St. Louis is an excellent family destination, with a stronger line-up of children's attractions than many larger cities, and a surprising number of them are free. The key is to match activities to your children's ages, avoid the closing days and mix indoor and outdoor stops. This guide groups the best family attractions by type and suggests how to put them together.
Free animals and science in Forest Park
The Saint Louis Zoo has free general admission and is a full day out, with themed animal zones and small paid extras such as the railroad and carousel. Note the winter hours and the closure on Christmas and New Year's Day. The Saint Louis Science Center, also free, has hands-on exhibits, a Discovery Room for younger children, flight simulators and paid planetarium shows and OMNIMAX films, and it is closed on Tuesdays. Forest Park itself has a 17-acre Nature Playscape and large lawns for running about between stops.
The big paid favorites
City Museum is the family showpiece, a ten-story former warehouse turned into a climb-everything playground of tunnels, slides and caves. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays, it suits school-age children and teenagers best, and everyone should wear closed shoes and clothes that can handle crawling. The Magic House in Kirkwood is a hands-on children's museum in a large house, with story times and daily science demonstrations, and it is best for younger children. It is closed on Mondays. Both are better on weekday mornings, when crowds are thinner.
Union Station: aquarium, wheel and play
The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station is an all-ages aquarium with a shark tank of about 250,000 gallons, otters and touch experiences. Timed tickets, a diver talk and otter feedings give the visit structure. Next door, the St. Louis Wheel is a gentle fifteen-minute ride, and the complex has a carousel, mini golf, a mirror maze and a ropes course with a smaller version for little ones. It is the easiest family base in the city, since the hotel is on site.
Animals and nature with a seasonal twist
Grant's Farm has free general admission from mid-March to the first weekend of November, with a tram through Deer Park, goat feeding, animal shows and the Budweiser Clydesdales. Parking costs extra and the farm is tour-only on some dates, so check the calendar. The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in Faust Park is open Tuesday to Sunday and is a gentle, warm stop for small children, with free-flying butterflies and an insect zoo; strollers are generally not allowed, so bring a carrier. The Missouri Botanical Garden has a children's garden and a warm rainforest dome.
Trains, planes and history
The National Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood has more than 70 locomotives, including Big Boy 4006, and a seasonal miniature train that runs from roughly April to October. Plan for two to four hours, and bring sturdy shoes. In downtown, the Gateway Arch tram is a hit with older children, but tickets are timed and the pods are small, so book ahead. The Museum of Illusions is a good rainy-day option for school-age children and teenagers.
Putting it together
With toddlers, combine the zoo, the Butterfly House and the Magic House, and keep afternoons for naps. With school-age children, pair City Museum with the Science Center and add the aquarium or the Museum of Transportation. With teenagers, add the Arch, a Cardinals game, or the Museum of Illusions. A weekday visit makes most attractions easier. Prices and hours change, so check each venue's own site before you set out. Build in downtime as well: a picnic in Forest Park, an hour at a playground or a swim at the hotel pool will keep tired children happier than a packed schedule, and the free attractions make it easy to leave early without feeling you have wasted money. If rain is forecast, swap the outdoor stops for the Science Center, the aquarium or City Museum, and save Grant's Farm, the Museum of Transportation and the Butterfly House's garden areas for a drier day.
Practical tips
Parking is charged at the zoo's lots, many hotels and the parking garages near the Arch, so factor it in. Many attractions are closed on Mondays or Tuesdays, so build your week around the closing days. Hotels with pools and breakfast, such as the Drury Plaza near the Arch, help families on a budget, and the Union Station hotel puts children close to the aquarium and the wheel.
