10 St. Louis Summer Events That Will Get the Whole Family Out of the House

If you have children, you already know summer break sounds much more relaxing before it actually begins. In theory, summer is supposed to include carefree mornings, spontaneous adventures and quality family time. In reality, it often includes someone repeatedly announcing that they are bored while standing in a house filled with toys, electronics, books and snacks.

I don’t know about you, but there is something particularly offensive about hearing “there’s nothing to do” in St. Louis.

Nothing to do?

In a city with free museums, outdoor concerts, greenways, festivals, riverboats, dinosaurs, science experiments and enough frozen custard to sustain a small nation?

Here’s my theory: families do not necessarily need more activities. We need someone to gather the information, remove the guesswork and tell us which experiences are actually worth putting on the calendar. That’s where your STL Tour Guide Lady comes in.

Whether you live in North County, South City, West County, St. Charles or somewhere across the river, summer is a good time to leave your usual corner of the region and experience something different. You do not have to spend a fortune, travel several hours or create an itinerary that feels like a military operation. Sometimes, the best family memories begin with loading everyone into the car and simply exploring your own city.

Here are 10 family-friendly St. Louis experiences to enjoy before summer slips away.

1. Celebrate Creativity at the Brickline Greenway Art Party

Wednesday, August 5 | 5–7 p.m. Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis

The Brickline Greenway Art Party is the kind of event that reminds us public spaces can be more than sidewalks, streets and places we hurriedly pass on the way somewhere else.

This free, family-friendly celebration will introduce visitors to the public art coming to the northern section of the Brickline Greenway along North Grand, Cass and Spring avenues. Families can enjoy music from HEAL Center for the Arts, free food from Mother’s Fish, a spoken-word performance by St. Louis Poet Laureate Pacia Elaine Anderson and a take-home screen-printing activity. Postcards will be available, or you can bring your own shirt to print.

I especially love that children will be able to see art as something living, accessible and connected to their community—not merely something hanging behind a rope inside a museum. (Great Rivers Greenway)

2. Meet the Dinosaurs at the Saint Louis Zoo

Through August 2026 - Saint Louis Zoo

Apparently, lions, elephants, giraffes and penguins were not enough excitement for one free zoo. This summer, the Saint Louis Zoo is transporting families millions of years into the past with Dinoroarus, a temporary, all-ages attraction featuring prehistoric creatures. The experience continues into late August, giving families another reason to visit before school routines take over. The Zoo’s general admission remains free, although Dinoroarus may require an additional ticket. (Saint Louis Zoo | Dinoroarus)

There is something amusing about watching a child confidently explain the difference between a Tyrannosaurus rex and a velociraptor while I’m still trying to remember where I parked.

Go early, wear comfortable shoes and accept that you will probably leave with at least one dinosaur-related item.

3. Experience “A 90s Summer” at The Magic House

Select dates through the summer - The Magic House

The Magic House is taking families back to the 1990s, which means parents may experience nostalgia while their children look at everything we once considered modern technology with mild confusion.

The Magic House is already one of those places where children can touch, climb, experiment and investigate nearly everything. The 1990s theme simply gives the adults a reason to feel included.

4. Cruise the Mississippi River

Multiple dates and departure times - Riverboats at the Gateway Arch

We spend a lot of time driving across the Mississippi River without stopping to appreciate it.

A St. Louis Riverfront Cruise allows families to experience the city from the water while learning about the river, the Gateway Arch and the historic landmarks along the riverfront. The standard sightseeing cruise lasts approximately one hour.

It also provides one of those rare family experiences where everyone can sit down, enjoy views of the Gateway Arch and temporarily stop asking where you are going next.

5. Join the St. Louis Public Library’s Route 66 Quest

Through August 15 - Central Library

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Route 66, and the St. Louis Public Library is celebrating with an all-ages search-and-discover experience at Central Library.

The Route 66 Quest gives families a chance to explore the historic building while learning about one of America’s most famous highways. (St. Louis Public Library Quest: Route 66 | St. Louis Public Library)

Central Library itself is worth the visit. It is one of those buildings that quietly proves “free” and “beautiful” can exist in the same sentence. This activity is especially helpful when St. Louis temperatures become a kind of disrespectful and you need an indoor adventure with air conditioning.

6. Make Some Noise at SciFest: Play and Creativity Expo

Saturday, August 8 - Saint Louis Science Center

The Saint Louis Science Center’s SciFest: Play and Creativity Expo celebrates the connection between science, art, experimentation and fun.

