St. Louis Travel Guide for Families (Awesome Things to Do in St. Louis with Kids!)

Wondering what to do in St. Louis, MO with kids?

You’re in the right place! We recently road tripped from Wisconsin to St. Louis to enjoy a getaway in this family-friendly city. it was tough to decide what to include in our 48-hour itinerary in St. Louis since there are so many things for kids to do.

We stayed for 2 nights with our 4 kids, and fit in as many activities as we could, but there were a few cool ones we missed that I would love to go back and experience!

I’ve included everything we did on our trip in this blog post, plus a few of the activities I wanted to do but we didn’t end up having time for. This way you can pick and choose what you want to include on your St. Louis family vacation.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Planning Your St. Louis Family Vacation

Follow my vacation planning guide, and be sure to check out my Family Travel Planner!

We only stayed 2 nights in St. Louis, and I felt like we could have used one more day. If you have a long weekend, I would highly recommend planning 4 days, 3 nights in St. Louis with kids!

Staying near city center was great because it meant we were within walking distance of quite a few activities and restaurants. You will likely need a car if you plan to drive out to some of the museums, or you could plan to use an Uber or taxi to make your way around, in which case you won’t have to worry about parking. Just make sure you bring car seats for any kids that still need them!

>> Insider’s Tip: I have used and loved the Mifold compact car seats. It makes it easy to bring car seats on flights, especially for older kids.

St. Louis Attractions for Kids

Gateway Arch & Museum

Gateway Arch National Park was absolutely the highlight of the trip for our entire family. Not only did we get to check another national park off our list (see the rest here), we also loved exploring the museum and seeing the view from the top. (Our visit was hosted by @gatewayarchstl & @gatewayarchnps ).

Gateway Arch, formerly the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, became a National Park in 2018. It’s located along the Mississippi River in St. Louis, MO.

You’ll need a half day to a full day to visit this park. Start in the Gateway Arch Museum. You will have to go through security, similar to airport security but not as intense. The museum is located under the arch, and it will take you through the history of St. Louis and westward expansion from 1764-1965.

Kids can pick up a Junior Ranger booklet and fill out one section from each page in order to get a badge. There were some really fun activities to do together!

Be sure to reserve your tram tickets to the top ahead of time! You should be looking several days or even weeks ahead of time if you can. You can buy tickets online. Prices vary from weekdays to weekends.

The tram ride to the top of the arch is quick- about 4-5 minutes. The pod is small with only 5 seats. We were still able to fit in one since Beatrice could sit on our lap. Once you’re at the top of the arch, you’ll notice that the windows are tiny, but the view is amazing!

best place for photos St. Louis arch.jpg

>> Insider’s Tip: 📸 Head past the old courthouse to take some photos with no one else around! That’s where this photo was taken. The Gateway Arch looks so cool framing the courthouse!

St. Louis Zoo

You can’t miss the FREE St. Louis Zoo if you’re visiting with kids! The zoo is home to more than 12,000 animals and tons of activities like shows, a train ride, and programs like feeding stingrays!

There is plenty of free street parking near the zoo, but you may have to walk a few blocks to get to the entrance. If you don’t want to walk, there are 2 parking lots, the North and South Lots, which are each $15/car.

We could have spent the entire day at the zoo, but we just made a brief stop before our hotel reservation was ready. We saw elephants, rhinos, lions, and more!

If we had planned for a longer day, we definitely would have opted for a train ride, as the kids were begging to do it! Tickets are $7.95 and include all day on-off privileges. Children under age 2 are free. This would have been a lifesaver since it was incredibly hot during our visit and the kids were already sick of walking after we parked so far away.

Definitely add the St. Louis Zoo to your itinerary!

City Museum

One regret we had from our trip was not staying an extra night because we had heard from so many people that the City Museum was so cool, but you need at least half a day to do it!

While we missed out this time, enough people told us we needed to go that I’m definitely adding this to the list.

The City Museum is an old warehouse repurposed with pieces from old cities to form a giant playground for kids to explore complete with tunnels, bridges, slides, and more.

There are 4 floors and a rooftop, and from what I hear it’s impossible to stick together or keep track of your kids while you’re there.

