The oldest Catholic Church west of the Allegheny Mountains was an unbelievable discovery this summer when we were participating in the St. Louis 250th cake hunt! Church of the Holy Family is in Cahokia, Illinois, just a few blocks away from the old Cahokia Courthouse. What a find! I took plenty of pictures so you can see for yourself. We were there a half and hour before 5 o'clock mass so we were able to see inside!
The park land in front of the church had many plaques telling visitors about the history of the area!
All of the St. Louis Libraries have activities during the summer and school year. Most, if not all, are free!
Fun, expensive place for kids to create a cherished stuffed animal. The one at the St. Louis Science Center has an astronaut suit that can be purchased only at the Science Center.
Only in St. Louis! An eclectic collection of things that children and adults both love to explore. You just have to see it to believe it, and then visit again and again, only to discover it has been added to, changed, morphed; it's an artist's dream.
Bass Pro offers summer camp activities at their store in St. Charles throughout the month of June. Half hour workshops on nature, insects, plants, fishing, archery, shooting strategies, and more. Kids participate in discussion, watching a small video, answering questions, demonstrations, scavenger hunts and practice (archery and shooting strategies). Kids earn a pin for each workshop.
Located at the river front, you can't miss it, and above the Museum of Westward Expansion, you will have a great time riding up the tram to the top for a great view!
Yummy concretes, shakes, various flavors and sizes of custard! A St. Louis must STOP!!!!
It's the St. Louis Zoo, what can I say!
An ongoing gift provided by the Anheuser-Busch family, this farm is home to many different kinds of animals - deer, wild turkey, elk, moose, bison, elephants, chickens, goats, and of course the St. Louis Clydesdales. Food and drinks (including beer, of course, this is provided by Anheuser-Busch) is sold in the biergarten.
What can I say? It's the Magic House, one of the best kid's places in the U.S.
Fun to see Bigfoot, monster size 4x4. This is a short visit, but worth stopping by, even if you aren't into 4x4s. Great photo op. Kids and adults can sit in the wheel of the huge truck to grasp the size of the vehicle. There is a penny squisher for a cheap souvenir. Besides gas and 51 cents towards a flattened penny, this stop won't cost you a dime.
Miniature train to ride for 30 minutes through the woods in Ellisville, along Old State Road and 109. The ride is about 1/2 an hour. Our five-year-old son loved it. Our eight-year-old daughter liked it but was upset that it was so short.
This is a great museum in the making. Just on the other side of the river in Cahokia, 5 minutes from Downtown. This museum is a collection of personal items from many MacDonnell Douglas Retirees. Hopefully you will like to visit to support what will be a great museum.
A beautiful park displaying wonderful sculpture art. This picture is of a Cat Playhouse decorated with various mosaics. A great picture op! Combine visiting this park with Powder Valley Nature Center; they are within a few miles of each other.
FREE
Another great place for kids and adults. Butterflies can be viewed up close, flying about an open greenhouse. If anyone is "ify" about flying things, this may not be the place to do.( Obviously, you can't swat at the butterflies to get them away from you if you don't like them flying around you!) Besides the greenhouse, their is a classroom, movie, and insect terrariums to see.
A great science center, and FREE! Kids will love to explore. Just don't visit on a Thursday or Friday - it's summer camp day! Kids from everywhere come and it becomes very noisy!
FREE
Great park with a lot of picnic areas, fishing, farm animals, playgrounds, and shelters. Farm animals are available for viewing most days, walk-thru barns. Great background for photo-op, too. Variety of animals to see. Check website under ANIMAL THEMED PLACES.
Did you know dinosaurs roamed this area? The proof is at Mastadon park. See what was discovered when Highway 55 was developed.
This is a great Nature center and reserve to visit. Kids will enjoy the interpretive center and the trails (though they can be very steep - NO STROLLERS!). Walk the trails to see the frog pond, however.
Obviously, The Missouri Botanical Gardens has a wonderful selection of plants and flowers. It is known world-wide. Even children love to see these flowers! And, it has a great playground for kids
Payne Gentry home located in Bridgeton, Missouri
Located under the Arch, children and adults will be impressed with the informative museum. Full of dioramas, video and artifacts.
A great museum for children to learn about Lewis and Clark. It has a neat water table for visitors to see how rivers move and change. Located along the Missouri River, and in historic St. Charles. Combine this with a walk along Frontier Park, a visit to the old Capitol, and the Art Foundary.
Ste. Genevieve is just a great small town to visit. You could definitely spend the day visiting all of the historic homes and buildings.
A Korean War Memorial is near the Jewel Box. The unique piece of artwork at the site is a sundial.
Yummy Restaurant. Kids can see the creation of Fitz's root beer and bottling process while waiting for their meal. Kid's meal comes in a cute cardboard 1950s car. Make sure you order root beer! It is made daily!
Great place to go for fun during a hot day! Look for coupons! It is a great deal!
Fun indoor place for kids during inclement/hot weather days. So many air "toys" to climb on. Can spend 1-2 hours here easily! Nice sitting area for parents with plasma tv, and wifi, if I am not mistaken! Plenty of picnic tables are available to sit at, party rooms, etc.
