Christmas in St. Louis 2025

Delight in brilliant, colorful light displays with spectacular photo opportunities throughout the Zoo during Wild Lights. Walk through two tunnels with dazzling lights, and enjoy themed displays featuring snowflakes, candy canes, gumdrops, penguins, polar bears, tigers, giraffes and much more at this St. Louis family-favorite holiday tradition. New this year: Visits with Santa!

View this event »

Ice Cream with Santa at Clementine's

Santa is visiting Clementine's to share some frosty treats and photo ops with your kids!

View this event »

Mrs. Claus' Dinner at the Saint Louis Zoo

Mrs. Claus is the host for this year's dinner at the Saint Louis Zoo! Families can enjoy a warm meal with Mrs. Claus and other costumed characters, photos with Santa, and then venture out to enjoy Wild Lights.

View this event »

Santa and the Mean Green Grouch

Visit the Ballwin Golf Course for a meet & greet with Santa, hot chocolate and a festive ride through the course. Keep an eye out for the Mean Green Grouch and his silly helpers! Count the number of candy canes along the way for a chance to win a prize.

View this event »

Cold-Nosed Candids with Santa at Purina Farms

Gather your pack – your kids and your cold-nosed companions – for a pet-friendly visit with Santa this year at Purina Farms. Cold-Nosed Candids are for families and their cats and dogs to have their photos taken with Santa, have snowball fights, visit the gift shop and more.

View this event »

Character Visits at Winterfest

Winterfest 2025 will host special guests on Sundays. Some of your kids' favorite characters will appear for free meet & greets and photo opportunities at Kiener Plaza's annual winter festival.

View this event »

Breakfast with Santa at Brookdale Farms

Enjoy a cozy pancake and sausage breakfast, sip hot cocoa, and take photos with Santa you'll treasure for years at Breakfast with Santa at Brookdale Farms in Eureka. Tickets to Breakfast with Santa include breakfast, a Santa photo opportunity, and access to the festive barn experience.

View this event »

Pages

Things to Do

Free STL Symphony Concert and Fireworks in Forest Park

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Beautiful Forest Park is the setting for the annual free concert performed by the St. Louis Symphony, complete with fireworks to end the show.

View this event »

Bubble Bus at the Library

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Get ready for tons of free, soapy fun! Come to the library to play with tons of bubbles with the Bubble Bus.

View this event »

Preschool Science Series at the Saint Louis Science Center

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Friday, September 18, 2026

The Preschool Science Series is an open exploration learning lab for young scientists - ages 18 months to 5 years - and their families. Activities are designed around research that shows children learn best through play, inquiry and shared experiences with their parents and caregivers.

View this event »

Discovery Club at the St. Louis County Library

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Monday, October 5, 2026

Discovery Club is an exploration of all kinds of science! Kids ages 7-11 will navigate through the sciences with projects, experiments and activities at this free program. Themes include robots, roller coasters, potato batteries and more.

View this event »

Little Explorers at Ballwin Parks

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Explore Ballwin's parks with your toddler or preschooler with the Little Explorers program, held twice a month. Each Little Explorers outdoor class includes a craft, snack, and lots of activities to get you and your toddler moving and exploring!

View this event »

See All Things to Do

Want daily ideas of things to do? How about special offers & giveaways? Sign up and we’ll handle the rest.

Popular Stories

Dinoroarus Comes Roaring Back at the Saint Louis Zoo

The Dinoroarus exhibit brings prehistoric fun back to the Saint Louis Zoo this summer with 20 lifelike dinosaur animatronics and sculptures on the Zoo's Historic Hill.

Get Ready to Climb and Explore at These Free Big Truck Days

If your kids love to explore big trucks and vehicles, these upcoming Big Truck Days are a perfect weekend or weeknight outing. They'll get to climb on and explore fire trucks, police vehicles, bulldozers, bucket trucks, ambulances and lots more.

Travel Back in Time Every Friday at the Missouri History Museum’s Free Summer Family Fun Series

There comes a point every summer when all that “free time” isn’t so fun anymore. Your kids are bouncing off the walls, it’s too hot to hit the playground, and every activity seems to come with a big price tag. That’s when the screens come out, and parents find themselves counting down the minutes to bedtime. Thankfully, when Friday rolls around each week, your family can experience a mini summer getaway through history – no travel required.

City Museum's Stuff the Bus Campaign Provides School Supplies for 160 St. Louis Schools

Visit City Museum August 3-31, bring school supplies to donate, and get discounted admission! That's the idea behind City Museum's Stuff the Bus campaign.

Your Guide to Free Outdoor Family Movies this Summer

Seeing a movie at the theater is a magical experience, but when summer rolls around, it’s time to get outside and enjoy free movies under the stars! Free family movie nights abound across the St. Louis area, so grab your kids, a blanket or lawn chairs, and get ready for some cinematic fun. Here's where to find them:

You Might Also Like...

Lace up and leash up for a great cause! You and your dog are invited to run, jog, or walk in the Purple Leash 5K & Fun Run at Purina Farms. Compete for top dog in the 5K race or take it easy in the 1-mile fun run. Put your paws to the pavement and then head over to the TAILgate after party for food, drinks, music and more all while raising awareness for the Purple Leash Project. All purple outfits and purple dog gear are highly encouraged! The Purple Leash Project was born out of the Purina mission to bring and keep pets and people together and the RedRover® mission to bring people and their pets from crisis to care. Your support of the Purple Leash Project assists domestic violence shelters on their journey to welcome family pets by funding pet-friendly renovations. Sunday, October 11. FIND OUT HOW TO REGISTER

The Missouri History Museum celebrates education and family learning with History Exploration Days! One Friday per month from September to May, homeschool families with kids of all ages can explore a different historical topic—together! All activities are FREE. Explore St. Louis history in new and exciting ways through interactive guided gallery tours, hands-on workshops, and community performances that align with each month’s theme, encouraging investigation, exploration, and creative fun. Activities are offered at various times throughout the day and are customized for specific grade-level groups.

Storytelling takes place in the morning, and all ages are welcome. Visit the craft room for fun learning experiences, with museum educators available to help learners participate in meaningful ways. Topics this school year include colonial St. Louis, baseball, Black history, and wildlife. Detailed schedules for each day will be posted to the Museum’s website. The program is offered on September 11, October 9, November 13, December 11, January 15, February 19, March 19, April 9, and May 14. LEARN MORE

See the Purina Incredible Dog Team perform extraordinary feats of athleticism and skill right here in St. Louis at Union Station this summer! Featuring some of the most talented canines in the country, the Purina Incredible Dog Team consists of more than 20 remarkably gifted dogs and two trainers who entertain audiences with extraordinary feats of athleticism and skill. Spectators can watch the team demonstrate a variety of canine sports while dogs of different breeds fly through the air to catch a flying disc, leap over a high jump, and maneuver through a series of obstacles in an agility course. Free performances are happening Thursdays through Sundays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Union Station's Performance Plaza in front of the St. Louis Wheel. Learn more at purina.com/purinafarms.

From Our Sponsors