CityTracs

Fossils All Around
St. Louis sits at the confluence of the Missouri and the Mighty Mississippi Rivers.  You would expect that somewhere through the ages something might have fossilized around here, and sure enough.  You can find all sorts of petrified little creatures if you know where to look.

My oldest son, he’s almost a whopping and sagacious 5 now, is something of a rock hound.  It’s quite tough to get him to leave people’s gravel in their driveways.  If you put him on some actually interesting rocks, he’s entertained for hours.  I’ll try to document the places that we have luck around here.  But to get you started, check out his gem of a list provided by the Eastern Missouri Society for Paleontology:  fossil sites.

More to come!

A great museum for the kids. It is filled with animals (some you can pet), caves for the kids to climb in, free crafts, and slides. It will cost you a small fee to get in but it is worth it when the kids are having a good time so check it out.

Wow! The Science Center offers many things for children, and adults, to explore. The Science Center spotlights themes such as, astronomy, dinosaurs, transportation, and much more on a regular basis. This is a must see!

At Grant’s Farm, children can see and pet many different types of animals. You can walk around the park or catch the train. Grant’s Farm is also home to the famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses the world has grown to love.

I took my kindergarteners to the Transportation Museum last year. They loved it! There were cars that the kids could look at, trains that they could climb aboard and play conductor, planes they could climb in, boats they could explore, and much more. They also have a place called Creation Station. It’s a fun place to take the kids on days when the weather is bad or just to have fun. There is a lot of wooden tracks and train cars to put together, section to play dress up, crafts, and more. There is an extra fee for this and ‘boarding times’. It’s popular so it does fill up, get there early.

The Magic House is one of the premier kids spots in St. Louis. It’s the city’s Children’s Museum. Has tons of activities and exhibits like the very cool electrostatic ball that makes your hair stand on end. It can get crowded…it’s that popular!

Cool place to see real dinosaur tracks. They’re not the big T-rex tracs, but you definitely see the tracks in the river bed. There is also a great swimming hole in the river here. The dino models are pretty cool for the kids. Plenty of hiking, biking, and picnicing!

Classic car lovers will love this place. Also a cool place where kids can do some running and climbing AND the price is right FREE.

Children’s museum in Gulfport, MS. Will entertain kids for hours. Lots of hands on activities inside. There is also plenty of entertainment for the kids outside including a treehouse nestled among the live oaks (although calling it a treehouse does not do it justice). We visited in Spring 2005 and my kids have been asking to go back since. They were closed for over 8 months due to Hurricane Katrina but have recently re-opened.

The St. Louis zoo is one of the top zoos in the nation. As a bonus, it is free…there is even some free parking, but it is hard to find on busy days. The petting zoo cost a little bit too. This zoo is one of the best kid fun destinations in all of St. Louis. Lots to see, with upgraded and new exhibits being added regularly. My family loves the penguin house and the monkey house, of course.