Children can engage with science and creativity in a setting designed to encourage questions, exploration and hands-on discovery. The Science Center describes SciFest as an opportunity to celebrate the fun found in both science and art. (Saint Louis Science Center)

One of the best things about taking children to the Science Center is that they can learn without feeling as though they have been tricked into attending summer school.

And with the newly upgraded James S. McDonnell Planetarium, families can turn the day into a much larger exploration of stars, planets and the universe.

7. Become a Stargazer with the New Chiron III Experience

Daily during Planetarium operating hours - James S. McDonnell Planetarium

You can technically look at the stars from your backyard, but St. Louis humidity, streetlights and the neighbor’s porch light may have other plans.

The newly upgraded James S. McDonnell Planetarium now features the GOTO Chiron III Hybrid Star Projector, the first system of its kind installed in the United States. It can reveal all 9,500 stars visible to the unaided eye in accurate color, display more than 100 million additional stars and create realistic views of the sun, moon and visible planets.

Families can settle beneath the dome and explore constellations, distant galaxies, eclipses and planets without packing a suitcase—or boarding a spaceship. The upgraded system combines traditional stargazing with immersive digital visuals and a 22,000-watt surround-sound system, which means this is not simply looking at dots on a ceiling. It is an entire journey through the universe.

The experience is especially good for children who are curious about space, adults who still cannot locate the Big Dipper and anyone who has ever looked up and wondered what exactly is happening beyond St. Louis.

Planetarium shows are free for Science Center members and $6 for non-members.

8. Enjoy Sunset and Snow Cones on the Greenway

Thursday, August 6 | 5:30–7:30 p.m.Dardenne Greenway at Legacy Park

Great Rivers Greenway’s Sunset and Snow Cones event combines several things families already enjoy: outdoor time, movement, community and something sweet.

The August event is scheduled along the Dardenne Greenway at Legacy Park. Great Rivers Greenway also hosts nature walks, history tours and other activities throughout the region, giving families a reason to explore beyond the parks and neighborhoods they already know. (Great Rivers Greenway)

Bring comfortable shoes, water and realistic expectations. The family walk may begin as a peaceful nature experience and end with someone carrying a tired child, three water bottles and a half-melted snow cone. That is still a successful outing.

9. Introduce the Family to Live Jazz

Wednesday evenings in August | 6–9 p.m. - The Dark Room at The Grandel

The Wednesday Night Jazz Jam is a free, family-friendly gathering celebrating St. Louis’ jazz history and its next generation of musicians.

Families sometimes assume live music experiences are limited to expensive concerts or adult-only venues. This event offers a more relaxed way for children and teenagers to hear musicians perform, understand improvisation and experience an important part of the city’s cultural identity.

They may not immediately appreciate the historical significance of St. Louis jazz, but exposure matters. Besides, it is difficult to complain about being bored when there is a live band directly in front of you.

10. Visit the Saint Charles Corn Festival

Saturday, August 8 - Saint Charles Market

Sometimes, an event does not need an elaborate explanation.

There will be fresh corn. There will be local vendors. There will be a cornhole tournament.

The Saint Charles Market’s first Corn Festival offers families a relaxed reason to visit the area, shop from local vendors and enjoy one of summer’s simplest pleasures. (St. Charles Official Website)

Make a day of it by exploring nearby St. Charles, walking along Main Street or visiting the riverfront. It is close enough to feel easy but different enough to feel like you left town.

Your Family Does Not Need a Perfect Summer

Social media has a way of making summer look like a carefully coordinated production. Everyone is wearing matching outfits, the children are smiling in every photo and nobody appears to be sweating despite the 97-degree temperature.

Real family outings rarely look like that. Someone will forget something. Someone will become hungry five minutes after leaving home. A child may announce that the experience you carefully planned is boring and then talk about it nonstop for the next six months.

Go anyway.

The purpose is not to create a flawless summer. It is to give your family opportunities to experience the city together, discover unfamiliar places and build a relationship with St. Louis that extends beyond your own neighborhood.

This city can feel divided by municipalities, school districts, highways, neighborhoods and the imaginary boundaries we create for ourselves. Summer offers an excuse to cross some of those boundaries.

Take the children somewhere new. Listen to live music. Make art. Walk a greenway. Ride the riverboat. Look through a telescope. Meet a dinosaur.

And the next time someone says there is nothing for families to do in St. Louis, send them this list.

Dates, admission requirements and event details can change, so confirm information with each organizer before leaving home.

~STL Tour Guide Lady