The Magic House St. Louis is a renowned children's museum that offers a diverse range of educational and interactive exhibits. Located in Kirkwood, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, this museum attracts visitors of all ages with its engaging and hands-on displays. The history of the Magic House dates back to 1979 when a group of parents conceived the idea to establish a unique place where children could learn and have fun. Today, the museum spans across several buildings and offers more than 55,000 square feet of exhibit space.

The Magic House St. Louis Children's Museum

It's the Not-So-Haunted House that is oh-so-fun and where storybook characters come alive! Kids are invited to dress in their most "boo-tiful" Halloween costumes and have a ghoulishly good time going on a spook-tacular scavenger hunt throughout The Magic House to find trick-or-treat locations, and seeing their favorite storybook characters.

Roll on over to The Magic House for a truckload of fun! Truck lovers of all ages will get up close to a crane, firetruck, bucket truck, sleeper cab and more!

Spider-Man is having a birthday party at MADE for Kids and all young superheroes are invited! Visit MADE for Kids and meet Spider-man and his superhero friends, like Spider-Woman and Miles Morales!

Hear ye, Hear ye! Aspiring princes and princesses are invited to a Royal Ball at The Magic House! Meet and pose for pictures with your favorite storybook princesses.

Celebrate the start of summer at The Magic House with lots of fun activities. Kick-Off to Summer at The Magic House includes The Bubble Bus, bubble art, frozen treats and lots of fun at Sandcastle Beach!

The Kenya's Kids interactive exhibit introduces children to the East African country of Kenya, a country both technologically advanced and filled with longtime traditions. As part of the exhibit, families will discover the many similarities and differences in the daily lives of children in Kenya.

Fishing around for something fun to do? Swim on over to The Magic House for the Splash and Bubbles Breakfast! Guests will have a whale of a time as they nibble on a delicious breakfast, participate in some very fishy art activities, explore the Mu"sea" um and enjoy private playtime in the exhibit Splash and Bubbles: Dive In, Lend a Fin!

Today, the museum spans across several buildings and offers more than 55,000 square feet of exhibit space. One of the main attractions at the Magic House is the Children's Village, which replicates a miniature community complete with a bank, grocery store, veterinary clinic, and even a television studio. This exhibit allows children to role-play and engage in various real-life scenarios, promoting creativity and critical thinking.

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At the Saint Louis Zoo's Marting Luther King Jr. Day Camp: Telling Tails, campers will learn all about animal tails! Long or short, feathered or furry, tails come in all shapes and sizes. Whether they are used for balance or for grasping onto trees, tails are important adaptations that help the animals survive in their habitats.

Celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. throughout the holiday weekend with a variety of experiences at the Missouri History Museum. Families are invited on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday for youth activism workshops, meaningful conversations on race and social justice, storytelling, movement with Mama Lisa, and craft workshops.

Do you need a creative activity for your kids on a day when school's out? Yucandu Art Studio offers No-School Workshops for kids in grades kindergarten through 5th.

Daytime Playtime is an open gym for children ages 2-5 where the possibilities for fun and learning (through fun) are endless! Children will participate in activities that build coordination, strength, balance and self-confidence. They'll develop stronger motor skills, social skills, and take part in theme-based creative activities

Join Vetta Sports for a day of soccer fun! Kickaroos is hosting an Open House on January 15 for families who would like to try Kickaroos for the first time. Free trial classes will be offered for kids age 18 months to 6 years.

Plan your child's summer activities at the St. Louis region's largest Summer Camp Expo featuring 60+ local and regional summer camps offering day- and sleep-away camp experiences for toddlers through teens. Bring your kids and learn about a wide variety of summer learning and summer fun opportunities. The Summer Expo is presented by Parkway-Rockwood Community Ed, sponsored by STL Parent and STL Camps, and is open to all families from any school district across the St. Louis metro area. Admission is free! 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 4, 2024, at Parkway West High School. Stop by the STL Camps booth at the entrance for fun giveaways and a register to win a free week of camp! LEARN MORE AT prcommunityed.org

Family Night with Fredbird is back at Cardinals Nation! Join us at Cardinals Nation Restaurant & Bar on select Wednesday evenings this off-season! Bring your family for games, prizes, and meet Fredbird and take photos with him from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Kids eat free every Wednesday from 5 - 9 p.m.* To view the dates and make your reservation, visit cardinals.com/familynight

*One free kids meal per adult meal purchased. Dine-in only. For kids 12 and under.

