Before I moved here, the zoo was always on my must-do list when visiting. Now that I live here, we…read moremake an effort to come every few months. It is an accredited zoo and the enclosures are very well maintained. Animals are normally visible, some shy, but that's to be expected. For a free zoo, the size is amazing. There's also tons to do- a train that goes around the zoo, a carousel, and even stingray feeding (my favorite). Food is OK- nothing crazy. Water stations are available and you are allowed to bring in your own food and drinks. Plenty of available restrooms and rest/seating areas all around the zoo. I adore this place. My family member has a membership so we get to ride the train for free. If you're in the city and you skip the zoo, you're seriously missing out!

There's no doubt that the St. Louis zoo is one of the best zoos in the US! At the zoo. You can find…read morea huge array of monthly themed activities and events not only geared towards families but also for adults to enjoy without kids present. I went with to the Animals Aglow lantern festival with some friends and we loved glancing at all of the beautifully decorated lanterns around the garden. I love that they included all different types of lanterns--mechanical lanterns, musical lanterns, ornate, and simple lanterns. I can tell that they really thought about the entire design when they added each of these installations to the zoo. They were also easily accessible to kids who have physical disabilities, which is a huge plus. One of the things I wish we had available when going to the zoo is a digital map that tells us where we're going, because even though I've been several times I always get lost lol. BUT I am today years old when I found out they ALREADY have a digital, interactive map that directs you to all of the exhibits in real time. (Found that out on their website!!) I wish I would've known this sooner but it's awesome that they created this concept! But what can I say, I love the Zoo and am looking forward to their other exhibits and amenities opening this year!!

I really enjoyed this family visit to the aquarium. It's cute and interactive and great for kids…read more The aquarium itself is levels and the first thing you do is walk onto their "train" which takes you on a journey through history/StL time and is one of those interactive sit and watch the screens while it simulates movement-type of rides and my two-year old was thrilled and fascinated. A little cheesy, but cute. Lots of big and well-lit, clean aquariums for my little girl to get up close and personal and look and learn. I loved the Doctor fish area where you can basically get a fish manicure - I've never done anything like that before and it was sooooo cool! The second floor is more interactive with the touching stations for jellyfish, feed and pet the stingrays and more. I loved the small toddler play area for my daughter and the interactive water station. They also have different pets and shows at different times all day long where you can learn about all sorts of things - while we were there it was a leopard gecko which was so cute! It's not very big - but, they make good use of the space they have and it's located in the beautiful Union Station area with dining and other things to do nearby with plenty of paid parking. There is the St Louis Farris Wheel, a soda fountain, and carousel as well as a train. You can buy a pass for the adventure ropes course up above and the selfie museum as a package to save some money. We didn't this time, but I do want to come back to the selfie museum in the future - it's only $10 per person and looks cute and fun.

While this is a small aquarium, it's cute and fun to explore! The way you start your visit is…read morecreative and fun, but won't spoil it! I also have a soft spot for otters so we made sure to see the feeding time and learn more about what Union Station is doing for the animals. It's worth it to see if you are in the area!

Doing tourist things after hearing that this was a must visit for people with small kids. This…read morewas on the list of to-do's as we had a short weekend visit to the STL area. .....Great place to see all of the things. Not a bad time at all. We got to see play and do so MANY things all active and the girls loved the play areas ...all of them. The bathrooms were clean and strategically placed...I was pleasantly surprised. The parking is close!...& I liked the exercise...our girls napped so hard after the visit. I am in firm belief that the overall planning and logistics of this place are professionally done & handled well! This venue is a must visit if in the area and you like hands on action. The girls had a blast and that is what matters most!! 10/10 times I will return.. for the price I paid... I could see myself doing this again with a longer stay in the area! Sidenote the people in guest service station were super awesome... All workers that interacted with our family had smiles on their faces and were so helpful. I feel for the price I paid...it was well worth it! We will return! *Questions reach out* Respectfully, Bryan and Family Oklahoma City

So much fun! The first visit was nearly 10 years ago. That time was fun too…read more On my most recent visit, it was just as much fun. I think I had forgot just how many different holes and paths you could take. They've also added more stuff than I remember. They had a section roped off because they're adding yet another section. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy the place as much this time around but I did. This is a must-visit when in StL but be warned, you will be tired after playing on this adult playground. The only annoyance this time is that I seem to remember that you could pay one price and get everything. This time, there was the general ticket that gives you access to 3 floors but no roof access. No pinball access. You have to pay extra for those two things. I guess extra charges make sense but just wrap the price all in one. I feel like the floors and roof should be in one ticket. There were a few times that employees came out on the roof to run people off that didn't have the appropriate color of bracelet. If you love having fun, definitely do this when visiting StL.

