saint louis science center

I took my grandson to the Science Center on a Friday afternoon. We got there at 4:00, only to discover that it closed at 4:30. We had to decide between a half hour of the center or a movie at the Omnimax theater. We chose the theater. Saw a documentary about space exploration. Because it was film footage of space, interspersed with talking heads, it wasn't as dramatic as I had expected. When it was footage of outer space, it was spectacular. The talking heads,,,,,not so spectacular. I would go back when I have more time to explore. The tickets to the movie were $6 for a child and $6 for a military veteran. The parking was $10, even though we were only there for 45 minutes. I was not too happy with the parking charge.

I recently took my four year old on a Wednesday afternoon excursion to the St. Louis Science Center. Outside of the cost to drive there, I spent $7.41 on snacks that we bought there for an entire afternoon of education and enjoyment. It really was the perfect time to go. It took us about two and a half hours to go through all the free and very interactive exhibits. I spoke to a gentleman who was tediously working on piecing a real dinosaur bone together. He was very nice and informative. My daughter was a little frightened by the giant T-Rex but enjoyed "digging" for bones. They had a new sensory table that was full of sand. Based on the height of the sand pile as kids would play in it, the sand would change to different colors and look like a topography map. My daughter loved it as did I. Overall, it was a great and pretty cheap way to spend the afternoon!

I still can't believe how many exhibits they have that are included with your free admission. There are a few things that cost extra, but you will still have an amazing time if you just do the free stuff. Also, park on the planetarium side and you can park for free. I plan on visiting again soon!

How can you write a bad review about a facility that has exceptional displays, things to do and tutorial staff to educate you and your family?This really is a treat and admission is FREE! Yes they have shows that are on daily that you need to pay for if you want to see them but I have no problem spending the money to support the centre. They also do special events there which are advertised that are well worth it.The displays and interactive items will keep everyone learning for hours. And you'll want to go back!

Went with a group of college students and we had a blast simply exploring the museum at night and trying to remember the laws of physics and astronomy. Lots of engagement and opportunities to learn, even for the mature adult.

Everyone in our group enjoyed this including my children, my adult brother, my husband, and my parents. I wish we knew it could entertain us for hours. We went with only 2 hours to spend. Wish we had budgeted 3.

The Ghostbuster exhibit during first Friday was outstanding. We had a fun filled night filled with free activities and a free Omnimax movie. Great place to spend the day or the evening!

This can be an all day visit. So much to do and see, so interesting. It can be very crowded so bring your patients...it's worth it.

We spent a lot more time here than we expected. Our kids 6 and 14 really liked the mind games area. We also watched a show on fire that the kids liked. So many things to do for free. We did park in the pay lot but we felt it was well worth it. Almost didn't go because we thought how good could it be for free. So glad we went.

The interactive "science center" model of museum, with an educational basis and lots of knobs and dials for kids to enjoy, has been around for a few decades. As a destination for children, it's fine, for the most part. The downside is attending when there are crowds and when the interactives aren't working. A recent visit included both issues, plus a confused information staff that made membership rather complicated, wasting - believe it or not - nearly a half hour as one issue after another came up. They obviously work hard to maintain the big, busy, space. And I don't want to exaggerate the proportion of exhibits that "weren't working."The best part was the helpful, knowledgable exhibit/activities staff, which includes many volunteers. All branches of the sciences are covered, with math, engineering and technology included. Very little ground is given to the absurd, non-scientific "intelligent design" faith-based approach to reality, which is gratifying.It takes a bit of work, when you have kids with you, for the experience not to turn into an arcade-like free-for-all. A lot of excited kids running around unsupervised detracted a little from the experience - shoving, pushing ahead and screeching. Getting kids to slow down and enjoy some of the presentations - with plenty of group involvement - helped.A slight staleness in spots seemed to reflect where the oldest exhibit spaces were, probably awaiting funding for an update. Kids didn't seem to notice. Nor did they notice a rather corporate feeling to parts of the space - one does rely on donors and many are corporate. There wasn't much for an adult, really, but I understand the focus. The Omnimax theater is fine, too.

There is lots to learn and be amazed by here. I visit about once every year and have a good time. I wish they would change the exhibits more often....not just the special exhibits. The iMax theater is nice. If you have never visited before I would suggest parking in the Forest Park/Planetarium entrance across hwy 40 from the main Science Center building. It is free and you get to walk over the highway on a bridge that has plexiglass in the floor. Fun!

This place is awesome, could spend the better part of the day here seeing everything. They always have some special event going on too. AND it's all FREE (except the special events).

While there is no general admission, parking in the lot behind the building is about $10.00. The Imax inside the Center does charge. There are a lot of hands-on activities for kids. You can probably spend four hours at the Center.

We attended for the Sherlock Holmes exhibit. The exhibit was very well done but very crowded. The museum exhibits lean more to children than adults with a lot of hands on activities. Is a good stop for the family and is right off the highway.

There is a lot of things to see and do and you can easily spend 3-4 hours if you include a Omni MAX movie. Plenty of things to keep the younger children interested, but less for the 15-18 year olds unless they are really interested in specific aspects of the science represented. There are a few motion simulator rides that everyone enjoyed, and the dinosaur area keep everyone interested. We went on 1/6 and didn't have any problems with crowds. Overall a good family trip, the center was easily accessible from the freeway which is a plus, and the 10$ parking was easy to find and worth the money...