It's going to be a Great Adventure at Olympia Gymnastics this summer! Say Aloha to summer by joining us for a summer jam-packed with learning gymnastics and ninja skills, fun activities and games, and art & science projects all linked to our unique weekly themes. Campers can have a Nerf battle during Nerf week, be sneaky like a ninja during Ninja week, try to beat the clock with our Minute to Win It week, or make slime during our arts and sciences week. Our summer camps are full of activities designed to engage and foster learning. Olympia's trained and safety-certified staff are devoted to the well-being of our camp kids and truly enjoy engaging with children. Save 15% when you register in January! Choose your location and register at olympiagymnastics.org

The Magic House

Be prepared for a full day. Hit up the art studio first so your crafts have time to dry. The cafe there has very good for and snacks with very nice prices. Wonderful for kids 3-10.

This was such a cool place. Plan on spending an entire day here as there is so much to see and do. As a parent, I loved the fact there was so much seating available while your kids played.

My daughter had her 4th birthday party at and it was a blast even for the adults . The staff that ran the birthday party for our daughter did an excellent job. I strongly recommended going.

The only quiet spot in the otherwise frenzied Magic House is the small library on the second floor. It's the perfect spot for weary families seeking respite. (Diane Toroian Keaggy) \nПодробнее

The Magic House has been providing family fun since 1979. Check out Free Family nights every third Friday . What will you discover? For more insider tips, follow @MoonriseHotel at bit.ly/moonriseTW.

Awesome children's museum with great activities for all ages. Be ready, on hot days it can be especially busy.

Great place to take the children and adults alike everyone can learn something useful especially the new downstairs and shows the presidential cabinet areas

It would be really nice if there was more seating ( benches , etc. ) for parents & disabled to comfortably sit while their children are learning & enjoying the exhibits .

Make sure you check the hours and holidays. Google doesn't typically have those hours listed and they could open earlier then you think.

The outside play area , my son never gets inside because he enjoys it so muvh. The refillable soda bottles

Really love all the new additions. We spent a lot of time in the mystery exhibit with our 9 year old son.

Pre-Order your lunch from the Picnic Basket Cafe . you skip the line and enjoy yummy fresh food . Win!

If you have kids, this place is mandatory when it's too cold (or rainy) to be outside. Something for everyone!

I feel that its very appropriate for children and not the most adult-friendly at the same time. but it is timeless.

Great place our 8 year old daughter love it! We were there 3 1/2 hours and she still didn't get enough

Discover the Magic: The Magic House

There is no greater magic than the joy that comes with sparking a child’s imagination. That sense of wonder and excitement is present around every corner of The Magic House as kids and families play and learn together every day. For more than four decades, the Kirkwood children’s museum has actively engaged children of all ages in their education through hands-on exhibits and activities that pique curiosity, enhance creativity and develop problem-solving skills.

The Magic House maintains its operations through fundraising and donations, and the nonprofit’s largest annual fundraiser, The Magic Ball: La Dolce Vita, is Sept. 29 at Stifel Theatre. The event is co-chaired by Stephanie Lee and Rebecca Sheehan, and the evening is themed after the museum’s newest cultural exhibit Ciao Bambini, which is opening in September. Lee says guests will be invited to celebrate “the sweet life” of Italian culture, including food, wine and entertainment such as opera singing and comedy from special guest Greg Warren.

The gala directly benefits the museum’s Access for All initiative, which provides free or reduced admission, field trips, outreach programs and family nights for children in need. As a former teacher herself, Lee recognizes the critical need for providing every child with opportunities to engage with learning through play. “Access for All makes visiting The Magic House possible for people who otherwise would not be able to afford it, such as children in foster care, military families and Big Brothers Big Sisters pairs,” she says. “One of the most wonderful things about The Magic House is it is truly for all children in the community—whether it’s by providing free field trips to Title I schools, offering special playtimes for kids with sensory needs or bringing traveling exhibits to local libraries.”

