Top 15 Things to do in St. Louis, Missouri with Kids

When you think of a great place to spend your family vacation, you may not think of St. Louis, but we loved our time there! Not only is St. Louis full of fun, family-friendly activities, but most of these activities are free or really inexpensive. You really get to do a lot with a small budget in St. Louis!

As you go through the list, please note that these activities in St. Louis are FREE!

• St. Louis Zoo
• Missouri History Museum/History Clubhouse
• Budweiser Tour (listed under Cardinal’s Game)
• Citygarden
• St. Louis Science  Center
• Grant’s Farm ($12 parking, but admission is FREE)
• Forest Park

There are some activities that are FREE on special days and times (like the Botanical Gardens, The Muny, The Magic House, and the Jewel Box). More info listed below.

1. The Arch

• Journey to the Top

You can get tickets for the Journey to the Top at the Old Courthouse (about a 5 minute walk from the Arch). Visitors step into an egg-shaped elevator with seats that will take them to the top of the Arch. There is an area with some small windows where you can see some nice views of St. Louis.

Gateway Arch Ticketing & Visitor Center at the Old Courthouse
11 North 4th Street, St. Louis, MO 63102

• Riverboat Cruises

You and your family can enjoy a one hour cruise, a dinner cruise or one of many specialty cruises down the Mississippi River on a Riverboat Cruise.

2. City Museum

City Museum is an old shoe factory turned into a funky, industrial playground that is fun for kids and adults. It is the most unusual place I have ever visited, and we loved it!

City Museum has:

•  Tunnels and caves running throughout the bottom 3 stories
•  10-story spiral slides
• Climbing tunnels that look like giant Slinkies (inside and out)
• A school bus hanging off the side of the roof (that you can play in!).
• A rooftop Ferris Wheel.
• Slides, slides, and more slides. Big slides, short slides, long slides, wide slides….
• A gigantic bird cage overlooking St. Louis that you can climb into.

*Prices Updated 05/2019

The current ticket price is $15 (plus tax) for people ages 3
and up (children age 2 and under are free), and $13 (plus tax) after 5
pm on Friday and Saturday nights. Parking in the museum’s lot is $10. Admissionto our roof is still $5. They are also offering a season pass for $69.99 (plus tax), which pays for itself in 4 visits.

City Museum  // 750 North 16th Street – St. Louis, MO. 63103  //  314-231-CITY (2489)

City Museum WEBSITE

See more pics from our trip to City Museum HERE

3. St. Louis Zoo

I still can’t believe this beautiful zoo is FREE! We really enjoyed our visit here. The kiddos loved seeing elephants, rhinos, penguins, and a red panda.

Some attractions cost a fee, but if you arrive early, you can ride the carousel, feed the stingrays, and enter the Children’s Zoo for FREE from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The parking lot at the zoo charges $15.00, but there is a lot of free parking spots on the nearby streets. We parked on the street near the north entrance between the zoo and the art museum.

St. Louis Zoo  //  One Government Drive – St. Louis, Missouri 63110  //314.781.0900

St Louis Zoo WEBSITE

See more pics of the St. Louis Zoo and our visit HERE

4. St. Louis Science Center

This hands-on museum is a lot of fun. From the energy exhibit to the dinosaur/fossil dig exhibit, the kiddos had so much fun during our visit. General admission to the St. Louis Science center is FREE , but there are extra some activities available for a fee.

St. Louis Science Center  // 5050 Oakland Avenue – St. Louis, Missouri 63110  //  314.289.4400

St. Louis Science Center WEBSITE

5. City Garden

Visiting this city park is FREE and the splash pads and wading pools are perfect on a hot day! There is a coffee shop and several food trucks along the street by the park. Or, you can bring a picnic lunch and enjoy an hour or two here with the kids.

Citygarden is located along Market Street between 8th and 10th Streets in downtown St. Louis. It is open daily from sunrise to 10 p.m.

Citygarden //  801 Market St, Saint Louis, MO 63101

Citygarden WEBSITE

See more photos from our visit HERE

6. Museum of Transportation

Above photo of Creation Station via

Above photo of Handcar Village via

Museum of Transportation offers:

• Miniature Train Ride
• Trolley Ride
• Creation Station (for kids 5 years and younger)
• Handcar Village
• Automobile and Train Collections
• Guided Tours
• Car Shows

Admission is $8.00 for adults (ages 13 & older) and $5.00 for children (ages 3-12). Wristbands for unlimited rides on the miniature train, handcars, and/or trolley are $5.00. Creation Station is an additional $2.00 and is first come, first served.