Neat place to eat lunch or dinner. Buffet style eating. You can select your atmosphere for eating, also - high school gym with tv screen, movie theater style with movie playing, or 50s diner. After eating, enjoy the many games, video, bumper car, digital bowling, go carts, skeetball, etc. You pay for your meal as you enter - prices $6 - $13 kids to adults. Great deals on different days. Contact them for specials - such as $5 lunches (but you pay $1.50 for a drink).
Glow in the dark Golf awaits you! Great place to play. May be a bit pricey for some $7.00-$15.00 to play a game depending upon age and additions you may add. Great for parties, but you need to be prepared to do your party or activity in the dark, basically! Can be noisy, too! Our group had a blast. I would definitely recommend it. The staff was WONDERFUL the night we went!
Great place to have a party. We had our son's here. Wednesday nights are the best - very few people were there. We had the place to ourselves.
Just a beautiful place to visit. We visited the campus and just enjoyed reading all of the historical documentation all around the campus.
Relive your childhood, ride horses on a carousel from the Highlands Amusement Park which closed in the 1960's. Thanks to the Olendorf family, these treasured horses were refurbished and brought back to "life." Rides are $2.00 person, I believe. Worth every penny. Oh, speaking of pennies, there is a penny squisher here!! A cheap souvenir!
Great playground! Super cushy ground, new bathrooms all automated, walking distance to Butterfly House, Carousel and Village Park. Could es
Part of the Faust Park "complex." Many old homes, buildings and structures from around the St. Louis area have been moved here to be preserved. 1st and 3rd Sundays from 1pm to 4pm have docents dressed in period clothing. Free tours, donations accepted.
Obviously, The Missouri Botanical Gardens has a wonderful selection of plants and flowers. It is known world-wide. Even children love to see these flowers! And, it has a great playground for kids
It's Six Flags! What can I say. Either you like amusement parks, or you don't. Kiddie rides are found throughout the park, and a kiddie park is towards the back of the park by the Screaming Eagle.
Great playground! A lot of sand and Mayan-like climbing pyramids!
Nice Park! Great fountain, bubbler and wading pool area to cool off in. The day we went (and evidently on other days too) the wading pool part was not filled in with water. But the fountain is great and provides for wonderful photo ops!
Near the St. Louis Zoo, nice playground with bathrooms. Fun, large turtles to climb all over. Can picnic here, too.
Ulysses S Grant's home before and after White House occupancy. Not furnished (family lost belongings in a fire). Wonderfully rehabbed. Very original. Great stories and information shared. FREE - I think!
Great place to visit! A greenhouse right in the middle of St. Louis City in Forest Park. $1 to enter, free on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9am-12noon.
On "the Loop" in University City, sits an old Trolley Car. History of the trolley system in the St. Louis area is provided. Nice pic op!
Mastadon State Park has a great park area! Creek nearby ready to be waded through! Playground, restroom area, pavilion areas, picnic areas.
Neat park, great for pictures! Huge stair case that leads to the Missouri River. Breath taking!
The Butterfly House offers many evening activities for children. Our children participated in a "Snails" workshop. Great hands on science activities, story time, crafts, and snacks! The education programmer keeps those kids busy!
Great place to walk around and photo opportunities are great!
Great place to see automobiles, planes, trains, and boats! Outdoor and Indoor. Don't go on very hot days. The heat from the asphalt and trains can nearly cook you! This museum was started over 50 years ago, and just continues to grow - sometimes slowly (it costs a lot to refurbish trains and trolleys, you know!)
$2.00 per rider. Great carousel, so colorful. Combine this with a Free Family Movie on Tuesday or Wednesday, Pirahna Realm, and/or the First Due Fire Museum. Low cost day, and unique sites to see. Plus, it's a Mall, plenty of food places, NASCAR indoor/outdoor race park and a Glow-n-the-dark Putting Edge miniature Golf. Great place on a hot day!
Great place to learn gymnastics, to sign up for summer camps and day camps (when area schools are out), and for birthday parties!
Forest Park is just a great place to go. St. Louis Zoo, Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, Jewel Box, Golf, walking and biking trails, Boat House (rent a paddle boat), Muny, Ice Rink, Science Center - Good grief. You could spend a week there!
Great museum! A lot of venues to see - Lindbergh, 1904 World's Fair, Flight, Kids Section - Missouri History focus, and right now is the Grant and Lee exhibit (fee for this one, rest are free). On 7/25/08 we saw the Declaration of Independence! Never know what you are going to see.
Located in Park Hills, Missouri, south of St.Louis (55 to 67 south), a great piece of history awaits you! While it may look like you are driving off the end of the earth, the museum itself houses a world class rock and gem collection. Professors and students from all around come to see this collection of rocks, minerals and fossils from around the world.
T-Rex Names Sue is at the St. Louis Science Center until September. An adult and two kids costs $20, and your stay in the room is about 30 minutes to 45 minutes. Neat things to see. Fossil dig and excavation activities are also available.
FREE
Great restaurant, historical landmark, Grant's office was here during the Civil War. Neat place!
What a great place! Activities include a tv studio, "glow in the dark" rocks and minerals, earthquake table, village scenes for children to play in, and a huge weaving loom, and just so much more. 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis. Make this a part of visiting places in Glen Carbon (see EDWARDSVILLE on this website!). Great day trip! FEE $4.00 per person.