History Trippin' 

We’ve found another “don’t miss” destination in St. Louis.  This one ranks as one of my top 10 so far.  It’s the Missouri Botanical Gardens.  I know, it sounds tame, but this stop had it all.  We went on a Wednesday night after 5pm and got in free.  Free is good.  Second, on Wednesday nights during the summer you can enjoy the Whitaker Music Festival.  We got to hear the fabulous Tony Simmons Band play some great jazz, the “make you want to get up and dance” kind.  This is the only night that you are allowed to picnic on the grounds.  Everyone brings their coolers and blankets and chairs and lounges with a nice beverage and a snack while listening to the music and chatting with friends and family.  On this night your children will also get to enjoy the Children’s Garden at no extra charge from 5-7pm.  (you’ll need to get there at 5 if you want to lay claim to a good piece of real estate in front of the stage)

We originally came just for the Children’s Garden and were pleasantly surprised.  I am a big fan of wildly overdone children’s stuff.  You should have seen our kids’ last bedroom.  They had bunk beds with a pirate ship façade on the front and a ladder that had an anchor attached.  There was a giant map of the world on one wall (to guide our travels) and a huge mural of the sea on the other.  There were life preservers and fishing nets hung on the walls and stuffed fish covering the beds.  So, you see, I appreciate it when people go “all out” for a project.  The Children’s Garden is definitely “all out”.  I was really impressed.  Your little ones can “venture into a limestone cave, glide down Spelunker’s Slide, explore the wetlands, board a steamboat, climb to new heights in the tree house, or visit a Midwestern prairie village.”  When they’ve had their fill of the Children’s Garden, you can stroll through the rest of the garden and see what’s blooming and the amazing Niki sculptures (until Oct. 31, 2008).   According to the website,

“Niki at the Missouri Botanical Garden is the first time the works of artist Niki de Saint Phalle have been seen in St. Louis in an exhibition of this magnitude.   Forty monumental mosaic sculptures made in a rainbow of colors and materials from fiberglass, stones, glass, mirrors, and semi-precious materials will be placed throughout the Garden.  The sculptures range up to 18 feet tall, and some weigh up to a ton or more, such as the amazing six-ton skull. Children are encouraged to touch, sit on, and even climb some of the works.”

So there you have it…art, music, fun physical activity for the kids, and a picnic in a beautiful garden setting – all free.  What more could you ask?  Don’t miss it!