What are fun family activities in St Louis?

Off the beaten path! Not the usual zoo, science center, botanical gardens...


What are your secret or unusual fun spots to take family and kids to have a good time, both indoor or outdoors.


St Louis-Jeff City-or Columbia

What are fun family activities in St Louis?
There are many, many, many things to do in St. Louis! I know cause I live 20 mins west of St. Louis! I love St. Louis (STL)! Anyways, if you click on the link below starting with "explorest.louis.com" it will take you to many places that you can go to in the STL. Some of the places that I reccommend for a family are:


City Museum


Magic House


Museum of Transportation


Old Courthouse


Worldway's Childrens Museum


...there are many great places!


On this site, you can also search around for theaters, galaries, wineries, tours of STL and more! You will love St. Louis if you haven't been there before!


I hope I have helped some!
Reply:My choices would be ~





Purina Farms (Gray Summit)


Shawn's Nature Reserve (Gray Summit)


A Family Float Trip on one of the many riverways


Cahokia Mounds (In IL)


Fitz's Rootbeer in the Loop (You can watch them make Rootbeer)
Reply:I lived in St Louis 30 years before I moved so I hope I can give you a few ideas. There is a huge Humane Society which is fun to go to as it is full of dogs and cats waiting for adoption, Creve Coeur park is fun as you can have a picnic, go for a boat ride, or take a nice hike, rollerblade or bike the trails. Lone Elk Park in Valley Park where you can see animals roaming free outside, once a moose stood right in front of my car and I read they can sometimes run at your car and cause damage etc so we both just sat there and starred each other down for awhile. Six Flaggs at Eureka. Powder Valley for a nature center and natural trails, Sioux Passage Park near Jamestown Mall. Climbin wall at the west county mall. Hope that helps out some and Union Station has boats you can paddle around in in the summer.
Reply:A - The Arch, also known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, is St. Louis’s internationally recognized symbol. It’s home to the Museum of Westward Expansion, packed with exhibits depicting the westward migration of pioneers across the U.S. A real teepee, a covered wagon, and other implements of the time bring the past alive. A giant screen theatre, a re-created 1870s food store, and rides to the top of the Arch provide fun for the whole family. www.gatewayarch.com





B – The Boathouse in Forest Park is the place for a leisurely boat ride in a rowboat or paddleboat. Float around Post-Dispatch Lake, take a turn around the fountains, then head back for lakeside dining on the patio. The menu of burgers, pizzas, and salads includes a kids’ menu sure to please the pickiest of palates. www.boathouseforestpark.com





C - City Museum is hugely popular with kids and parents, and not at all what most people envision when they think of a museum. Instead it’s a wild, crazy, colorful space filled with creative things to do. There’s a 3-story slide, giant crawl-through coils along the ceiling, a fascinating indoor cave system, and an aquarium where you can pet a shark. www.citymuseum.org





D - Dog Museum (The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog) is dedicated to our four-legged friends and features a dog-themed gift shop.





E - Eckert’s Farms is the largest pick-your-own orchard operation in the U.S. It includes farm themed activities, family oriented parks, a garden center, country store, restaurant, and custard shop. www.eckerts.com





F - Foundry Art Centre is a vibrant center that brings together the arts, artists, and everyday people through exhibitions, studio space, and educational programs. www.foundryartcentre.org





G - Grant’s Farm was once owned by Ulysses S. Grant. Now families can feed baby goats, watch the elephant and bird shows, and see the famous Anheuser Busch Clydesdales. Animal encounters and elephant education shows daily. www.grantsfarm.com





H – The History Museum traces the history of the region through permanent and traveling exhibitions. Its exciting exhibits and special events remind us of our past and how it affects our future. www.mohistory.org





I - International Bowling Museum %26amp; Hall of Fame and St. Louis Cardinals Museum is 50,000 square feet of space dedicated to 5000 years of bowling history and its heroes. It includes interactive exhibits, old-time and modern bowling lanes, movies, and memorabilia. The Cardinals Museum displays memorabilia from favorite Cardinals players plus the Browns and St. Louis ***** Leagues. www.bowlingmuseum.com