Which is actually another reason, in addition to lack of time, that we decided to postpone a visit to the City Museum until our next visit to St. Louis. We have 4 young children, and with only 2 adults, we knew there would be no way to keep tabs on everyone. Especially since one of the kids is a toddler.

If you do plan on visiting, you might want to consider kneepads for the kids! Apparently there are a lot of different textures they’ll be crawling over.

Looks like a blast, and I would definitely consider adding this to you St. Louis with kids itinerary.

The Magic House

The Magic House is St. Louis’s Children’s Museum with tons of interactive exhibits for little ones to enjoy. Tickets for adults and children 1 and over are $12.00, while children under 1 are free.

The waterfall patio is perfect for summertime! I have little ones obsessed with water play, so this area where you can splash, pour, and experiment with water is the perfect hands-on activity for curious kids.

Inside you’ll find a STEAM center, a Children’s Village, an art studio, music area, playground, baby area, a bubble room, and so so much more.

This looks like the perfect rainy day activity.

Grant’s Farm

Grant’s Farm is the former estate of the family of President Ulysses S. Grant, which was eventually purchased by the Busch family (of Anheuser-Busch). They used this home as an escape from their home in the city.

Grant’s Farm is free, but parking is $15. On site you’ll be able to see a small zoo, a deer park, a beer garden, and the Busch mansion. There’s so much to see you could spend an entire day exploring the property.

There is a free tram to take you around Grant’s Farm, so bring a small stroller that’s easy to collapse. You may not bring outside food, so grab a bite to eat at the German beer garden! It’s so fun and festive!

I wish we had planned our time at Grant’s Farm a little better. We wandered over by the Clydesdales, which we did really want to see, but there really isn’t much to do there for more than a minute or two unless you’ve paid for an experience with the Clydesdales.

We should have gone straight to the rest of the attractions and skipped over the mini zoo (since we had already been to the St. Louis Zoo), and gone straight for the Beer Garden and mansion.

All in all, I thought it was a really fun and unique place!

Budweiser Tour

If you’re interested in beer or breweries, you must make a stop at Budweiser for their general tour. Sources online say that general tour is free (though I couldn’t find that anywhere on their website), and kids are welcome on this tour! Instead of a free beer at the end of the tour they’ll get a soda!

Ballpark Village

One of our most surprising stops was Ballpark Village. My dad texted me while we were there that we should check out this spot, and when we decided at the last minute to skip City Museum, we opted to go here instead!

Ballpark Village is a dining and entertainment district right outside of Busch Stadium. There are bars and restaurants, open seating, yard games, and a larger-than-life television broadcasting sports.

It was a nice spot for the kids to get some of their energy out by playing some kid-size beer pong (only there’s no liquid in the cups), corn hole, and giant Connect 4!

I wouldn’t plan to spend a long time here, but it’s a nice spot downtown to eat, drink, and hangout.

Laumeier Sculpture Park

Laumeier Sculpture Park is a free outdoor area where you can stroll and enjoy the sculptures or hike the nearby trails. With 66 sculptures and an entire area dedicated to kids (the Emerson Children’s Sculpture Garden), you will have plenty to see and do with your kids.

Pick up a map at the kiosk near the main entrance, and be sure to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of the picnic tables located around the park.

This is a wonderful outdoor option for families looking for a break from the many museums and indoor attractions St. Louis has to offer!

St. Louis Union Station

Another one of my regrets was not getting to St. Louis Union Station. This former train station has been transformed into an elegant and nostalgic center with a hotel, restaurant, Ferris wheel, aquarium, and light show.

Every time we drove past, the kids begged to ride the Ferris wheel, so I know they would have at least one thing to keep them entertained. I had also read about The Soda Fountain, an old fashioned soda shop with a combination of classic American fare and sweet treats.

TopGolf Swing Suite

If you need a break from the heat and something fun to do, head to the Four Seasons St. Louis and reserve a spot in the TopGolf Swing Suite!

This room has two simulator bays where you can play a variety of virtual games such as golf, zombie dodgeball, baseball, hockey, carnival games, and soccer. Believe me, we tried every single one with the kids and made some amazing and hilarious memories in the process. (Have you ever watched a 4-year-old try to hit a golf ball?)

