The Meadows at Lake St. Louis: Outlet Shopping in Western St. Charles County
Outdoor shopping is surprisingly popular in the Midwest. I’ve been to places along Lake Michigan where outdoor malls are flourishing even as indoor malls are closing. There are lots of reasons for it, but one thing is clear: there is still a market for outdoor shopping spaces.
St. Louis has plenty of them. You’ve got the old-style shopping districts like the Delmar Loop or Downtown Kirkwood. You’ve got vintage charm in Historic Main Street St. Charles. And you’ve got planned outdoor mall spaces like The District and St. Louis Premium Outlets, both in Chesterfield.
There’s another one farther west, out in Lake St. Louis.
Getting There
The Meadows (Google Maps link) is located just off I-64 at Lake St. Louis Boulevard, a few miles south of the I-64 / I-70 interchange. For most people, the easiest way there is to get off I-64 at Lake St. Louis Boulevard, then head east a short distance turning turning right on Technology Drive. The Meadows is a short distance down Technology on your left.
Parking
For better and for worse (more on this in a moment), there is parking both in and around the Meadows. You can find conventional parking on the outer rim of the space, including a large lot on the west side of the mall nearest Technology Drive and a parking garage on the northeast corner of the mall. In addition, there is parking within the mall space as well, some of it right next to the storefronts. All parking is free.
Costs and Considerations
The Meadows is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and it’s open on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hours of operation may be different during certain times of the year, and the mall is typically closed on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. What’s more, individual stores may have different hours from the larger Meadows complex itself.
One word of warning: the directory on-site was outdated as of late 2025. There were shops that were missing and stores listed that were no longer present.
Things to Do
There are a handful of restaurants on property. The most interesting in our view is Cugino’s, a gem of North St. Louis County that has a second location here in this mall.
There are other restaurants as well covering a few other styles. You’ve also got coffee shops and ice creameries, specifically Clementine’s, a pricey but interesting ice cream shop that serves both conventional (“nice”) and alcohol-infused (“naughty”) desserts.
Beyond that, there are also a few retailers of other kinds, including a standalone department store in Von Maur and a large standalone thrift store.
One notable point about The Meadows is that, as of early 2026, it is adding an entertainment complex along the south side of the property. This area will eventually include such amenities as an ice rink, playground and splash pad, outdoor turf area, seasonal outdoor pickleball courts, and a two-story entertainment and hospitality building. It wasn’t finished at the time of our last visit.
Our Thoughts
There are some things we really like about The Meadows. It’s easy to get to, there’s ample parking, and there are some cool retailers there, including a large thrift store that was more robust than we expected. The food scene is underrated, too, thanks to the presence of a few restaurants like Cugino’s as well as coffee shops and ice cream joints.
But we have our complaints. The design, for instance, forces you as a pedestrian to look out more for car traffic than you would in many other outdoor malls. The store selection is okay, but it’s maybe a little lacking in things like clothing. The property shows its age, including with ambient outdoor music that comes out distorted. And the directory is, as of our last visit, out of date.
Despite our niggles, there are some virtues to The Meadows and it’s worth checking out if you live in western St. Charles County.
