One of the BEST parts of St. Louis is all the FREE attractions . We decided to visit the science center 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 read more

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This was a pretty good museum, my favorite part is that it's free entry! My toddler is very much in his 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. read more

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I attended the Science Center for The annual Great Taste event and it's easily one of the most fun and flavorful events of the year. The energy in the room was lively, social, and full of people genuinely excited to try bites from some of the best local spots. There was an impressive variety of vendors, cuisines, and creative dishes that made every stop feel like a new experience. It's the perfect event to attend with friends while discovering restaurants you may not have tried yet. Everything I tasted was delicious and beautifully presented. The atmosphere never lost its excitement and charm. You could feel how much pride each vendor had in showcasing their best bites. It's a fantastic way to celebrate the local food scene all in one place. The only reason for four stars is timing and quantity -- the two-hour general admission window (with it being a sold out event) didn't feel like enough time to make it to every area. A few vendors had already run out of food by the time we reached them (lines to get samples were also long), which was a little disappointing. It would be great to see either a slightly longer event window or for vendors to come with more servings. Overall, it's still an event I would absolutely recommend and definitely attend again! read more

Saint Louis Science Center - Planetarium Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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The biggest draw is that it's free. It's massive and complex, filled with multiple exhibits which is honestly rare. It's pretty fun and engaging but compared to other science centres, I find it a bit behind. The planetarium (although I didn't get to see) seems cool and I'd say only worth it depending on what's showing. Overall, solid attraction worth seeing at least once (and it costs nothing). read more

Saint Louis Science Center - Planetarium Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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What a nice museum! For the price (free!) it was great. We did pay for the IMAX and we thought it was very reasonably priced. read more

Saint Louis Science Center - Triceratops skull - Planetarium Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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Free science museum with enough interesting exhibits to spend 2-3 hours keeping your kiddos entertained. We went on a rainy day, so it was a perfect way to spend time indoors while waiting for the thunderstorms to pass us by before we went to the zoo. Lots of hands-on exhibits for the kids and just enough interesting things to see and read to keep the adults entertained. I can't complain at all, the museum is free to enjoy so I'm grateful just to have the space! If the museum doesn't fill up your whole day, the zoo (which is also free) is just a couple minutes down the road. read more

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Had so much fun at the St. Louis science center! There's so much for kids to do. Lots of learning experiences it is free to get in so that was great. It's only $15 for parking or if you find parking on the street it's free there is some similar stuff that you can do while they're it does cost, but it's definitely worth it. I believe we were there for about two hours and my kids! Definitely recommend we are definitely going back. read more

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Visited here the summer of 2025. I thought I had done a review but apparently not. This place was great. It's free! My 3 year old loved all the activities and the interaction. Some great retro exhibits. If you get there early you can park on the other side of the highway and walk through the tunnel. Definitely recommend if you are in town. All the staff that we talked to were friendly and attentive. Thank you. read more

Always a fun place to hangout. I've been plenty of times because it's free - a great bad weather day activity in the Lou. It's very kid-focused but still a good time for adults with some interesting science related facts and activities. It's pretty big and will take a good amount of time to get through all the exhibits. read more

Always free admission! There is a charge for parking. This is a great interactive science center for kids of all ages. Biology, physics and inside the vault are all topics covered. They have an area all about planets,animals with animatronic T-Rex dinosaur. Walk over a bridge and use a speed radar on the cars driving by. Overall, free, and a great experience for families. read more

Came for the sky this night event in the planetarium. It was super easy to buy tickets for it online. The information was all super interesting and relevant. We brought blankets to put over the mats they have to lay on to make it extra comfy. read more

Saint Louis Science Center - Planetarium Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Attended the science Center for an After-hours event: Uncorked! As always the science center is an amazing place to go. There's always something new every-time you go. We had access to the entire space and could explore all the exhibits. I enjoyed playing on the life sized Nintendo, and exploring some of the new exhibits that I hadn't seen before. Staff was always around to clean and assist when needed. I purchased some snacks from the concession stand. The young lady working was so polite and every customer she encountered she had a smile on her face. I'm sure she was beyond busy as this was an after hours event and there were tons of tipsy adults roaming around and getting snacks. I'll definitely be back to the science center and bring the little ones along with me. read more

Waiting on the laser show at the planetarium I decided to browse around the area and this took me back to my childhood memories. Exhibitions are breathtaking, architectural design is amazing and specific to detail. I would love to come back and visit in its entirety. Many directions to venture into and very informative. Souvenir shop is available but it's pretty pricey fyi...Great landmark to the STL community. Located in our beautiful Forest Park! If you know you know!!!! read more

