If you’re frequently visiting one of St. Louis’ myriad family-friendly attractions, purchasing a membership might be worth it. With memberships, you don’t feel as if you must spend the entire afternoon at one attraction to get your money’s worth. Plus, giving your children the experiential gift of a membership to their favorite attraction is one that keeps giving all year long. But perhaps the best part? Many of these memberships come with perks, including discounts on food and in the gift shop, invites to special events, free parking, and more. Here are local memberships perfect for any St. Louis family.
City Museum: The artsy playground is an ever-evolving space full of wonderful eccentricities to explore. With floors upon floors of something whimsical in every corner, it’s nearly impossible to see—and do—it all in one day. With the unlimited yearly membership, you can save something for another visit. But it’s not all kid-centric. Adults can visit the museum’s bars, and come summer, the rooftop hosts events and live music. All membership levelts ($39.99, plus tax, per person) include unlimited admission, access to MonstroCity, and free admission for children under 3. Gold memberships includes all of those perks, as well as Rooftop access, discounts on food, beverage, and retail purchases, and more. 750 N. 16th.
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Magic House: The Magic House is a Victorian mansion full of hands-on exhibits and educational programs for children to explore. It has something for all ages from infants through grade-schoolers, including a STEAM Center, a three-story climbing structure, an art studio, and a play space dedicated to toddlers ages 2 and younger. The Family and Family Plus memberships are for two adults and up to four dependent children ages 18 and younger from one household. Family, starting at $175, includes unlimited admission all year long, 50 percent discounts on museums across the country that are part of the Association of Children’s Museums, and an exclusive Magic House gift. Family Plus, starting at $250, includes everything the Family Membership offers, plus unlimited admission all year to MADE for Kids. Visit the website for more membership options. 516 S. Kirkwood.
Missouri Botanical Garden: The garden is home to the Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden, an awesome playground for kids that’s nicknamed A Missouri Adventure. Bonus: It has a splash pad open Memorial Day–Labor Day weekends. The garden offers four levels of membership, but there are two we highly suggest if you’re planning to bring your kids multiple times per year. If you have younger kids, opt for the Friends and Family package. For $140, it includes admission for four adults and any children ages 12 and younger to the garden, plus unlimited entry to the Children’s Garden and free tram tours. Have older kids? Consider the Festival membership ($260), which includes all the benefits of Friends and Family for six adults and any children ages 12 and younger, plus six free tickets to Garden Glow and selected summer exhibits, as well as six free tickets to festivals at the garden, like Chinese Culture Days and the Japanese Festival. 4344 Shaw.
The National Museum of Transportation: Founded in 1944, this institution aims to be the leader in protecting the heritage of North America’s transportation through educational programs, interactive exhibits, and more. Explore the museum’s 190 major exhibits that include historic railway trains, cars (including a 1901 car built by St. Louis Motor Carriage Co.), boats, and planes. And your kids, train fans or not, will love the trolley and mini train rides (keep in mind that these do cost a little extra). All memberships include admission for the member and up to five guests per visit, invites to special events, and 10 percent discounts on gift shop purchases, birthday parties, and facility rentals. Prices start at $83 for Coachman memberships to $5,000 for Lifetime memberships. 2933 Barrett Station.
Saint Louis Science Center: Does your kid constantly ask “why”? Are they curious about the world around them? The Saint Louis Science Center is the perfect outing for your family. With so much to explore—from dinosaurs and space to energy and the environment—you’ll want to bring your kids back again and again. So why not consider a membership? Sure, general admission to the Science Center is always free, but memberships come with extra perks. At the Family level ($99), you’ll have access to four free planetarium tickets, four discounted tickets to special exhibits, four free tickets for the discovery room, and four free OMNIMAX Theater tickets per visit. The Family & Friends ($135) and Family & Friends MAX ($195) membership levels come with more free and discounted tickets for the planetarium, Discovery Room, OMNIMAX Theater, and special exhibits. 5050 Oakland.
Saint Louis Zoo: Yes, the zoo still offers free admission (though some attractions, like the Sea Lion Show and Conservation Carousel, cost extra). But a membership might be a good idea if you’ve struggled to find parking. Bonus: Memberships help support the zoo’s wildlife conservation projects. This St. Louis staple offers nine levels of annual membership, but the three we recommend for families are Explorer, Navigator, and Protector, all of which include $5 member parking per visit for one year and discounts on giraffe feedings, VR, and 4D theater experiences. Explorer, for $80, also includes 20 member tickets for Zooline Railroad and Sea Lion Show. Navigator ($100) additionally includes 50 premium member tickets for Zooline Railroad and Sea Lion Show, as well as access to Conservation Carousel and Stingrays at Caribbean Cove. A Protector membership ($250) comes with all of the above, as well as 80 premium member tickets for Zooline Railroad and Sea Lion Show. 1 Government.
Sky Zone Trampoline Park in Fenton, Shrewsbury, and Ballwin: An indoor trampoline park that offers monthly memberships for children, Sky Zone is chock full of ways for your kids to burn off extra energy. The Ballwin location offers two membership options: Basic ($24.99 per month) entitles kids to two hours of jump time (any time Monday–Friday and before 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday), access to members-only events, a 50 percent GLOW discount, and a 20 percent discount at the Fuel Zone. Elite ($28.99 per month) offers the added benefits of unlimited jump time Monday–Friday, two hours of jump time on Saturday and Sunday, access to programs, a party discount, and parent perks. Meanwhile, the Fenton location offers slightly different packages: Basic ($28.99 per month) offers 90 minutes of jump time per day, members-only events, programs, Sky Fit, and discounts for parties and at the Fuel Zone. Elite ($33.99 per month) gives families all of the above, plus two hours of jump time per day, and Little Leapers. Shrewsbury offers a $22.99 Basic package and a $26.99 Elite package, each which come with a designated jump schedule and a range of discounts. 14820 Manchester, Ballwin; 631 Gravois, Fenton; 7375 Watson, Shrewsbury.
St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station: The aquarium at Union Station remains the main attraction of the former train station. With more than 13,000 animals in more than 250,000 gallons of water, there’s so much to see at the aquarium that you’ll want to come back again and again. The annual pass options start at $61.42 for a one-person household and increase per person included in the package, up to two adults and six children. Passes include unlimited entry for 12 months, complimentary parking, a 15 percent discount in the gift shop and at restaurants and attractions within Union Station, access to The Polar Express Train Ride ticket pre-sales, discounts on admission to selected special events, and a 30 percent discount at St. Louis Union Station Hotel. 201 S. 18th.
Urban Air Adventure Park: This indoor adventure park for kids of all ages offers thrilling attractions like climbing walls, a ropes course, an indoor playground, trampolines, and more. With all of this fun in store, your kids will beg you to visit Urban Air more than once, which means a membership could be the perfect gift for your little ones. Unlimited Play ($16.50 per month) gives holders access to Deluxe-level attractions, a pair of socks, a range of discounts and guest admissions, and invites to select events. The Shorty 40″ membership ($9.99 per month) gives members access to all of the above, without the guest perks. 10990 Sunset Hills Plaza.
Edwardsville Children’s Museum
A membership to this metro east nonprofit supports its educational exhibits, family-friendly programming, and community outreach efforts. There are four choices, including higher-level community partner and and corporate commitments. The “family” option for $100 per year includes unlimited admission for up to five designated family members, discount rates for birthday parties, merchandise, and programs, and priority registration for special events. The “premium” level for $150 includes all of the above, plus two extra included family members.
