Citygarden is a free three-acre downtown park with modern and contemporary sculptures, landscaping and reflecting pools. There are no walls, fences or admission fees, and you're allowed to touch the art. Open sunrise to 10pm every day. The children's spray plaza runs only from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day; from November through February the garden is decorated with holiday lights.
Tuesday–Sunday 10am–5pm, Fridays until 9pm; closed Mondays, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Saint Louis Art Museum · St. Louis
The Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park is free every day, Tuesday through Sunday 10am to 5pm, and open until 9pm on Fridays. Free public lots sit across Fine Arts Drive; the garage costs $10 off-peak.
Tuesday–Sunday 10am–5pm, Thursday until 8pm; closed Mondays
Missouri History Museum · St. Louis
The Missouri History Museum tells St. Louis's story, from the 1904 World's Fair to baseball. Admission is free. Open Tuesday through Sunday 10am to 5pm, Thursdays until 8pm. About 400 free parking spaces are in the nearby Twin Lots.
The museum beneath the Gateway Arch covers St. Louis from its 1764 founding to the Arch's completion in 1965, across six galleries. It's free and needs no ticket. Open daily 9am to 6pm. The tram ride to the top and the documentary film are ticketed.
Daily 9am–5pm; ranger tours most days at 2:15pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
Old Courthouse · St. Louis
The Old Courthouse, part of Gateway Arch National Park, has four museum galleries and two restored courtrooms to explore on your own. There's no admission fee, and rangers lead tours most days at 2:15pm with no ticket needed. Open daily 9am to 5pm.
From the Parish House window at Trinity + Soulard church, volunteers serve hot food and hand out essentials to anyone who's hungry, Monday through Saturday, 9:30 to 10:30am.
Daily 9am–5pm; closed Thanksgiving, Dec 25 and Jan 1
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site · St. Louis
Visit White Haven, the family home of Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Dent Grant, in south St. Louis County. Entrance and guided tours of the main house are free. The visitor center has an introductory film and a museum in the historic stable. Open daily 9am to 5pm.
Daily 7am until 30 minutes past sunset; indoor galleries Thu–Fri 11am–4pm, Sat–Sun 10am–4pm (from Nov 5)
Laumeier Sculpture Park · St. Louis
Laumeier Sculpture Park in Sunset Hills has large outdoor sculptures along trails and lawns, free and open year-round from 7am until 30 minutes past sunset. The indoor galleries at the Aronson Fine Arts Center are open Thursday to Sunday.
Isaiah 58 Ministries' clothing room offers gently used clothing for all ages, infant to plus sizes, plus household items and business attire for job interviews. Tuesdays to Thursdays, 10am to 1pm; no appointment. The ministry's own page says the room is open to all, once a month per household; the City of St. Louis's food-help page lists it for ZIP codes 63104, 63110, 63118 and 63116 only, so call 314-776-1410 if you live elsewhere. Bring a photo ID. Free showers are also offered Wednesdays 9am to noon.
Verified Oct 27 · i58ministries.org
Catch: Bring a photo ID · Once per month per household
Grounds daily dawn to dusk; Interpretive Center lobby Wed–Sun 9am–3pm
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site · St. Louis
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, eight miles from downtown St. Louis near Collinsville, Illinois, preserves the mounds of an ancient Native American city. There's no admission or parking fee. Grounds and trails are open daily dawn to dusk; the Interpretive Center lobby is open Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 3pm, while the galleries are renovated. Donations are welcome.
First Friday of most months, from dusk (weather permitting)
McDonnell Planetarium (Saint Louis Science Center) · St. Louis
On the first Friday of most months, amateur astronomers from local clubs set up telescopes on the grounds of the McDonnell Planetarium in Forest Park, starting at dusk. Free and weather permitting; check the Science Center's calendar before you go.
Every Friday the Saint Louis Art Museum waives admission to its ticketed main exhibitions, such as Women Impressionists and the Land, and stays open until 9pm with free programs throughout the day.
Wednesday–Sunday 10am–5pm; Thursday until 7pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis in Grand Center shows rotating contemporary art. Admission is free and no tickets are needed. Open Wednesday through Sunday 10am to 5pm, and Thursdays until 7pm.