Currently, visitors to the museum can unravel the secrets of famous heroes of the past in Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: The Exhibit—created in partnership with the popular PBS Kids series. In September, guests will be invited to climb aboard the Mystery Machine for Scooby Doo! Mansion Mayhem, an immersive problem-solving experience centered around the beloved cartoon characters. Opening Sept. 23, Ciao Bambino will introduce families to the historical and cultural contributions of Italy. The exhibit is part of The Magic House’s World Traveler Gallery, which is designed to give kids a passport to the world by introducing them to different countries. Previous exhibits have shown a spotlight on the culture and daily lives of children living in Kenya, India, Argentina and China.

Lee notes that these special exhibits only scratch the surface of what The Magic House has to offer. Her own son enjoys visiting MADE for Kids, a 7,000-square-foot makerspace operated by the museum in the Academy-Sherman Park neighborhood. “So much of what The Magic House offers is about engaging children through their creativity,” she notes. “Whether it’s allowing kids who love Xavier Riddle to experience it in person or using hands-on activities to spark interest in STEM subjects, the museum recognizes the important role play has in learning.”

The Magic House engages children through unique, hands-on learning experiences. The Magic Ball: La Dolce Vita is Sept. 29 at Stifel Theatre. Pictured on the cover: Dr. Sunitha Thanjavuru, Rebecca Sheehan, Stephanie Lee, Maria Conley. For more information, call 314.822.8900 or visit magichouse.org.

Cover design by Julie Streiler
Cover photo by Bill Barrett

Pictured at top: The Magic House engages kids creativity through hands-on learning.
Photo courtesy of The Magic House

In addition to the Children's Village, the Magic House also features exhibits such as the Bubble Room, where visitors can create giant bubbles and learn about the science behind them. The Eco-Art exhibit introduces children to the importance of recycling and incorporates art-making using recycled materials. The museum also hosts traveling exhibits, offering visitors new and exciting experiences. These exhibits range from exploring the human body to investigating the wonders of outer space. The Magic House constantly seeks to evolve and provide innovative educational opportunities for children and families. Not only does the Magic House offer exhibits and educational programs, but it also has outdoor areas where visitors can play and explore. The museum's outdoor space includes a vegetable garden, a water play area, and a climbing structure. Overall, the Magic House St. Louis aims to inspire creativity, learning, and exploration in children through interactive exhibits and programs. It has become a beloved destination for families, educators, and young visitors from St. Louis and beyond..

Reviews for "Discovering the hidden gems of the Magic House in St. Louis"

1. Emily - 1 star - I was really disappointed with my visit to the Magic House in St. Louis. The exhibits were outdated and didn't capture my attention at all. It felt more like a children's museum rather than a place for all ages. The staff seemed disinterested and unhelpful. I also thought the admission price was too high for what was offered. Overall, I would not recommend visiting the Magic House.

2. Mike - 2 stars - My family and I visited the Magic House in St. Louis and we were not impressed. The place was overly crowded and chaotic. The exhibits were poorly maintained and some were even broken. The interactive elements didn't work properly, and we felt like we wasted our money. We expected a more fun and engaging experience, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. We won't be returning to the Magic House.

3. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high expectations for the Magic House in St. Louis, but unfortunately, it fell short. The exhibits were lackluster and not very educational or engaging. The layout of the museum was confusing, and it was difficult to find our way around. The overall experience was underwhelming, and I wouldn't recommend it to others, especially if you're looking for a more interactive and educational museum.

4. John - 1 star - I had a terrible experience at the Magic House in St. Louis. The place was overcrowded, making it difficult to navigate and enjoy the exhibits. The staff seemed overwhelmed and were unable to provide any assistance. The exhibits themselves were outdated and uninspiring. The whole experience left a lot to be desired, and I wouldn't waste my time or money on a visit to the Magic House again.

Exploring the wonders of the Magic Garden at the Magic House in St. Louis