J - Jones-Confluence Point State Park – Dedicated in 2004, this 1,100 acre park provides a unique view of the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Outdoor interpretive exhibits give the history of the rivers and explain the role they played in the Lewis and Clark Expedition. www.mostateparks.com





K - The Katy Trail – work off some of that kid energy on this 265-mile-long rails to trails hiking and biking path of crushed limestone. The eastern trailhead is at 1000 Riverside Drive in St. Charles; the western terminus is in Clinton. Bike rentals are available. www.mostateparks.com





L – The Lewis %26amp; Clark Boat House and Nature Center is the permanent home of the replicas of Lewis %26amp; Clark’s boats. It also showcases many of the plants and animals Lewis %26amp; Clark found on their journey. The Trading Post gift shop has unusual and educational kid-friendly items like coonskin caps and historic paper dolls. www.lewisandclark.net





M – The Magic House recently was rated as the attraction with the most child appeal in the entire nation by Zagat survey. Many of its exhibits are geared to specific age groups, with activities just for babies, water play and sand areas for toddlers, and hands-on science experiments that are fun for kids of all ages. Everyone loves the electrostatic ball—touch it to make your hair stand on end. www.magichouse.com





N - Nascar Speedpark at St. Louis Mills is a six-acre race-themed amusement park with rides, attractions, and entertainment. Tracks for all ages, state-of-the-art arcade and interactive games, mini golf, bumper boats, and kiddie rides are all part of the fun. www.nascarspeedpark.com





O – The Old Courthouse is the historic restored courthouse where the Dred Scott case began and where Virginia Minor fought for the right to vote. The dome itself is a must-see; it is a smaller version of the one used on our nation’s capitol in Washington, D.C.www.gatewayarch.com





P - Purina Farms is a haven for animal lovers with its dozens of dogs and cats in the Pet Center and domestic farm animals in the Barn. Participate in hands-on activities, see show and field events, pet dogs and cats, and milk a cow. Herding contests, whippet races, and over 60 dog events are held annually at its Canine Competition Center. www.purinafarms.com





Q – a Quick Escape – Need to get away from the hustle and bustle for a while? A refreshing walk around Laumeier Sculpture Park will help kids and parents re-group and find their inner “happy place.” www.laumeier.com





R - Raging Rivers offers tons of water fun. Beat the heat in the giant Wave Pool, the Cascade Body Flume, or the lazy Endless River. www.ragingrivers.com





S – The Saint Louis Art Museum is highly regarded for its permanent collection (a painting from Montet’s Water Lilies series is a favorite) and special exhibitions from around the world. On Sundays, free hands-on activities and performances are offered. www.slam.org





T – The Transportation Museum houses a permanent collection featuring locomotives, boats, planes, automobiles, and steam tractors. The exterior of the Earl C. Lindburg Automotive Center resembles a modern auto dealership, while the inside boasts a new exhibit on car culture. www.museumoftransport.org





U - Union Station – St. Louis’s grand old train station, a National Historic Landmark, has been restored and refurbished to host a variety of shops, restaurants, and places to play. www.stlouisunionstation.com





V - Veggies and fruits abound at the Soulard Farmer’s Market where local growers and merchants sell their wares in a vibrant market setting. www.soulardmarket.com





W - Worldways Children’s Museum has multi-cultural hands-on exhibits with an emphasis on Senegal, Mexico, the Philipines, and China. www.worldways.org





X - The Exploradome, an air-supported exhibition gallery, is just one of the attractions at the St. Louis Science Center. The Science Center has over 700 hands-on exhibits, plus a planetarium and an Omnimax theatre. Visit a life-sized, animated Tyrannosaurus rex, or check out the enclosed bridge where you can measure the speed of cars passing on the interstate beneath you. www.slsc.org





Y – Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ is a combination campground-resort with cabins, cottages, and rental tents available. Planned activities include character appearances by Yogi Bear ™, scavenger hunts, Yogi Bear’s™ Cave, train rides, camp fire stories, and more.





Z – The Zoo was named the number one zoo in the nation by Zagat Survey in 2005. The Saint Louis Zoo’s newest exhibit, Fragile Forest, is a lush habitat of streams and trees built especially for the zoo’s chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas. Also popular are River’s Edge, where elephants play, Penguin and Puffin Coast, and the new Cypress Swamp. www.stlzoo.org

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