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But when you want something a little different, we have you covered. Here are some ideas on where to take the kids for indoor fun during St. Louis’ summers. This list is by no means exhaustive, so let us know your favorite spots. Note: There is a fee associated with most of these places.

Editor's note: This article was originally published in August 2024.

Union Station and the Aquarium

From the minute your kids arrive at Union Station, they will feel like they are on a vacation. Start with a tram ride. A driver picks you up at your car and tells jokes on the way to the entrance of the which opened in 2019.

Inside, the nods to historic Union Station are evident, from the gorgeous grand lobby to the fish swimming inside a tank made to look like the clock face on the Union Station tower. Kids will love “Journey� in the train car with its digital “windows� and fun narration by John Goodman. Then the real fun begins: otters, tanks where you can touch jellyfish (or just watch them, mesmerized), stingrays and more sea life. There’s a kids area where they can blow off steam and then the highlight: the sharks. A 250,000-gallon tank — the aquarium’s largest — holds 60 sharks and stingrays and other fish. The daily talks offered there entertain and educate.

After the aquarium, Union Station has several other indoor activities to entertain kids: there is a mirror maze, a selfie studio and a ropes course with a zipline. Heck, even the cars on the Ferris wheel are indoors and air-conditioned for the brave.

And don’t forget to stop in at the Soda Fountain. Kids will love the candy emporium in there as well as the Freak Shakes. You know the ones, piled high with nonsense like a Pop-Tart, brownie or kaleidoscopic lollipop.

City Foundry

Much like the aquarium, the offers several indoor attractions in one. First, visitors will love being able to choose their own restaurant from among the 17 inside the food hall. There’s even a life-size chess board where kids can play.

Have lunch there before you hit the big indoor attractions: Puttshack, the Museum of Illusions and Sandbox VR. At Puttshack, you don’t need to keep score of your minigolf game because some magic inside the balls tracks your putts for you. It’s all very high tech, and kids will get a kick out of the course’s special effects. Sandbox VR lets you explore six immersive VR worlds with your friends. You can visit space, a haunted mansion and more. Nothing is as it seems at the Museum of Illusions, which opened in May. Illusions include one that makes a person look very tall and another person look very short or one that makes it look like you’re doing a handstand on a table at a local diner.

Indoor amusement parks

There are a handful of places in the region that offer everything from bumper cars to laser tag to video games and much more. We’ll call them indoor amusement parks. Some of our favorites are in Town and Country, which has go-karts, axe throwing, a ropes course and more; in Chesterfield, which adds laser tag, bowling and a ropes course to its array of video games; the , with laser tag, go-karts, bumper cars, VR rides and bowling; in Sappington, which has rides to go along with its go-karts and bumper cars; and in St. Peters, which has kiddie rides, escape rooms, bowling, go-karts and more. Just opened last fall, Joe Edwards’ in the Loop has whimsical holes, some of which have St. Louis or Delmar Loop themes. You’ll also find a Ferris wheel, pinball and more.

Video games

Yes, you are trying to get your kids off their devices, but pinball and some old-fashioned arcade games offer something a little different. has a basement full of pinball machines. in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ allows kids to play its games from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. in Maryland Heights is like Chuck E. Cheese for grownups and older kids. For that matter, don’t discount the fun kids have at (locations in Fairview Heights, South County, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and Ellisville). And kids can completely get off screens at in Soulard with shelves and shelves of board games, new and classic.

Trampoline parks

Give kids a trampoline, and you’ve got hours of fun and a lot of energy burned. When opened in Chesterfield nearly 20 years ago, it started a trend. Now you can find locations in Fenton, Fairview Heights, Ballwin, and soon Shrewsbury and O’Fallon, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. Other trampoline parks include in Glen Carbon; in Chesterfield and South St. Louis County; in Brentwood, Shrewsbury and O’Fallon, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥; and in Sunset Hills and Cottleville.

Play museums

When you want kids to burn off energy, but playgrounds are just too hot, try play places such as City Museum, the St. Louis Science Center and the Magic House. The has indoor exhibits and a kids play area with loads of train tables. All are iconic St. Louis destinations every kid should experience at some time. But there are other, smaller play museums, too. There’s at the Streets of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, in Town and Country and the in Edwardsville. Try Slick City, the new slide place in Chesterfield or , with a variety of obstacle courses. And while it’s not the sort of place you would usually think of playing, the offers Family Sundays with a theme and an art project.

Ice skating

Most rinks in the area are open for summer with open skates, and all rinks are brrrr cold, so when it’s so hot you can’t seem to cool down, they are a perfect place to go. Our favorites include the in Maryland Heights and the . See our guide to area ice rinks here. Roller or inline rinks in the area are another option.

Escape rooms

Older kids will love escape rooms, in which a group of people are locked in a room requiring them to solve a series of puzzles within a certain amount of time to find the key to unlock the room. These are great for families, but do typically require advanced registration. At downtown, kids 10 and over can play with adults so long as it’s a private party or 14-and-older can play in any room with a chaperone. with locations downtown and in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, are recommended for ages 8 and up and feature such rooms as “Cursed Castleâ€� and “Stadium Scare.â€� At also downtown, the recommended age is 12 and up.

Indoor pickleball

Pickleball is all the rage, and even young kids are getting involved. We saw a variety of pickleball summer camps, and now kids can continue their play. St. Louis offers a number of indoor facilities: in Olivette has eight pickleball courts and six padel courts, which are somewhat larger. in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has six indoor courts. in Lake Saint Lous offers Junior Pickleball on its indoor courts for ages 8-12 on Wednesdays and has junior play on Mondays on its indoor courts. Many rec centers and YMCAs also offer pickleball and other indoor sports.

Libraries

Though most items on this list have a cost associated with them, libraries offer entertainments for kids free of charge. Even small branches, like the Kisker branch of the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ City-County Library, have smart boards for kids to draw on and play tables. At the newly open Clark Family branch of the the Stephany and Richard Kniep Children’s Space features a large playhouse, a fire engine and other interactive learning activities. A teen space offers a 3D printer, recording studio and games. The St. Louis Public Library’s Barr, Central and Julia Davis branches offer digital maker space for free. Nearly all branches and small local libraries offer some type of kids programming, from story times to playdates.

Game Show Battle Rooms

A place unlike any other, though it definitely requires some forethought and a reservation, Game Show Battle Rooms in Chesterfield offers a chance for you and a group of friends to participate in live-action games, such as their version of “Family Feud� and “The Price is Right.� You’ll need a group of at least six people, and though it is recommended kids be 10 and up, playing with adults, Battle Rooms now offers a kids show with questions designed for kids 10-15.

Editor's note: This article was originally published in August 2024.