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Apparently I came here as a kid in the early 90s but I don't remember it. Came back here with my kiddos while visiting St. Louis. We came on a Monday and it wasn't crazy busy but yet, still decent amount of people. Loved that the museum was FREE. We paid $15 for parking. Didn't see any free street parking like at the zoo. One of our children are absolutely TERRIFIED of dinosaurs/taxidermy so unfortunately, having the dinosaur exhibit immediately upon entering was a bit tricky so we didn't get to experience the museum to its fullest. We did enjoy the Grow exhibit outside and the bridge where we could radar the speed of cars. Hoping our kid grows out of this scared phase so we could enjoy museums in the future. Still worth a 5-star for affordability and the interactive exhibits we did get to see. read more

The best place to spend quality time with your family is a place where you won't get bored because different sections of the experience change. There are many interactive things you can do in this museum. There's a greater chance of finding a free parking spot at the planetarium entrance inside the forest park. read more

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What a fun place! The Saint Louis Science Center is one of the museums/centers that is located in Forest Park, and you can visit for free. However, parking is not free and is almost $20. There are all types STEM activities to do here, but my kids spent a lot of time building with blocks in the Structures space, as well as creating things in the Makerspace. They also loved the GameXPloration exhibit, where you can play a variety of video games (many of them collaborative). There's also a dinosaur exhibit, as well as a chicken exhibit where you can see real chickens! I saw lots of things for people of all ages to do, from babies to adults. This is a great place to explore STEM ideas in a hands-on space. read more

We saw the Blue Angels Documentary at the Omnimax theater, very cool experience! And great documentary read more

Saint Louis Science Center - Planetarium Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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We had a great experience working our way through the science center during a recent long weekend trip to St. Louis from Indianapolis. We worked our way through all of the exhibits, including the dinosaur exhibit, a science demonstration, and gaming area to name a few. The star of the show was definitely the live science demonstration showcasing fire. The kids loved it and I was equally amused. The museum itself is free but parking is around $10. You could easily work your way through the space at about 2 to 3 hours. They also have an IMAX center on site if you want to catch a show. Overall, a positive experience and you really can't complain when it's free. read more

Fun place for kids and even adults. Lot of fascinating science stuffs to explore, don't forget to explore also the speed track camera planetarium. read more

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I remember visiting this place as a kid and I haven't even visited in over 15 years! Right when we walked through the door, all the childhood memories came back to me. Right at the entrance there was an amazing Ruby Goldberg-like contraption. I could've stared at it for hours. My 1 year old daughter was in complete awe and could've stayed there too! She's recently been into dinosaurs so I was hoping she would enjoy the large animatron T-Rex and she loved it! There were many things that were still too old for her, but she loved it! I can't wait to go back when she will have a full appreciation of everything there! read more

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This place was so fun to visit! Great spot with the family & good for all ages. There are tons of exhibits and our favorite was the video game area! read more

Free family space! Private parking lot only $15 but if you chose to support the science center with a membership this becomes complimentary. IMAX shows also available for an additional fee. Our two favorite areas were the gaming exhibit plus the dinosaur and paleontology features. The energy area was cool for me too, especially as the daughter of an electrician that has never seen the inside of a transformer. Small stage shows are offered and only 15 minutes or so. The size of the center lets you get there quickly regardless of the exhibit you're viewing at the announcement. So glad we included this on our St Louis trip! Check website to confirm hours and days open. read more

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I once visited the McDonald planetarium almost every weekend as a child and young adult and today, this is basically a child's playground. Bad organization of exhibits and the planetarium is not even open. How disappointing. read more

I get to see my 2,3 and 10 year old niece and nephews maybe 3 times a year. We decided to come to the Science Center like I did as a kid. I couldn't ever get enough of this place. Needless to say they all lit up as we walked passed the virtual space rides. With 30 minutes left until close I attempted to share in this experience before heading back to Tampa. Unfortunately being met with an unpleasant denial was the result. I asked how long the ride was and told 10 minutes. Would have been a great memory for all of us but zero exceptions could be made, regardless of the boarding pass to show I wasn't lying. To say the kids and myself were disappointed would be a total understatement. read more

Saint Louis Science Center - Planetarium Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

We love the Science Center. Such a cool spot for kids and adults alike. I often see it get crap for the $15 parking but the place is FREE. Any other city you would paying $15 a person (plus) to get into a place like this!! And if you're local, you should support the local free amenities (or get yourself a membership and parking is free!). Regardless, there's endless fun to be had here. Everything is fantastically created so the kids think it's just play but they're also learning! Even as an adult, I learn new things here. The place is HUGE and spans out across many different exhibits. I promise that whatever interests your kiddos, there's at least one thing here for them. We're so lucky in St. Louis to have so many different free activities. This one is at the top of the list. read more

We were excited for the science museum but we wish we would've researched better that it was designed for young children, not adults. It's more interactive play than learning. There had a neat garden center and dinosaur fossils! As two adults, we did it in 45 minutes. Cool spot to visit for families but definitely more play than learning. read more

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Great free family activity in STL. Lots of interactivity. They were hosting a day of exploration and play today, so local companies hosted booths including rocket launching, mini golf, coloring, etc. read more

