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.
Daily 9am–4pm through Dec 31 (fall/winter hours); 2pm close Nov 26 and Dec 24, 3pm Dec 31; closed Dec 25
Saint Louis Zoo · St. Louis
The Saint Louis Zoo in Forest Park is always free to enter. Fall and winter hours (through Dec 31, 2026) are 9am to 4pm daily, with last entry 15 minutes before closing. It closes at 2pm on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, at 3pm on New Year's Eve, and all day on Christmas. Some rides, attractions and parking cost extra.
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.
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.
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.
Mon, Wed–Sat 9:30am–4:30pm; Sun 11am–4:30pm; closed Tuesdays
Saint Louis Science Center · St. Louis
General admission to the Saint Louis Science Center is always free, with hands-on exhibits across the main building and the McDonnell Planetarium. Open 9:30am to 4:30pm (Sundays from 11am), closed Tuesdays. Parking at the main building is $15, and the planetarium shows, OMNIMAX films and special exhibitions are ticketed.
Soldiers Memorial Military Museum downtown tells the stories of St. Louisans in military service. Admission is free. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 5pm. Free lockers are available in the East Lobby.
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.
Verified Oct 27 · pulitzerarts.org
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