The Garden Glow at the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis City

Location: 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110

Website: http://glow.missouribotanicalgarden.org/

The lights here are nothing short of amazing. It's definitely a show-stopping display and it is the most expensive of all the light displays in town. It's all outside so dress for the weather. If you buy tickets it includes admission to the indoor Gardenland Express train and poinsettia show.

Regular admission for non-members is $20-$24 per adult and $5-$10 per child for kids over 2. They sell tickets in advance online or you can walk up, but walk-ups are not guaranteed and they frequently sell out.

The installations are unique, they are not your typical "Christmas light" displays. Guests will enjoy lights scattered throughout popular garden locations, interactive photo opportunities, & music. Winter-themed concessions will also be available including s'mores stations. This is such a fun event for people of all ages! They keep adding more every year so don't think it's the same event that you saw in the past. 

So many cute photo ops!

 

 Inside a snow globe

At the end, you will find the 12 days of Christmas. Here are 12 drummers drumming

7 swans a swimming

3 French hens

Cool image from the St. Louis Post Dispatch of the maze from above. 

The coolest element in my opinion is the beautiful show projected on Shaw's House. Here are some videos:

Upside-down Christmas tree

Eureka Mountain Bike Park, Eureka

Location: 1 Coffey Park Ln., Eureka, MO 63025

Website: https://www.eureka.mo.us/Facilities/Facility/Details/Eureka-Mountain-Bike-Park-17

Amenities: 

• Bike Playground - The Foothills
• Bike Trail
• Colossus Two Way Directional Trail
• Drop Zone Trail-Intermediate
• Dual Slalom
• East Coast Trail-Beginner
• North Shore Trail-Intermediate
• Parking
• Pump & Jump Trail
• Restrooms
• Rocky IV-Intermediate Trail
• The Kraken-Intermediate Trail
• Walking Trail-These Boots
• West Coast Trail-Beginner
• Wildcat Jumps Trail-Intermediate

This park is awesome, and it's free and open to the general public. It's open from dawn to dusk and it's back behind the Timbers of Eureka. There are several trails that range from beginner to intermediate. There are restrooms and a covered pavilion right next to it, but the restrooms are closed for the winter. (They brought in a port a potty but I'm not sure how long it will be there). Beware of mud- I took my daughter a couple days after heavy rain and there was a lot of mud from the bike tires in the back of our SUV! 

To see more photos and bikers in action check out their Facebook page. What a great addition to Eureka! My daughter loved riding her bike here and watching older kids do jumps and tricks. 

Shaw Park, Eureka

Location: Bounded by Meramec Blvd, Sierra Village Dr, and Shaw Dr, Eureka, MO 63025

Website: None

Playground Ground Cover: Pea gravel

This is not an official Eureka Park, so there's no real info online, but it's a nice park nonetheless. It is comprised of a decent-sized playground right off of Meramec, and down the hill is a beautiful lake and another older playground. The play structure has several slides, monkey bars, poles, and a rock wall. Please note there are no bathrooms here.

There is a picnic table and a small BBQ pit here as well.

 To get to the older playground just walk down the hill towards the lake. 

Hard to see but this is a horseshoe pit

One of the horses is awol! 

Little creek bed under the bridge

This playground is obviously older but has some unique things. A log cabin, a wagon to climb on, 3 rocking horses, some kind of rocket-like climbing structure, a slide, and 3 more rocking animals. It's a beautiful setting with the lake and small creek and we saw a blue heron and lots of ducks on the lake.

Woodson Park, Overland

Location: 1655 Woodson Rd, Overland, MO 63114

Website: http://overlandmo.org/241/Woodson-Road-Park

Playground Ground Cover: Pea Gravel

This park is older but in good condition. This park is 6.5 acres and has a gazebo, 5 lighted tennis courts, and electricity at the gazebo.

There are no swings here but the play structure is a decent size. It has several slides, a steering wheel, a bridge, and tons of bars and poles. I just hate that it has pea gravel. This park is best suited for bigger kids.