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2.5 Came here on a Saturday as we had 3.5 hours to kill before our flight. Went to park in the lot, saw it was $15 and promptly went to the street to find parking. It was not very cool inside (I get it, it is a large building, plus people) but at least it was not in the boiling sun and heat. I appreciate that this place is free. It didn't take us long to get through it. It is pretty worn down in parts and kids don't know how to share so we skipped over stuff. Walked over to the planetarium and that was fun to walk over the bridge (just like I remember when I lived here). Most of the radar machines on the bridge did not work but the portholes to see the freeway and the binoculars being free were nice touches. Unfortunately we did not spend enough time here and still had time before our flights so we headed out to another museum. read more

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What a delightful place. Heads up it is FREE to get in however there is a lot of items that cost such as rides, omnimax and VR experiences. The food is expensive we ordered a 7inc pizza and a medi salad that was over $30. The food was made to order and very delicious. There is so much for kids to do and explore typically but this day there was a lot of construction. I would suggest coming in the morning starting on the third floor (where theater is) and working your way down. There are always events going on as well! Today they had a ton of engineers with booths set up to show the kids what they do. read more

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This place is so eat. We went for the planetarium and will return to see all the other attractions. Be prepared to walk and have lots of fun! read more

I love the Science Center. I hadn't visited in many years. I took my granddaughter recently. I was very disappointed in the access to the science center. Street parking fills up fast. There is a parking lot behind the building where you can park for $15. After I paid my $15 to park, I discovered there was no access to the Science Center from the parking lot. It is a long walk to the entrance. There is no handicapped parking anywhere. I'm proud of the park. There is so much to do for free! I don't understand how a place that is as family friendly and interesting as the Science Center would make access difficult for a big chunk of the population. read more

This is a great place to come learn about different sub-sections of science. It's especially great for kids. I really like that they have a Blue Angels F-18 on loan (at least as of June 2025). And the Pompeii exhibit that they have this (2025) summer is great. read more

I used to go to the Science Center all the time as a kid so I was so excited to go back as an adult! While alot has changed, the Science Center is still as great as I remember. Most importantly, the iconic t-rex is still standing. There really are so many different exhibits to explore - dinosaurs, space, physics and so much more. There is something for everyone and it's free! It was also a great place to get some walking in on a cold January day. I love this place. read more

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Very fun and informative experience for all ages. Free to go but they have snacks and other things for purchase. I didn't get a chance to stay very long since we went on the day we were leaving St. Louis but was still able to take a lot of pictures. Hopefully I will be able to return one year and experience more of what the science center has to offer. read more

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This place is always overcrowded and the staff at the food stands are always crabby. There's not enough of free interactions.

Free Parking is $15 button if you have a reciprocal science center membership you can get a free pass. The science center was great. They have small areas with different themes. Gaming, dinosaurs, energy etc. the lab area was really cool with animals in aquariums. You can pay extra for planetarium shows and discovery rooms. Plenty to do if you don't buy them. read more

Saint Louis Science Center - Dino area - Planetarium Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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Great day of fun! You can literally spend all day here. We went for the dinosaurs tbh and they were just as impressive as we imagined. There is also a whole outdoor area with live animals, gardens and hands on exhibits. They have done a great job to peak all interests no matter the age. read more

Saint Louis Science Center - Planetarium Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

So worth it!! We parked on the street- and enjoyed the first three floors, which felt a little lacking but nice for free, the kids loved the human-sized hamspter wheel that powered all the moving and suspended balls above the entrace, and building their own St. Louis Arch- then we discovered an entire second half across the street, accessible through an overhead walkway that passes over the highway- The entire exhibit from the IMAX on was phenomenal. All of the hands-on activities, collections and space exhibits were exceptional. We went with a 16 & 17-year-old and a 6 & 9-year-old and all four of them were in awe the whole time. read more

okay. I really really also liked this place. the entire "science-y life biology" furnishing and atmosphere was really cool and felt right. the place isn't too hard to navigate and had signs for everything and had a good vibe to the place. all the attractions and activities that were set out were nice and fun, and the dinosaur movie was good, but I felt that there wasnt context at all. the upstairs space-thingy was real nice, and i liked that too. there's also marble mazes and chain reaction machines decked out on the entrance which I found cool. I was sad to found out the food wasn't science themed, but to be fair that would be hard to do. i would say the pricing and the experiences and everything was worth it and I would go here again. read more

I recently got the lowest membership and it is the best value! $75 gets you: 2 tickets for planetarium shows and 2 tickets for Omnimax ever visit. And don't forget about free parking ($15 value!). You also get Discovery Room entrance as well. If you go places with your little one a lot (like I do with my daughter), this is the perfect purchase, especially for a rainy day. My recommendation: reserve tickets online for experiences before they're sold out! read more

Saint Louis Science Center - Science Center - Planetarium Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri