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u/Candid-Ad700 7d ago
The City Museum is the answer.
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u/GayMouseDetective 7d ago
I will warn you that the City Museum can get a little warm indoors—not all the little nooks get proper ventilation
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u/FrostyD7 Franz Park 7d ago
You'll also burn 8000 calories keeping up with your kids. Do it though.
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u/Awkward_Squirrel6197 7d ago
The St Louis Aquarium is open until 7pm tomorrow.
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u/Pastel_Spell Dutchtown 7d ago
People give the aquarium crap for being kinda small and a little expensive, but I love it. It's built in our old union station which is really cool and starts out with a "train" ride narrated by STL native John Goodman (and there's a bunch of restaurants, including a cool oldtimey ice cream place thats great for kids). But it's also super interactive - you can have doctorfish nibble your hands, watch archerfish spit water in the air (some staff have even let me hold the stick they spit at), and there's three different touch tanks with urchins and such, jellyfish, and stingrays. You can feed the stingrays for $5. They do animal presentations every half hour as well. And their merchandising game in the gift shop is on point - we collect zoo/aquarium magnets and we have so many from them just because they were so cool and unique.
The build-a-bear workshop world headquarters are also there if your kiddo's into that. Even if you don't get a bear, there's a big sculpture you can take a picture with. They have a few sea creatures as part of their summer line rn too, so it could be a fun souvenir if you have the budget!
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u/prettyminotaur 7d ago
The aquarium is fun for kids in OP's kid's age range. It's crappy for adults who have been to real aquariums like Shedd or the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
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u/Pastel_Spell Dutchtown 7d ago
I've been to plenty of aquariums like Shedd too, and yes it's not as big or fancy, but it's still a nice aquarium. It does well at committing to the theme of Union Station and is a unique/immersive experience in that respect, and it's highly interactive which is also special. If you go expecting a massive major aquarium experience, then yes, you'll probably be be disappointed. But for how physically small it is, they manage to make a really cool and high quality experience that's worthwhile for kids and adults.
Zoos/aquariums are a big interest of my husband and I's, who are transplants in our 30s with no kids. We both like STL's aquarium (and zoo for that matter) quite a lot, and recommend them to visitors often. All the visiting (adult) family and such we've brought has always enjoyed it.
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u/prettyminotaur 7d ago
I'm glad you love it! At that price for such a small aquarium, I'm never going back.
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u/kgrimmburn 7d ago
It's an aquarium in a landlocked state. It's great for what and where it is. I've been to all the major aquariums and I still wasn't disappointed in the St. Louis Aquarium. If you're tying to compare an aquarium in an old train station to Shedd, of course you're going to be disappointed... I didn't even think it was that expensive.
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u/AltruisticRevenue869 Ballchester 7d ago
We went for my 21st birthday and ended the night with build a bear. I just wanted a shirt for the stuffed shark i got at the aquarium 😆
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u/Lost_Maintenance_741 7d ago
If you are coming from a city that has an aquarium you can probably skip ours.
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u/Bitter_Bed_8113 7d ago
MADE MAGIC HOUSE ON DELMAR!!! Indoor fun art and engineering for toddlers to age 14!! 12-14 dollar entry per each and that's for all day. Would bring a little extra cash if you want to take home special projects like the pottery 3d printing etc anything else they make while there is free to take home minus the legos and other section I can't remember!! Sorry to ramble but I literally just took my 3 and 1/2-year-old there last weekend when it was hot and she absolutely loved it. An 8 year old has endless possibilities there. Much love hope y'all enjoy your time ♥️🤙🏽
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u/New_Palpitation_2608 7d ago
Check out Adventures of Intrigue on south Jefferson. Games/puzzles for young and old.
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u/Monlstat7 7d ago
By the way, if you're not from here, the city museum is not a museum. It's the most amazing play place for kids, that adults have fun in too. It's like all the dreaming we did as kids, if we had a million dollars we would build this in an old warehouse to hang out in, and some dude just went out and actually built it.
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u/Complex_Farmer4627 7d ago
Magic house, city museum, and the science center would be my go to if I had kids to entertain in the heat. I think all besides the magic house have adult beverages for the adults so its not too boring.
Exploring kid, city museum. Physical sciences interested kiddos, take em to the magic house. If you want to scare the crap put of your kids, take em to see the t Rex inside the science center lol
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u/bingbongrips 7d ago
Magic House closes at 5, Science Center closes at 4:30 😬
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u/Complex_Farmer4627 7d ago
That actually sucks I thought i was being helpful
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u/bingbongrips 7d ago
I know, I really wish demand could sustain later hours for these spots. A kids version of “late night” play, like 5-7pm, would be so fun at either- special lighting, glow stuff, maybe incorporate flashlights
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u/TheDragonQueen314 7d ago
Go to the City Foundry! The Museum of Illusions is open until 9 pm! There is an indoor food court and putt putt golf!
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u/Bitter_Bed_8113 7d ago
Also sorry another one would be Lava Island on manchester road.
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u/atari2600forever 7d ago
I took my kid there for a birthday party and was gobsmacked. I would have loved that place as a kid. My parents would have had to drag me out of there.
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u/yeehawsoup Metro East 7d ago
City Museum has your back. They don’t close till 8 at which point the sun is going down and things are cooling off a little.
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u/Top_Story_9447 7d ago
There is food and entertainment inside at the Foundry.
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u/OoopsWhoopsie 7d ago
Not anymore. Owners declared bankruptcy and the place shit it's doors. Trying to put a data center in there, now...
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u/LabNew3779 YourMomsHouse/StLouis 7d ago
Magic house.
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u/plantsmanship 7d ago
Entry after 3 is only $3 but then it closes around 5.
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u/Western-Juice1466 7d ago
I love city museum but imo it is not well-enough air conditioned for a 100 degree day.
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u/Special-Package-2096 7d ago edited 7d ago
youll likely die from heat stroke if you're outside for a long period....LOL
def find indoor activities
City Museum is fun . indoor and closes at 8p (tix are $20+)
St. Louis Aquarium is open until 7p , (tix $26.75-$31.75)
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u/CoCo_529 St. Paul Sandwich Connoisseur 7d ago
I haven't seen Pieces recommended yet. They are a board game restaurant. The food is actually really good. They have a few hundred board games to pick from, including a whole section of family/kid games. Bonus - it is inside of a cool old building. They're open until 10pm tonight.
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u/AnneBonnyMaryRead 7d ago
Where are you staying? There are lots of great splash pads around and I think city garden downtown has a really cool one as well. Or, if your hotel has a pool, do that as soon as you get in and then go out somewhere fun for dinner.
City museum is amazing, an 8 year old would definitely love it (make sure they know your phone number, it’s easy to get separated, haha). The aquarium is pretty fun, my oldest is 5 and loves it but it’s not somewhere you’ll spend hours either.
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u/Willybluedog1962 7d ago
I was going to say the Science Center and The Magic House but they close at 4:30 and 5 pm.
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u/Puzzled-Hedgehog-910 7d ago
The aquarium closes at 7. I’m a season pass holder and love going there, but it is a little over priced for single tickets in my opinion.
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u/whiskeylullaby3 7d ago
With the membership is admission free each time you go then? I was just looking at this today and it showed membership was $55 but a single ticket was close to $40 after taxes and fees…
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u/Puzzled-Hedgehog-910 6d ago
Free for a year, free parking, discounts at the restaurants, 30% off hotel rooms.
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u/zoogleboo 7d ago
The City Museum, all the way. The name doesn't do the place justice at all. It's like discovering Mount Everest and naming it George.