The room is decked out with comfortable couches and chairs where you can relax while you watch whoever is up or enjoy some food from the Cinder House restaurant, which you can order from inside the TopGolf Swing Suite.

The Suite ranges from $50-$75/hour, depending on the day and time of day. It’s honestly so worth it and we had such a fun time as a family trying our hand at the different skills. I believe they also validate parking!

Riverfront Trail

If you need to stretch your legs after taking the tiny tram up to the top of the Gateway Arch, take the Riverfront Trail which stretches from Gateway Arch National Park all the way to Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

It’s a wonderful way to see the city from a different perspective while getting some exercise!

Laclede’s Landing

On our walk from the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis to the Gateway Arch, we walked through Laclede’s Landing, the riverfront district packed with historical buildings and trendy restaurants.

You can also access this from the Riverfront Trail if you want to stop for a bite to eat during your walk to refuel and get some rest.

It’s seriously the cutest little neighborhood, so be sure to spend some time wandering around this area. If you’re staying at the Four Seasons like we did, it’s the perfect stop for go out for dinner, as it’s only steps from the hotel and you won’t have to worry about parking.

Missouri Botanical Garden

The Missouri Botanical Garden is a great spot to add to your St. Louis visit for some tranquility and fun. With several different gardens, including a Children’s Garden, Japanese Garden, and a dome conservatory, you could easily spend hours here learning about the different plants, taking photos, and playing in the Children’s Garden.

St. Louis Science Center

Another free thing to do with kids in St. Louis is the St. Louis Science Center! This 3-story hands-on science museum is located within Forest Park along with the Zoo and the World’s Fair Pavilion.

There are exhibits to learn bout energy and conduct experiments to see how energy is made, a Game Exploration room (where my husband wanted to spend all of his time and the kids wanted to stay and play old fashioned video games), and a Mummies of the World Exhibition, along with a planetarium and live science demonstrations on the Energy Stage.

It was honestly so hard to pull my kids out of the Science Center when it was time to go!

Just be aware that even though it’s free, you do currently have to make reservations ahead of time on the website.

Riverboat Cruise

Did you know you can also take a riverboat cruise from the Gateway Arch? The St. Louis Riverfront Cruise is an hour-long tour on the Mighty Mississippi where you can learn about the Gateway Arch and the river from a park ranger.

Fun and educational, this would make an unforgettable addition to your St. Louis with kids itinerary. The best part is you can buy a “See Everything Combo” ticket which includes the Gateway Arch museum, movie, tram ride to the top, and riverfront cruise.

You can also buy a riverfront cruise ticket separately if you’re not interested in going inside the Gateway Arch.

Best Activities in St. Louis for Toddlers

Of the activities listed above, I would say the best activities for our toddler were:

St. Louis Zoo
Ballpark Village
Grant’s Farm
Laumeier Sculpture Park
Magic House Children’s Museum

You can certainly. bring a toddler along to the rest of the activities (and we did!) but be prepared by bringing a stroller or baby carrier and snacks so you can keep your little one occupied while older kids explore.

Where to Stay in St. Louis

If you’re looking for kid-friendly places to stay in St. Louis, look no further than the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis. It’s one of the best places to stay in St. Louis, MO thanks to it’s location within walking distance to the Gateway Arch and stunning views of the city.

I’ve written an entire review of this safe, and family-friendly St. Louis Hotel, so be sure to check that out if you’re looking for luxury, comfort, and lots of fun!

>> Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis: A Fun & Family-Friendly Hotel

St. Louis was full of fun things to do as a family, and we can’t wait to go back!

I don’t often have a desire to visit cities for a second time after I’ve already been once, mostly because there is so much left on my bucket list!

However, sometimes there are places where you just didn’t plan enough time and there were SO many things to do that you didn’t get to it all. (Another destination like that for me was Santa Barbara, CA).

Thankfully, St. Louis isn’t too far of a drive for us, so I could definitely see stopping there again on a road trip.

I hope this post helped you narrow down what you want to do as a family in St. Louis! Have a memorable trip!