Monday
Every Monday and Tuesday from 10 to 10:45 a.m., the Town & Country Whole Foods Market (1160 Town & Country Crossing, 636-527-1160, wholefoodsmarket.com) offers a free story time and snack. This isn’t your average storytelling session, though. The storyteller, Diane Van Booven, gets to know all of the kids and is available afterward to talk about anything in the store. The market also has a play area set up for kids to explore, and free babysitting is available every second Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. while you shop. (Call for details.) A craft session is often included on special occasions during the story hour. And on Monday nights, Culpeppers (300 N. Euclid, 314-361-2828; 4401 Highway K, O’Fallon, Mo., 636-442-5053; 3010 W. Clay, St. Charles, 636-916-3105; culpeppers.com) offers free meals for kids.
Tuesday
Boeing’s James S. McDonnell Prologue Room (Building 100, McDonnell Boulevard and Airport Road, 314-232-6896, boeing.com) is free to explore Monday through Friday during the summer, but a Tuesday might be a good day to beat the crowds. Kids can learn about early air travel and the very first space capsules in this memorable mini museum, which has surely inspired more than a few aerospace engineers and pilots. Kids eat free on Tuesday nights at The Emperor’s Palace (17360 Chesterfield Airport Rd., Chesterfield, 636-537-8188, theemperorspalace.com). The building resembles a palace from the outside, and inside, canal-like koi ponds throughout the restaurant offer great entertainment for kids who have trouble staying seated. Call for information about live acrobatic performances and musicians. For the meal itself, offerings include Chinese and Vietnamese dishes, sushi, Mongolian barbecue, a chocolate fondue station, and even some Italian cuisine—so you’ll almost certainly find something for a picky eater to love.
Wednesday
Families are invited for play dates on the first Wednesday of every month at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (3750 Washington, 314-535-4660, camstl.org), starting at 10 a.m. The museum provides hands-on art activities geared toward kids ages 2 to 5. Some play dates will include music, storytelling, and even yoga. Then you can head out to Chili’s (multiple locations, 800-983-4637, chilis.com), where kids eat free on Wednesdays.
Thursday
Check any local branch of the St. Louis County Library (multiple locations, 314-994-3300, slcl.org), and you’ll find a variety of story times and activities available. (The library has the most extensive series of readings in the St. Louis area.) Later, head to Stir Crazy (10598 Old Olive Street, 314-569-9300, stircrazy.com) in Creve Coeur, where kids eat free on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Your kids will love watching the cooks make meals in the wok, as flames scorch the air on the other side of a transparent partition.
Friday
Every third Friday of the month, The Magic House (516 S. Kirkwood, 314-822-8900, magichouse.org) offers a night of free admission for families. Two adults and up to four kids can enjoy exploring dozens of exhibits from 5:30 to 9 p.m. And on September 19 and 20, The Great Forest Park Balloon Race (greatforestparkballoonrace.com) in Forest Park is quite a sight. The family-friendly Balloon Glow is usually held in the park that Friday evening. To satisfy hunger pangs, head to O’Charley’s (multiple locations, 615-256-8500, ocharleys.com), where kids age 10 and under always eat free.
Saturday
Whether you’re looking for an activity to do with your kids or something that is just plain fun and educational for everyone, The Home Depot (multiple locations, 800-466-3337, workshops.homedepot.com) offers free woodworking classes at each location on the first Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon. (Families must register in advance.) The workshops are designed for kids ages 5 to 12. Children who participate get to keep their crafts, such as wooden cars and birdhouses, and they also receive an apron and a commemorative pin. And if the troops get hungry afterward, know that kids can eat free on Saturdays at IHOP (multiple locations, 866-444-5144, ihop.com) and Steak ‘n Shake (multiple locations, 877-785-6745, steaknshake.com), among other area restaurants.
Sunday
The day begins at the Saint Louis Art Museum (1 Fine Arts, Forest Park, 314-721-0072, slam.org), where families meet every Sunday between 1 and 4 p.m. for hands-on art activities and a 30-minute tour of the galleries. Each month focuses on a different theme, which the museum posts in advance online. Before you go, find out whether there’s another free event to attend in the park. Shakespeare in the Park (Shakespeare Glen, Forest Park, 314-531-9800, sfstl.com) runs May 17 through June 15, with a fun Green Show for kids at 6:30 p.m. nightly. And The Muny (1 Theatre, Forest Park, 314-361-1900, muny.org) has two kids’ shows this summer: Tarzan, which runs June 25 through July 2, and Seussical: The Musical, with performances July 22 through 28. Free seats are available to those who arrive early; the gate opens at 7 p.m. So if it’s a nice day, take a long stroll through the park with a blanket and picnic dinner in tow, and enjoy the sights and sounds. If that’s not enough, check out any location of The Pasta House (multiple locations, 314-535-6644, pastahouse.com) for a free Sunday dinner item for one child with each adult meal.
Seven Spots That Are Always Free
Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour (12th and Lynch, 314-577-2626, budweisertours.com.)
Gateway Arch (200 Washington, 314-655-1600, gatewayarch.com.)
Laumeier Sculpture Park (12580 Rott, 314-615-5278, laumeiersculpturepark.org.)
Lone Elk Park (1 Lone Elk Park, Valley Park, 314-615-5000, stlouisco.com.)
Saint Louis Science Center (5050 Oakland, 314-289-4400, slsc.org.)
Saint Louis Zoo (1 Government, Forest Park, 314-781-0900, stlzoo.org.)
St. Louis Walk of Fame (6504 Delmar, 314-727-7827, stlouiswalkoffame.org.)
By Kim Aubuchon, Carrie Edelstein, George Mahe, Christy Marshall, and Joelle Schoenherr