Museum of Transportation  //  3015 Barrett Station Rd, Saint Louis, MO 63122  //  314.965.6885

Museum of Transportation WEBSITE

7. Jewel Box

 

Above photo via

The Jewel Box is a large Art Deco greenhouse that is situated in Forest Park. It is open to the public on Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m., and on Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is $1 per person, but admission is FREE on Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. until noon.

Jewel Box WEBSITE

8. Botanical Gardens

The St. Louis Botanical Gardens is absolutely beautiful! It is a lovely place to get some fresh air and exercise while exploring the gardens and conservatories. Admission to the gardens is $12.00, but children 12 years and younger are FREE. During the summer, everyone gets FREE admission on Wednesdays after 5 p.m.

St. Louis Botanical Garden  //  4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110  //  314.577.5100

St. Louis Botanical Garden WEBSITE

9. Forest Park

I think Forest Park could be it’s own city. It is a beautiful, peaceful park, and it is full of family friendly activities. The park has the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, the Jewel Box, the St. Louis Science Center, the Grand Basin, the Boathouse Restaurant, and the World’s Fair Pavilion.

You and your family could also just go for a stroll or a bike ride through this large park. There are several paths and hiking trails in Forest Park.

Forest Park WEBSITE

10. Myseum

Kids love Myseum. There is so much for them to do, but the facility isn’t so huge that you lose sight of them. They can jump, climb, and run through mazes all they want! Entrance is $10.95 for kids and $5.95 for adults.

Myseum  //  283 Lamp and Lantern Village , Town and Country, MO 63017  //  636-220-7930  

Myseum Website

11. The Magic House

The Magic House is a hands-on children’s museum. This museum has FREE admission for families on the third Friday of the month from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Otherwise, general admission is $9.50 ages 1-101.

The Magic House  //  516 S. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO 63122  //  314-822-8900

The Magic House WEBSITE

12. St. Louis History Museum

The Missouri History Museum is a very nice museum, and it is completely FREE. My kids could have stayed in the History Clubhouse all day. It was a fun little play area just for kids.

Missouri History Museum  //  5700 Lindell Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63112  //  (314) 746-4599

St. Louis History Museum WEBSITE

See more photos from our visit to the Missouri History Museum HERE

 

13. Busch Stadium/Cardinal’s Game

For baseball fans, Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, is the perfect place to visit while in St. Louis. Baseball fans will also enjoy the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum, which is the largest team-held collection in Major League Baseball.

On a similar note, The Budweiser Brewery offers FREE tours and FREE beer samples. This is not really a “kid” thing to do, but thought it should be mentioned.

To see the Budweiser Clydesdales, visit Grant’s Farm (more info #14).

Busch Stadium  //  700 Clark Street – St. Louis, MO 63102  //  314.345.9600

Busch Stadium WEBSITE

14. Grant’s Farm

Above photo via

Grant’s Farm is a 281-acre farm, and it cares for than 900 animals from all around the world. It is actually a former home of the Busch family and the land was once farmed by President Grant (and where the farm got its name).

If you want to see the Budweiser Clydesdales, they are located in the stables at the end of the parking lot. The Stables are separate from the other attractions at Grant’s Farm, and some prefer to make it the first or last stop during their visit.

Grant’s Farm admission is FREE, however, it costs $12 to park.

Grant’s Farm  //  10501 Gravois Road  – St. Louis, MO 63123 

Grant’s Farm WEBSITE

15. Municipal Theatre

Above photo via

St. Louis locals lovingly call this “The Muny”.  It is actually the oldest and largest outdoor theater in the country! The theatre puts on family-friendly productions at their outdoor theatre. There are tickets for seats available for purchase, but there are over 1000 seats that are free of charge. The free seats are first come, first  served and are available beginning at 7 p.m. (shows begin at 8:15).

The Muny  //  #1 Theatre Dr.  – Saint Louis, MO 63112  //  314.361.1900

The Municipal Theatre WEBSITE

I have to give an honorable mention to the St. Louis Art Museum. It is very nice and FREE as well. If your kiddos appreciate and enjoy art, they’ll have a great time there.

Have you visited St. Louis?  What was your favorite things to do there?

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