Missouri Botanical Garden

The Missouri Botanical Garden is one of the oldest and most respected botanical gardens in the Western Hemisphere, founded in 1859 and spanning 79 acres in the Shaw neighborhood of St. Louis. For families, it's far more than a garden walk — the dedicated Doris I. Schnuck Children's Garden transforms the visit into a legitimate kids' destination.

The Children's Garden is a 1. 75-acre discovery space specifically designed for young children, with a multi-level treehouse structure, water play channels and pumps, a working children's farm where kids can see and participate in seasonal growing activities, sensory garden pathways, a butterfly pavilion, and dig pits with excavation activities. It's the kind of thoughtfully designed space that children return to multiple times within a single visit because there's genuinely so much to discover.

Beyond the Children's Garden, the broader botanical garden is beautiful in all seasons and offers different highlights year-round. Spring brings sweeping tulip and early bloom displays; summer features the butterfly program in full force; fall color in the Japanese Garden is extraordinary; and December brings Garden Glow, one of St. Louis's most beloved events — millions of botanical light displays transform the garden into a magical winter wonderland.

Garden Glow tickets sell out; book in advance.

The Climatron, a geodesic dome greenhouse filled with tropical plants from around the world, is open year-round and provides a warm, verdant escape on cold Missouri days. It's an easy 20-minute detour that kids enjoy for the humidity, the large tropical fish pond inside, and the general strangeness of being surrounded by jungle plants while it snows outside.

Children under 12 enter free. St. Louis City and County residents may qualify for discounted admission. A membership is excellent value for families who visit multiple times a year.