St. Louis loves to party but between New Year’s Eve and Mardi Gras, there’s plenty of that going on. So sometimes we like to enjoy a quiet, relaxing weekend with family or a nice date night with a significant other. And there’s no place better in St. Louis to find what you’re looking for than Forest Park. Winters in Forest Park are spectacular, so take advantage of them.

First, we have the Steinberg Skating Rink. This is a must-do. You can eat at any restaurant, drink at any bar and shop at any store all year long, but what you can only do from November 16th through February 28th each year is ice skate at Steinberg. They’re open until midnight every weekend, they give ice skating lessons, they have a cafe where you can warm up with hot chocolate, plus a full menu and a bonfire. They even have beer.

Then we move on to the St. Louis Zoo. Yes, it’s mostly outdoors so it’s not ideal to wander around it during the Winter months, but there are plenty of indoor animal facilities, plus several gifts shops and the indoor Lakeside Cafe which has a full menu where you can warm up with coffee or hot chocolate. But what’s most fun about the zoo in the Winter is the Penguin Parade. On Sundays at 2pm, from December 2nd through February 10th, (which means you only have 6 more chances to witness it), the King and Gentoo Penguins from the St. Louis Zoo come out to parade around outside the Penguin  Puffin Coast for about 30 minutes (as long as it’s below 50 degrees).

Look at these little guys. They’re too cute!

 

Then there’s the Missouri History Museum. Generally when I think of the word history, I don’t think of fun. But the Missouri History Museum in Forest park is exactly that. From their outdoor Twilight Concert series every Summer to their Free Family Film Days during the Winter months. Speaking of which, here’s the remaining line-up:

Saturday, January 12 at 12:30pm The Incredibles

Saturday, February 2 at 12:30pm Tangled

Saturday, March 2 at 12:30pm Dr. Suess’ The Lorax

And while I wouldn’t normally spend a Summer day inside checking out Gridiron Glory: The Best of Pro Football Hall Of Fame, I’m certainly up for spending hours on a cold Winter day inside checking out Underneath It All, the exhibit that ends January 27th chronicling the evolution of women’s undergarments. Oh come on guys, you know you want to see it too.

And last but not least…and not technically in Forest Park but close enough, is the St. Louis Science Center. The Science Center is not just for small children…kids maybe, but they come in all sizes and ages. My favorite thing about it is the OMNIMAX theater. I freaking love them, especially the flying or boating ones! So through January 20th, there’s Born To Be Wild and Rocky Mountain Express showing. While I love animals, judging from the preview video, Rocky Mountain Express will be pretty awesome.

In addition to the films, however, the Science Center is currently hosting Wild Saturdays. Through the end of January, a local wildlife rescue or animal organization will be on-site with animals, which visitors will be able to interact with. The schedule:

Saturday, January 12 from 10am-3pm: St. Louis Zoo

Saturday, January 26 from 10am-3pm: Humane Society of Missouri with Canine Good Citizen Dogs

So there you have it, Forest Park is the place to be in St. Louis during the month of January. What event are you most excited about checking out?

 

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