Local Events: Celebrate the Winter Season at the Missouri Botanical Gardens

 

St. Louis and the surrounding areas are wonderful places to celebrate the season with loved ones. This is especially true for families blessed with small children. Why? Many local attractions make it a point to dress up in their best holiday finery and invite Santa over for a visit. One such place is the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Its staff, along with those employed at the gardens’ companion venues in Chesterfield and Gray Summit, are all hosting very special, local events throughout the month of December. With that said, here’s a quick look at when to bring the kids to the gardens:

Supper with Santa (Chesterfield)

What are you doing every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, the first three weeks of December? If you’ve got nothing scheduled, why not pick one weekend and head to the Butterfly House in Chesterfield? For a limited time only, kids one year’s old and younger are welcome to enjoy Supper with Santa from 4:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. Older children are also welcome. However, everyone over one year of age must pay an admission fee to get in and break bread with the big guy. Advance registration is required to attend dinner with the jolly old elf and it may be completed online.

Garden Glow (St. Louis)

When you’re done dining with the North Pole’s top celebrity, consider taking a stroll through the Annual Garden Glow event in St. Louis. It’s an absolutely amazing array of family friendly, holiday lights displays, Christmas trees, festive music and seasonal fare. The event opened up on November 22nd and is expected to run through Saturday, January 3rd, from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. on designated days. Advance tickets are a must and prices start at $6 per person.

Gardenland Express (St. Louis)

If the kids love G-scale trains and miniature Christmas scenes, make plans to attend the venue’s Gardenland Express too. It’s a combination event that should appeal to moms, dads and kids alike. Parents will have opportunities to gaze at all sorts of live holiday finery while the kids can check out the trains. The event is slated to take place daily from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. from now until Sunday, January 4th.

Candle Making (Gray Summit)

The older kids may also enjoy candle making at the Shaw Nature Reserve in nearby Gray Summit. It’s set to take place twice on Saturday, December 13th at the reserve’s Adlyne Freund Center. The first candle making session is due to kick off at 9:30 a.m. sharp and run until 11:30 a.m. The second session is anticipated to begin at 1 p.m. and end at 3 p.m. All candle making supplies will be provided by the reserve’s staff and admission fees start at $3 per person. Advance registration is strongly suggested so the kids don’t get shut out by the holiday crowds.

Those are just a few of the many holiday events taking place at the Missouri Botanical Gardens and the surrounding area. To learn more about the top seasonal activities St. Louis has to offer, please contact us today. We can help you find the best places to get and stay merry all year round.