Winter Activiites in St. Louis, MO

One fun winter activity in St. Louis, MO can be found at the St. Louis Science Center at 5050 Oakland, St. Louis, MO 63110, phone 314-289-4400, where they host a Wacky Winter Workshop for children. Using games as the theme, children are offered a wide array of re-purposed materials and urged to invent fun games for themselves or as gifts for friends and family. They have set up an idea bank for those who suffer from creativity ennui.

There is another St. Louis winter activity that our family never misses and that is visiting the old Chain of Rocks Bridge at the far northern reaches of St. Louis and watching the bald eagles who winter there. Take your binoculars and plan to spend the afternoon. In mid- January, they have a two-day event with family programs and reenactors demonstrating the Lewis & Clark expedition teams activities.

As soon as the first snow falls, people from all over the area head to Art Hill in Forest Park, home of the St. Louis Zoo, for sledding, which has been a popular winter activity in St. Louis for over 100 years. People of all sizes and ages trudge up Art Hill, dragging their sleds, toboggans, plastic snow discs or even cardboard so they can make the dizzying trip down the hill, only to repeat it, over and over.

Although most people don't associate skiing as a winter activity in St. Louis, we have a beautiful skiing facility called Hidden Valley Ski Resort about 25 miles west of St. Louis. Located at 17409 Hidden Valley Drive, Wildwood, MO 63025, Hidden Valley has ski trails for all level of competence from beginners to experts as well as trails for snowboarders. Utilizing state of the art snowmaking equipment, they keep their slopes covered with snow for the entire skiing season that usually runs from mid-December through the first of March. In case of unseasonably warm weather, these dates may vary, so you should call their 24-hour snow report hotline at 636-938-6999 to check on conditions. The trails are lighted for the night skiing, which is offered every evening, with special midnight ski runs on Friday and Saturday beginning in December. On New Year's Eve, there is a special Midnight Madness Run, ending with a fireworks display at midnight. There are also special programs for Martin Luther King Day, Valentine's Day and President's Day. You can call them at 636-938-5373 for more information about these events or to get information on rental prices for skis or snowboards as well as lift tickets.

After you finish skiing, you should head over to my absolute favorite winter activity in St. Louis. The Wild Canid Survival and Research Center is located on highway 44 at the Beaumont/Antire Roads exit on the north side of the highway, approximately 25 miles southwest of St. Louis. The purpose of the Wolf Sanctuary, as it is commonly called, is to help preserve endangered wild canids of the world with breeding programs, educating the public and research. Activities center on reintroducing endangered species back to their native habitat.

One of their most popular programs is called the Campfire Program. Running from September through March, visitors are taken on a tour of the facility, giving them a glimpse of the wolves in their natural habitat. At the end of the hike, visitors are greeted with a giant campfire and invited to sit down and listen to the wolves howl. The eerie howls will send chills down your spine. The Campfire Programs last for approximately two hours and are by reservation only. They are usually booked months in advance, but you can call to check on availability at 636-938-5900.

What a great, fun, family oriented winter activity in St. Louis.