Thinking about a spring break getaway with the kids? Here are 11 things to do in St. Louis

If you haven’t been to St. Louis in a while and don’t have any grand plans for spring break, then consider this city on the Mississippi River. It’s only three hours away and there’s a plethora of fun family attractions — especially free ones. It had been a little while since my family visited St. Louis, we went recently and discovered some awesome new attractions. Here are some sights worth exploring, both old and new.

Slick City Action Park

Slick City is a new indoor slide park, 17379 Edison Ave., Chesterfield, and it’s fantastic. Perfect for rainy or hot days, this attraction has a bunch of slides: race slides so you can race each other, a bowl slide, a twisted pink switchback slide, crazy steep yellow slides, a slide that looks like something you’d see at a skateboarding park and the long jump, to name the highlights.

The long jump is a steep slope, like a ski slope, and then you fly into the air and land on an AirTrack. My daughter and husband had a blast and tackled that one repeatedly.

Thrill seekers will love it. It’s a great way to burn off energy.

It’s $25 for a 90-minute pass for ages 4 and older or $12.99 for the junior pass. If that’s not enough play time, there’s a 120-minute option for $29.99 or $15.99 for junior. We did 90 minutes, but it flew by. Buy tickets online and save time by signing a waiver in advance. You will need one for every participant. There are areas for children 3 and younger.

The St. Louis Wheel

It was my birthday and we decided to tackle the St. Louis Wheel, a major upgrade to the traditional Ferris wheel. I am terrified of heights, and this is 200-feet high, so my family was surprised I wanted to try it, but it looked fun. Part of the attraction were the closed gondolas, which are climate controlled. There are 42 gondolas on the wheel, and it was cozy and comfortable. We had an incredible view of the skyline. We did it at night, so it was particularly stunning. The ride lasts for 15 minutes. It wasn’t scary at all and was relaxing. A ride costs $15-$17 for adults and $10-$12 for children. The wheel is at Union Station, so if you plan to do other attractions there, you can bundle tickets and save a little money.

Union Station

I haven’t been to Union Station in more than a decade and didn’t realize what a family attraction it has become. There’s a carousel, aquarium, mini golf, ropes course, delicious spot for ice cream, restaurants and the St. Louis Wheel. There was a major renovation and historic preservation of the hotel, and then in 2019, they unveiled many of the new attractions, including the aquarium. Then COVID-19 hit and shut them down for about a year.

We stayed at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, and it was a perfect location. Even if you don’t stay there, it’s worth exploring for photo opportunities. There’s a “grand hall” with a 65-foot-tall domed ceiling, gold leaf and fresco designs, mosaic and stained-glass windows. It’s historic and stunning. Every night on the hour from 5-10 p.m. there’s a 3D light show on the ceiling, and it’s magical. There are about 10 shows, which rotate. The one at 5 p.m. was my favorite and included butterflies flying across the ceiling and stained-glass effects that transformed the ceiling into a cathedral (or it felt like it). Other shows had fireworks on the ceiling, vibrant flowers, Queen singing "We are the Champions" and more. The show was created by Technomedia, an award-winning collaborator with entertainment company Cirque du Soleil. It’s free to watch, but if you are there on a Saturday call ahead because a manager told me that the grand ballroom will close most upcoming Saturdays for weddings. Also, there’s a model train set in the Starbucks area that a train enthusiast will enjoy.

Outside the hotel is Landry’s Seafood Restaurant and there’s a multi-million-dollar fire and light show on the hour between 12-9 p.m. It would probably appeal more to younger kiddos. We ate at the Train Shed restaurant and had great pizza, excellent Caesar salad and a wonderful chicken sandwich.

The City Foundry

The City Foundry is another new attraction and it’s home to a food hall and I love food halls! There are 17 restaurant stalls inside the food hall and each one is different: Indian, Mexican, ravioli,  cheesecake, a waffle place, rotisserie chicken, fusion tacos, Argentinian empanadas, Creole food and so much more. We visited three times so that we could sample different fare. It’s great for families to satisfy everyone’s hunger, and then they can head over and play miniature golf at the Foundry. The golf becomes adults-only at night, so go earlier in the day. There’s also a bar and 13 shops at this attraction. It’s a great spot and parking is free!

