With some awesome day trip options available in the surrounding area, renting a car makes good sense. Without one, it wouldn’t be half as easy to soak up everything that Collinsville, 25 miles away, has to offer. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Gateway Fun Park and St. Claire Square Mall alone make the drive out worthwhile. Don’t skip St. Louis either! Just 35 miles away, Forest Park, Fox Theater and Tower Grove Park are essential stops here.