11am–5pm daily except Tuesdays; first Friday of the month until 8pm; closed university holidays
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University · St. Louis
Washington University's Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum shows its collection and changing exhibitions on the Danforth Campus. Admission is always free. Open 11am to 5pm daily except Tuesdays, and until 8pm on the first Friday of the month. Street parking is available on Skinker and in Forest Park.
Thursday–Sunday 10am–5pm; First Fridays until 9pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
Pulitzer Arts Foundation · St. Louis
The Pulitzer Arts Foundation in Grand Center shows changing art exhibitions. Admission is free. Open Thursday through Sunday, 10am to 5pm, and until 9pm on First Fridays.
St. Louis County Library offers scholarships for adults to earn an accredited high school diploma online through Excel Adult High School, with unlimited online tutoring, career planning and up to seven free college-level courses. Students have up to 24 months to finish. Scholarships are limited; email excel@slcl.org.
Verified Oct 27 · slcl.org
Catch: Only for: adult residents of the St. Louis County Library District, 25 or older, who completed 8th grade · Limited scholarships: online self-assessment, prerequisite course and interview required · St. Louis County Library card required
On the third Thursday of each month, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri staff are at Central Library from 9am to noon to give free advice on civil legal problems, housing, family law, youth and education advocacy, and help for adults with mental illness. Between clinics, call Legal Services at 314-534-4200.
Online, self-paced; scholarships available through December 2027
St. Louis County Library (online)
St. Louis County Library and TechSTL offer full scholarships to Coursera and Grow with Google certificates in fields like data analytics, UX design, cybersecurity, digital marketing and project management. Anyone with a valid library card can request one; scholarships run through December 2027.
Verified Oct 27 · slcl.org
Catch: Library card required · Apply for a scholarship
St. Louis County Library cardholders can get free, unlimited Headspace meditation for six months by signing up during an open enrollment. The next enrollment opens January 2, 2027, at 9am, for January to June 2027. Spots are limited.
Verified Oct 27 · slcl.org
Catch: Library card required · Limited spots: sign up during open enrollment
During branch hours (offer posted Oct 16, 2026; no end date given)
St. Louis County Library branches
New to classical music? Every St. Louis County Library branch hands out free St. Louis Symphony Orchestra concert vouchers to library patrons attending the symphony for the first time. Ask at the service desk of any branch.
Verified Oct 27 · slcl.org
Catch: Only for: first-time St. Louis Symphony Orchestra attendees · Library patrons: ask at a branch service desk
St. Louis Public Library's Julia Davis Tool Library lends home repair and maintenance equipment for up to 21 days, free with a library card. Reserve tools online, then pick them up and return them at the Julia Davis Library circulation desk. Borrowers must be 18+ and sign a waiver the first time.
Verified Oct 27 · slpl.org
Catch: St. Louis Public Library card in good standing required · Only for: adults 18+ · Signed borrower agreement and waiver
Scheduled classes monthly; registration opens the 1st of the previous month
St. Louis County Library branches and online
St. Louis County Library runs free computer classes for every skill level, open to everyone: basic word processing, Excel and PowerPoint, even help setting up an email account, in branches and on Zoom. Registration opens the first day of the month before each class; call 314-994-3300 or sign up online.
During library hours; workshops on the Creative Experience calendar
Central Library (also Barr and Julia Davis) · St. Louis
Creative Experience at the Barr, Central and Julia Davis libraries are free digital makerspaces for all ages, with tools and a recording room for music, video and design projects. All you need is a St. Louis Public Library card. Orientations and workshops, like sewing machine basics, are on the calendar.
St. Louis Public Library notarizes documents for free whenever a notary is on duty, from opening until 15 minutes before closing. A notary isn't always available, so call ahead. Bring your completed, unsigned document and a valid, unexpired photo ID; call 314-241-2288 for an appointment for multiple or long documents.
Every St. Louis County Library cardholder gets $5 of free printing each month, good for printouts, copies, and Creative Lab projects like 3D printing and posters. Cards are free if you live in or pay property taxes in St. Louis County, St. Louis City or St. Charles County.
Verified Oct 27 · slcl.org
Catch: Library card required (free for St. Louis County, City and St. Charles County residents and taxpayers)
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