This park is a beast ! Enormous. Run , walk , hike , find dinosaurs and even a plane smack dab in…read morethe middle . You've got a science center and museum , zoo, lake , it's all here and it's beautiful .

I visited Forest Park in June 2023 for an afternoon break during a long conference. If you're…read morevisiting Washington University on a nice day, the large park is just a short walk away. Known for being the host site of the 1904 World's Fair, this free park is a massive green space that is open to the public and includes walking trails, fountains, the Missouri History Museum, the St. Louis Zoo, and the St. Louis Art Museum. You'll see visitors from out of town and locals as well. If you have a half-day to explore the city, it's well worth including this park on your sightseeing itinerary!

As a National Park lover, I was super excited to check another park off my list. The grounds and…read moremuseum themselves are free to visit, as is the courthouse, but you'll need a separate ticket if you want to ride the tram to the top of the Arch or do any other of the extra activities there (there's also a documentary and virtual reality experience). I arrived on a busy summer Saturday morning, and it was actually surprisingly quiet when I got there. By the time I left around noon, though, the place was packed. So if you want a more relaxed experience I'd def recommend arriving on the earlier side of the day. Don't skip the ride to the top of the Arch. It's an iconic St. Louis experience you have to do at least once. The tram ride feels like stepping into a piece of 1960s engineering history. If you're claustrophobic, though, be aware that the tram cabins are pretty small. I was lucky enough to have an entire tram car to myself on the way up and down though which I wasn't mad about. You only get about 8 minutes at the observation deck, but honestly, that was more than enough time for me to take in the views and snap some photos before heading back down. Workers at the top keep you informed on how much time you have left at the top before the next crew of tourists come in. I made a full morning out of it. After the tram ride, I spent an hour or two exploring the museum beneath the Arch, took the riverboat cruise (a separate ticket), and then crossed the street to visit the Old Courthouse and learn more about its connection to the Dred Scott Supreme Court case. Between all of those activities, you can easily spend several hours here (and totally should!)

This wasn't our first visit to the Gateway Arch National Park but it was been renovated, updated…read moreand improved since our last visit 10-15 years ago. Having previously been up in the arch itself, we didn't do that again this trip but we did spend several hours in the underground museum/ visitor's center. The displays are great and there's something for everyone - young and old. We also enjoyed lunch in their cafe.

This place goes on forever !!!…read more Blew every single botanical garden I've been to so far in the U.S. Highly recommend this experience. The Dome is really special . Many plants I had never seen before , it was wild . We didn't even see everything it was so big. Museum , cafes , absolutely beautiful . My favorite were the Japanese gardens - so peaceful . Pro tip ; if you come in later , tickets are half price . You'll have to walk faster lol to get through it all . They also offer military discounts & other specials as well.

The garden is a destination for tourists and can also be a regular spot to enjoy nature and learn…read morefor residents. While the single day passes have increased in the 12+ years I've been visiting, it's proven that my longstanding festival membership pays for itself every year. Supporting the botanical garden with the membership not only allows me unlimited access to the garden grounds during operating hours, but also more options for events. Think the garden is only good when flowers are in bloom? No way! Come down for classes, exhibits, walks, and there's so many more to see than the roses and the tulips. Henry Shaw's house is open to the public with garden admission and the docents always have taught me something new when I go. The house is decorated beautifully for the winter holidays as well. Hope to see you at the garden!

I have been on this wheel a few times since it has opened and think it's a cool way to see the…read morecity. Do I think it should cost $17 for the ride? No. But, I guess the city needs to make money somehow. I just think it's a little too pricey and I have heard people say they won't pay to do it. I think the wheel gets you around like 1-2 total times without stopping, but the rest of the time, they are just loading and unloading so it's a lot of stopping and starting which isn't so fun. But yes, the view from the top is great (especially on a nice clear day or night).

