5 Great Places to Take Kids in St. Louis, Missouri

Families traveling to St. Louis won’t have any trouble finding places to keep kids happy, even in winter. A zoo home to 16,000 animals, a giant indoor treehouse and even a ski resort are just a few of the options.

Begin at City Museum, a cleverly designed building that used only discarded materials in its construction. Inside is a changing assortment of hands-on experiences for all ages, from toddlers to teens. Young visitors have Toddler Town Castle to explore, while elsewhere they’ll find a giant indoor tree house, a slide 10 stories high, a giant coil to climb through, an aquarium and a collection of preserved insects from all over the world.

St. Louis Zoo is set in a large park, so the impressive collection of animals have plenty of space in habitats created to replicate their native environments. The Wild Zone is home to animals from extreme environments, from the Arctic to the tropics, and shows hew each survives in these climates. The penguins, especially, are a hit with kids.

Lions, giraffes, hippos and zebra live in the Red Rocks area, and elsewhere kids can meet Asian elephants, jaguars, sea lions, tree kangaroos, gorillas, tigers and sea lions. The zoo is free, so you can make several shorter visits, handy for families with younger children. You can also see aquatic creatures  at St. Louis Aquarium, home to 13,000 animals that make their homes in or near water.

Kids can explore all sorts of experiments and activities while exploring Magic House at St Louis Children’s Museum, where themed rooms feature sciences, computers and cultures of the world. Babies and toddlers have their own area with quiet games.

For some outdoor fun, head 30 miles out of town to find Hidden Valley in Wildwood. The ski resort offers two peaks with 16 trails and snowmaking for skiing, snowboarding and tubing.