St. Louis staycation: Should you buy a membership to the zoo and other attractions?

Jennifer Rensel  

School's out and now you have to plan for fun activities to do with your children...all...summer...long. Naturally you're going to take them to some (if not all) of St. Louis' fantastic family friendly institutions. The Zoo, the Science Center, the Art Museum, the Magic House...

But should you become a member to any of these places?

All of the big St. Louis institutions offer memberships. Basic memberships are generally around $60, last a year, and offer plenty of "free" perks. You get special discounts, free parking, advanced noticed of new exhibits, and other freebies. Plus buying a membership is a tax deductible donation.

To decided if a membership is right for you and your family, you'll need to consider a few factors:

• How often do you plan to visit in a year?
• Would you visit more if it were "free"?
• How many people are in your family?

The St. Louis Zoo. (See membership details to the zoo here.) We get the "Zoo-Goer" membership. For $60 you get 36 Anywhere Passes (which are used for the train, Sea Lion Show and Children's Zoo) and 6 parking passes, plus other discounts, a magazine and a free calendar.

Is it worth it? Since parking is now $11, I figure I just paid in advance for my parking and got free tickets to the train and Children's Zoo. I can easily go to the zoo six times with my kids, who love to see the animals and ride the train. I like taking them since walking around the zoo is a good workout. I still have to pay for the carousel (which is free at the $80 level), but I get a 10% discount at the gift shop, and a get that free animal calendar.

Can you do without? Sure - the Zoo is technically free. If you arrive early you can get free street parking, and the Children's Zoo and carousel are free the first hour. Also, the zoo isn't for everyone - it's a lot of walking and not everyone is into checking out the lions, tigers and bears...oh my!

The St. Louis Science Center.  (See membership details to the Science Center here.) I got one of these last year, and I have to admit, I haven't used it like I thought I would. I got the "Friends and Family" level at $85 (with a $10 discount with my AAA membership). This level is for six people, you get 10 OmniMax tickets, 6 parking passes, and free admission (for 6) to the special exhibits and Discovery Room.

Is it worth it? Maybe. Calculate the cost of a Science Center visit: with $8 for parking and $8-$7 for OmniMax tickets, it can cost $30 just to park and see a movie with two kids. Add a visit to the Discovery Room ($3) and the Space Show ($5-$4) and that visit with two kids is now $52. Wanna see Sue the Dinosaurs (who's coming back, by the way) for $8-$6, and now my visit cost $72. But, the membership value really only kicks in if you go more than once a year.

Can you do without? Yes. Most of the fun stuff in the Science Center is free, and parking is free on the planetarium side (the old part of the Science Center, where you parked as a kid). If you have small kids they may be overwhelmed by the OmniMax, and if you have older kids you won't be doing the Discovery Room. But if you like to see the OmniMax shows and special exhibits, a membership can save you big bucks after the second visit.

Other attractions: I'm not a member to either the Art Museum or Magic House. Why? It's not worth the expense for my family. Both have free parking, which is the biggest perk for the Zoo. The Art Museum is "free" - if you live in St. Louis or St. Louis County, your tax dollars are already supporting the museum. Also, since I have little kids, the Art Museum is only a once a year trip, usually on a rainy summer day. The Magic House only costs $8.50 per person - which can add up if you have lots of kids. But for my threesome, I'd have to visit 9 times a year to get my money's worth from a $75 basic membership. Also, there are lots of 2-1 coupons out there for the Magic House, so I never pay full price.

Don't forget to make your St. Louis Summer passport and fill it full of fun activities to do over summer vacation.

Check out this post to find all the cool St. Louis parks in town.