting, opt for a bite from their late-night menu that offers lighter meals like Seared Crab Cakes and Hot Chicken Strips. These are only a few options to consider for your next date night in the bustling city of St. Louis. Ignite a spark in your relationship by spoiling your partner with something a bit different on your next date night. Image via Pixabay.

The 2020 Mazda 3 sedan features an attractive design and an upscale interior. In addition, this small sedan will give you sharp handling and a responsive drive. With the Mazda 3, you'll also be safe on the road, as this sedan boasts many standard safety features. The Mazda 3 boasts a stylish and aerodynamic design that features gentle contours, a wide grille, and distinctive front lights. Exciting exterior colors include Sonic Silver Metallic, Soul Red Metallic, Deep Crystal Blue Mica, and Machine Gray Metallic. You can choose from four trims, namely the base trim, Select, Preferred, and Premium. Here's some more information on this modern and well-equipped sedan. Upscale Interior The cabin of the Mazda 3 sedan can seat up to five passengers. It is an attractive interior that features premium materials and an ergonomic design. The cargo area offers 13.2 cubic feet of space, which you can extend to 20.1 cubic feet by folding the rear seats flat. With the base trim comes air conditioning, cruise control, remote keyless entry, an electronic parking brake, push-button start, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat bench, and cloth upholstery. The higher trims add many luxury and convenient features like keyless entry, simulated leather upholstery, a power-adjustable driver's seat, heated front seats, a sunroof, a head-up display, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Peppy Performance The Mazda 3 boasts a peppy 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that's paired with a six-speed automatic transmission to produce 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive is standard but you can opt for all-wheel drive with the Select trim and up. This available all-wheel-drive system will help keep you safe on the road by monitoring all kinds of elements like the outside temperature and the driver's steering to predict and control any possible loss of traction. The Mazda 3 offers impressive efficiency with an estimated EPA rating of 26 mpg city and 35 mpg highway. The standard suspension system, which was designed according to the natural movement of the human body, will afford you improved handling and a comfortable ride. Modern Technology The Mazda 3 offers loads of modern technology. Standard features that are included with the Mazda Connect infotainment system are an 8.8-inch display, eight speakers, Bluetooth, and HD radio. You can also upgrade the system with convenient features, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. With the Mazda 3 also comes advanced standard driver-assist features that will help keep you safe on the road. The standard i-Activsense suite consists of forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, radar cruise control, driver attention alert, high-beam control, and a rearview camera. The SEL trim adds blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The Mazda 3 is a good choice if you're looking for a compact, modern sedan that offers a peppy engine, impressive fuel efficiency, many advanced active safety features, and an upscale interior. To get to know this sedan a bit better, pop by Bommarito Mazda South County and take one for a test drive. Image via Mazda USA.

City Museum is a 10-story, 600,000 square-foot fun house that's located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. What was once the warehouse of the International Shoe Company, has been transformed into a playhouse for adults and kids alike, featuring simulated caves, numerous cubbyholes, floor chutes, and labyrinths that have been constructed from repurposed objects. Here's some more information on this weird and wonderful museum. History The artist couple Bob and Gail Cassilly bought the former Shoe Company warehouse in 1993 and hired a group of sculptors, painters, and welders—dubbed the Cassilly crew—to transform the space into "a city within a city." The first project that the team tackled was to build a 500-foot concrete and wrought-iron fence around the parking area of the warehouse, after which they embarked on their secret construction inside the warehouse over the next few years. During this time, thousands of soda bottles and safety deposit boxes were glued into the walls of the warehouse and old cement mixer chutes were hauled in and welded together to form slides. In 1997, the doors of City Museum were officially opened and thousands of curious visitors flocked to the venue. Slides and Rides City Museum boasts many exciting slides and rides. Apart from the 10-story slide, which is the longest slide in the building, and the Ferris wheel, which is the tallest ride, each floor features slides, rides, and much more. The first floor, for instance, houses the Tree House Spiral slide, the Tree House Chute, and the Monster slide, among others, and also features "enchanted caves." On the third floor, there are multiple slides for toddlers, such as the Toddler Town Dolphin slide and the Toddler Town Castle slide. The slides are not limited to the interior but have also been erected on the rooftop and outside of the building, for instance, the Run Ramp and E.L. Nickell Co. slides. Exhibitions and Curiosities When you're not shooting down a slide or entering an enchanted cave, you'll see many curious objects while wandering along the numerous floors of this museum. Don't, for instance, be surprised when you see the World's Largest Underpants, a Human Hamster Wheel, or the World's Largest Pencil—a No. 2 that's 76-feet long and can actually write. If you look up a ten-story air shaft to the roof, you'll see the pipes of a 1925 Wurlitzer organ that may at any time start emitting the notes of a Bach fugue. You may also see a dwarf engineer riding the indoor train along the passages of the museum or the "puking pig," which consists of an old boiler sporting an iron pig's head that spews water every few minutes. If you're not afraid of heights, you may want to hang over the edge of the building in the driver's seat of an old school bus that's been hoisted onto the rooftop. The museum also houses curious collections, such as the bugs of Missouri, and the odd exhibition. A current exhibition that may be of interest is named "A Collection of Lomography Images Take in St. Louis." It would be impossible to list all the curious sites and wonders that City Museum is home to. The best way to find out what this museum has to offer is to experience it for yourself. Image via Pixabay.