CITYPARK

We were there for the home opening at CITYPARK, a new major league soccer stadium that cost nearly $500 million. The energy was wild. The stadium holds 22,500 and it was a sold-out game. We did not attend, and it was just a coincidence that we were there, but it was a huge deal for the city. Also, two former Missouri State University soccer players — Kyle Hiebert and Michael Creek — are on the team if you saw them when they played in Springfield. There’s another game on March 18.

St. Louis Zoo

Aside from the fact that the St. Louis Zoo houses 16,000 animals, it’s one of my all-time favorite attractions because it’s free and amazing. Many zoos are pricey, which is understandable because of the cost of sustaining one, so they can eat a chunk out of your budget, but this one does not. You could spend hours watching the polar bear or grizzlies, marvel at a red panda or check out a white-faced saki. There are penguins, puffins, a black rhino, tigers, jaguars and so much more. I’ve never managed to see it all.

Parking is $10 for vehicles or $20 for oversized vehicles unless you can snag a spot nearby in Forest Park. If you plan to do that, get there early. The newest exhibit is Primate Canopy Trails, which opened in 2021. It’s a 35,000-square-foot outdoor expansion connected to the Primate House that reminds me a little of tree houses and obstacle courses for primates. If the weather is nice, you can spot them there. There are some paid attractions like Emerson Dinoroarus, which features 14 groupings of animatronic and stationary dinosaurs. This attraction is seasonal and reopens March 17.

Forest Park

Forest Park always blows me away. It is an oasis of nature, knowledge, beauty and family fun. It was dedicated on June 24, 1876, coinciding with the centenary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. This 1,300-acre park has paths, picnic spots, lakes, gardens, gazebos and more. It’s been ranked as one of the top parks in the nation. It’s also home to several free museums, such as the St. Louis Art Museum and Missouri History Museum. I highly recommend both. If the weather cooperates, a picnic outside is a must.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

We’re not encouraging you to miss Springfield’s parade because it’s the same day, but if you happen to be in St. Louis instead, the 54th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade kicks off at noon downtown March 11. It starts on 20th and Market streets and proceeds east to its conclusion at Broadway and Clark. This parade boasts more than 5,000 marchers, bagpipes, marching bands, big cartoon character balloons, clowns, floats and more. It attracts about 250,000 people.

Science Center and Planetarium

The St. Louis Science Center is one of the only free nonprofit science museums in the country, so it brings science to the masses. There are more than 700 interactive experiences, a T-Rex dinosaur that moves, an OMNIMAX Theater and the McDonnell Planetarium. Although admission is free, there are ticketed events, such as the planetarium (it’s best to order those in advance). There are several shows, but we saw “The Sky Tonight” and loved it. It was a great introduction to the constellations and planets and explained what to look for in your own backyard. There’s also a Jane Goodall exhibit right now. The St. Louis Science Center is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Parking is $12.

Lone Elk Park

Lone Elk Park is a 546-acre drive-thru park with elk and bison. It is donation-based, making it affordable. The best time to see the animals is before 8 a.m., but you can see them throughout the day. This area dates to 1948, when herds of elk and bison were established. In 1958, the land was acquired by the federal government and herds were destroyed except for one lone elk. Additional elk from Yellowstone National Park were introduced in 1966, and the bison were added in 1973. St. Louis County owns the park. This is a good stop on your way back to Springfield if you get an early start.

City Museum

The City Museum is an astonishing place. It’s like a concrete and wire jungle in the middle of town. If you’ve never been, it’s a must. There are so many opportunities to climb, climb, climb. There are slides galore, an airplane outside, bridges, fish tanks, tunnels, mosaics and so much more. It’s an incredibly physical experience, and my daughter loved it, particularly the slides. There’s outdoor space to explore, too. A few warnings: It’s incredibly loud, so if someone has sensitivity to noise, it may not be the best choice. You do need to be in reasonable shape to climb and keep up with your kids. If you are claustrophobic, this may not work for you. There are a lot of tight spaces. Wear athletic shoes, not boots or sandals. Plan to have a meeting spot in case you get separated. FYI, the website has hotel package deals that are pretty good. Tickets $20 for single day ticket for ages 3 and older.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: St. Louis has a plethora of spring break activities for kids