The Ultimate Family Weekend Guide to St. Louis (With Kids!)
St. Louis is one of our favorite Midwest family getaways. It’s drivable (if you live in the midwest), packed with kid-friendly attractions, and surprisingly affordable thanks to so many free activities. Whether you have toddlers, elementary-aged kids, or a mix like we do, there’s more than enough to fill a full weekend without feeling rushed.
Here are some of our favorite stops in the city!
🐘 Saint Louis Zoo
If you’re visiting St. Louis with kids, the Saint Louis Zoo is a must. Not only is it consistently ranked as one of the best zoos in the country, but admission is completely free, which makes it incredibly family-friendly and budget-friendly. It does cost $10/car to park.
Beyond the amazing animal exhibits, there are several optional extras that make the day even more memorable. Our kids love riding the Zooline Railroad for a scenic break from walking, and the Conservation Carousel is always a fun. Depending on the season, you may also find animal feedings or sea lion presentations that add something special to your visit. You can purchase an Adventure Pass which allows you to experience all the paid attractions at a discounted rate.
With wide paths, shaded areas, playground spots, and flexible food options, the zoo is easy to navigate and can easily fill half a day or more. It’s one of those rare attractions that truly works for toddlers, big kids, and adults too!
Note: If traveling with toddlers, I would recommend a stroller because the zoo is very large. You will have to park it to ride the train, so keep that in mind if you decide to get off at a different stop.
🐠 St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station
Located inside historic St. Louis Union Station, the St. Louis Aquarium is a great indoor option in downtown St. Louis, especially on rainy or hot days. It’s beautifully designed and just the right size for families. It is big enough to feel exciting, but compact enough that little legs won’t get overwhelmed.
Kids love the glowing jellyfish displays, shark and ray tanks, interactive touch pools, and the tunnels where fish swim overhead. The layout flows well, making it easy to explore without feeling chaotic.
One of the best parts is everything surrounding it at Union Station. You can easily pair your visit with the St. Louis Wheel, mini golf, rope courses, a carousel ride, or simply enjoy the Grand Hall light show and nearby restaurants. While it’s not free like the zoo or science center, it makes for a fun half-day experience and is a great add-on to your St. Louis weekend.
🧗 City Museum
The City Museum is one of the most unique places you can visit in St. Louis. Despite the name, it isn’t a traditional museum at all. Instead, it’s a massive indoor playground built from repurposed materials like tunnels, slides, bridges, caves, and climbing structures. Kids can crawl through hidden passageways, squeeze through tunnels, and discover new spaces around every corner. With multiple floors full of things to explore, it’s easy to spend hours here and still not see everything.
Personally, I would recommend the City Museum most for kids around age 7 and up. We first visited when our kids were 3, 4, and 7, and they all had fun, but it definitely leans toward adventurous kids who love to climb and explore. The first visit can feel a little stressful because your child might crawl into a tunnel in the floor and suddenly pop out somewhere completely different. The more you visit, though, the more everyone learns their way around and it becomes a lot more fun and comfortable for both kids and parents.
There is a small toddler section, but even that includes some climbing and crawling spaces. If you or your kids are claustrophobic, this might not be the best attraction for you. But if your kids love adventure, creativity, and physical play, this place is incredible.
In the summer, the rooftop opens and adds an entirely new level of fun. You can ride a ferris wheel that sits on top of the building and even climb into a school bus that looks like it’s driving right off the roof. It’s one of the most memorable parts of the whole experience.
After visiting a few times, we learned a few helpful tips. Bringing a flashlight can be useful for some of the darker tunnels kids like to crawl through. Some families even bring knee pads to make crawling around the tunnels more comfortable. Walkie talkies can also be surprisingly helpful when kids disappear into another part of the structure and you want to easily communicate with them. Going with friends is another great option so kids have buddies to explore with and there are more adults keeping an eye on things.
If your kids love climbing, exploring, and discovering new spaces, the City Museum is easily one of the most memorable stops you can make during a family trip to St. Louis.
🏠 The Magic House: St. Louis Children's Museum
If you’re visiting St. Louis with younger kids, The Magic House is one of the best places you can go. Located just outside the city in Kirkwood, this children’s museum is packed with hands-on exhibits designed specifically for kids to explore, create, and play. The Magic House truly shines for toddlers and elementary-aged children.
Inside, kids can climb through interactive play areas, experiment with science exhibits, build and create in hands-on spaces, and explore kid-sized versions of real-world environments. One of the highlights for many families is the three-story slide, which is always a big hit. There are also areas where kids can pretend to be a doctor, banker, or grocery store worker, which makes it especially fun for imaginative play.
One of the things that makes The Magic House so great for families is how well it’s designed for younger children. Everything is built at kid height, and there are dedicated play areas just for toddlers so little ones can explore safely. It’s easy to spend several hours here without kids getting bored.
The Magic House is a perfect complement to places like the City Museum, which tends to be better suited for older, more adventurous climbers. For families with toddlers or early elementary kids, this is often one of the highlights of a St. Louis trip.
🔬 Saint Louis Science Center
The Saint Louis Science Center is another must-visit attraction for families, and one of the best parts is that general admission is free. Located in Forest Park, this massive science museum is packed with interactive exhibits that encourage kids to explore, experiment, and learn through hands-on activities.
Inside, you’ll find exhibits covering everything from space and engineering to dinosaurs and the human body. Kids can test their reaction time, experiment with physics, and interact with displays designed to make science fun and engaging. One of the most memorable parts of the Science Center is the skybridge that stretches over Interstate 64, where kids can watch cars drive underneath while learning about speed, energy, and motion.
Because the museum is so large and spread across multiple levels, it’s easy to spend several hours exploring without running out of things to see. The hands-on nature of the exhibits keeps kids engaged and moving from one discovery to the next. Compared to attractions like the City Museum or The Magic House, the Science Center leans more into STEM-focused exploration while still keeping the experience fun and interactive for families.
🏙️ Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch is the most recognizable landmark in St. Louis, and it’s something you really have to see at least once when visiting the city. Even if you don’t ride to the top, walking around the Arch grounds and seeing it up close is worth the stop. The massive stainless steel structure sits right along the Mississippi River and is an impressive sight, especially for kids who love seeing something so big in person.
If you do choose to ride the tram to the top, it’s definitely a unique experience. The small pod-like tram cars travel up the inside of the Arch and take you to an observation area where you can look out over the city and the river. The views are beautiful, but one thing families should know is that the windows at the top are fairly small. They’re positioned behind a ledge that makes it difficult for little kids to get right up to the glass to see out, so younger children may need a boost to enjoy the view.
At the base of the Arch you’ll also find a large underground museum that shares the history of westward expansion and the building of the Arch. It’s modern, spacious, and a nice place to explore before or after visiting the monument itself. Whether you ride to the top or simply enjoy the grounds and museum, the Gateway Arch is one of those St. Louis experiences that’s hard to skip.
St. Louis is a fantastic city for a family getaway. With so many kid-friendly attractions like the Saint Louis Zoo, City Museum, The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum, and the Gateway Arch, there’s truly something for every type of family adventure. One of the best parts is how many of these experiences are free or very affordable, making it easy to fill a weekend without breaking the budget. Whether your kids love climbing, exploring science, seeing animals, or just discovering something new, St. Louis offers plenty of memorable experiences that can keep the whole family entertained.