It's a little expensive for my liking, it was $65 for a family of 4. That's the only reason I…read moremarked down from a 5 to 4 stars. The experience was really neat. We went on a really hot day and I was surprised that it had AC and it was very comfortable. Each pod was clean and well kept. Staff were nice and efficient. It's worth it if you can afford it. It probably makes more sense from a cost perspective if you bundle the tickets with other activities.

If you are visiting st louis with kids on a good sunny day, come visit!…read more This urban city park has several turtle, hatchling, and snake sculptures. You can climb and play on all of them. In the summer, the sculptures can get hot so be careful. The highway is just below the park so it is extremely noisy. This is also close to the street so it is not the safest place, so visitors must take extreme caution. Dogs are allowed on leash and picnic blankets are allowed. Next door is a small semi enclosed playground with slides and swings. It is not as accessible for those in wheelchairs. There is a restroom and plenty of portable toilets. It's also across the highway from the Zoo and free to park on the street if you do both attractions.

We came across this little statue play area when we were trying to find free parking for the zoo at…read moreForest Park. FYI: There's free parking at this park, and it's a short walk to the St. Louis Zoo. This isn't a playground, per se, but more like a sculpture garden that you can play on. It consists of huge concrete sculptures of turtles, turtle hatchlings, and a snake. There are grassy areas all around, and it's right by a freeway, so you can see cars driving by as you play. This is an urban park at its best.

Read the other reviews. I get it. Somethings maybe were skipped…read more. BUT. as an out of town visitor. With an hour and a half. I'm not expecting detail. I want someone to wet my appetite for what St Louis has to offer. I have to say the guide did just that. He told stories, he interacted well and told corny jokes. Just plain vacation fun. Afterwards I found myself looking up the places he talked about and recommended. Totally worth it. I would go again on my next visit.

Great tour to take to learn about St Louis sites quickly I…read morerecently took the St. Louis Trolley Tour, and I highly recommend it. We parked across the street from the Four Seasons Hotel and the bus picked us up right in their covered driveway. The trolley itself is fantastic. It has the charming, classic look of an old-fashioned trolley but with modern upgrades that make a big difference. It had excellent air conditioning and a high-quality sound system so you could hear the driver. The ride was smooth and comfortable, even on some of the older city streets. Our driver was outstanding. He handled the tour beautifully, especially considering the fact that I am fairly certain that we had to take a completely different route because a sinkhole had opened up downtown that day. Despite the detour, he never missed a beat. His narration was engaging, informative, and full of details about the city's history and landmarks as we passed them by. He made the whole experience fun and enjoyable. The route took us through Forest Park, one of the highlights of the tour. We passed by the St. Louis Zoo and several other beautiful areas within the park. Our driver even stopped for about five minutes in front of the museum, where we were able to enjoy the excellent views across the park. It was a perfect little break in the tour. After leaving Forest Park, we wound our way back through the city, traveling through Midtown and seeing many of St. Louis's other notable sights to include a beautiful church. Overall, it was a very well-run, informative, and enjoyable tour. The combination of the comfortable trolley, excellent driver, and beautiful route made it one of the best city tours we've taken. I would definitely do it again and highly recommend it to anyone visiting St. Louis.

One of the BEST parts of St. Louis is all the FREE attractions . We decided to visit the science…read morecenter and we had sooooo much fun . Couldn't believe there was no charge for admission . Parking is free if you're a member, if not you'll be charged unless you walk over , shuttle or park somewhere else nearby free. (They often will waive parking with the purchase of a movie ticket at that their theatre ) This science center has an OMNI IMAX movie theater inside on level 3 , cafes , gift shop, shows and too many hands on experiences to list with so many neat artifacts . The kid in me would come back repeatedly . Lol

This was a pretty good museum, my favorite part is that it's free entry! My toddler is very much in…read morehis dinosaur era, so he absolutely LIT UP at the T-Rex. We were worried he would be scared, but he was so happy lol. The rest of the museum was pretty cool, but it focuses more on older kids so the small ones didn't have much to interact with. The outdoor area about agriculture was nice (there are chickens!) and a giant tractor to play on. Another interesting part was past the bridge called the Vault. It was just collections over time, and all over the world. If you have time to spend all day, it would be cool, but we're going to wait a little bit until my toddler is older. Parking is $15, but not bad compared elsewhere.