Forest Park may be the greatest family bargain in America: in a single park, the Zoo, the Art Museum, the History Museum and the Science Center’s planetarium are all free. The perfect family day writes itself — animals in the morning, art after lunch, and a picnic on Art Hill as the Grand Basin turns gold.
Build your loop by age: littles do best with the Zoo’s Children’s Zoo and the History Museum’s Clubhouse; school-age kids can run the Science Center and climb Art Hill to SLAM’s armor and mummies; everyone meets back at the World’s Fair Pavilion for snacks with the park’s best view. In winter, bring sleds — Art Hill is the city’s official unofficial sledding slope.
One park, four free institutions, zero admission math. Just go.
Forest Park is in St. Louis’s west end. Planning maps at forestparkforever.org.
