Mordern, Free, Best Art Museums in Hazelwood

"In 1993 a 10 story, 600,000 square foot shoe factory was purchased and turned into a “city within a city” - a creation of interactive art exhibits straight from your dreams. The musuem officially opened in 1997 and has been home to some of the largest and most unique art exhibits in the United States. Here you will find 10-Story slides, indoor/outdoor adventure, a rooftop area to explore, Toddler Town, a network of caves, and so much more!"

" museums full of priceless art, children’s museums are interactive playlands for kids…with a good dollop of education. Here your kids can learn about science, art, biology, history and so much more."

"The City Museum is reimagined in a 600,000 square-foot former warehouse belonging to an International Shoe Company has a fun pavilion and source of architectural wonder for visitors."

"Since its 1910 founding, the Zoo has been renowned for its beautiful naturalistic exhibits, its diverse collection of animals and its innovative approaches to animal management, wildlife conservation, research and education. The Zoo’s Education Department staff—the largest among the nation’s zoos—offers programs designed to help visitors of all ages and abilities learn through experience, involvement and discovery. Of the three million visitors hosted annually by the Saint Louis Zoo, approximately 1.7 million visitors interacted with an Educational Interpreter, Zoo Docent or Zookeeper who provided educational experiences and information."

"Free to all, the St. Louis Art Museum not only offers a world-class exploration of the world of creative art, but it's one of the best free family activities in the state. The museum features a variety of rotating collections spanning more than five millennia of human creation from six continents and nearly every known society. General admission is free every day, while access to special exhibits is free on Fridays."

"I’m not a huge fan of art museums, but this one is pretty cool, even for me!. It’s quite the size with 3 levels that hold over 30,000 pieces of art from all over the world!. You’ll walk through many different eras of art with each one holding something different."

"Recent popular exhibitions include Harry Benson’s King & Queens and M.C. Escher’s Infinite Variations, but you don’t even have to enter the premises to appreciate the Chess Campus (a collaboration with theSaint Louis Chess Club, located across the street.) Standing 20 feet tall, you can’t miss the world’s largest chess piece standing sentry on the sidewalk. Surrounding it, and on both sides of the road, several tables with builtin boards welcome chess players of all abilities."

"If you or your kids are remotely interested in the world’s most popular and challenging game of all, a trip to this chess mecca is a must. One floor of the World Chess Hall of Fame explores the connection of chess to art, culture, and history, and the others display thought-provoking exhibits. If it’s a nice day, play a game with the toddler-sized pieces outside!"

"Named after a Kansas City, Missouri resident and lifelong patron of the arts the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum is part of Washington University’s Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts. The museum, which dates back to 1881, has exhibited the work of accomplished artists including New York City-based Rashid Johnson whose art – a mixture of painting, photography, sculpture and video – challenges perceptions of the black experience in America today, and gave the British collage artist John Stezaker his first US museum exhibition. The museum strives to expand its own collection, one of the most impressive university art collections in the country, which features a number of works produced in the 21st century including art from German painter and installation artist Franz Ackerman and Moroccan artist Yto Barrada."

"Washington University’s Kemper art museum has a large collection of contemporary and modern art. You can see works by major artists including Willem de Kooning, Berenice Abbott, Matisse, Max Beckmann and Picasso."

"The donuts were tasty but I felt uncomfortable eating since there was filth everywhere...tables, floors, glass. I was too scared to even check the restroom."

"In a town full of beloved greasy spoons and breakfast spots, there is really only one City Diner. The original location on South Grand is well-worn, yet somehow becomes cozier with each passing year and hits all the right notes that you’d expect from a classic American diner; kitsch and vintage Americana cover the walls and sleek Formica tabletops are adorned with playful mid-century boomerangs. Each weekend, from the early morning until midday, guests of the Tower Grove location can be found hovering over plates of pancakes, spectacular corned beef hash and the diner’s own take on the slinger."

"For almost 27 years, City Diner has been serving tasty breakfast fare in a retro diner setting on South Grand. When owner Peter Spoto opened the diner in 1992, it was originally located next door to its current space on South Grand Boulevard; the building once housed popular greasy spoon Pearl and Ray’s, which closed in the late 1980s. Then a regular at neighboring Mangia Italiano, Spoto saw his opportunity to bring a different kind of diner to the community."

"Larry Rugg, owner of Courtesy Diner with three locations across the city and county, hasn’t had a slinger in several months. It’s not that he doesn’t enjoy slingers – they’re delicious, he says – it’s just that Rugg’s stomach has gotten older since he bought Courtesy Diner in 1998. “The college kids burn stuff off so quickly that the bulk of a slinger doesn’t bother them a bit,” he says."

"The diners' owner claims that half of the customers this signature dish is sold to is college students — go figure. A classic slinger includes two eggs, hash browns, a hamburger patty, and chili. I dare you to get more Midwestern than that."

"There are so many different places to eat that you can’t go wrong with any of them, but the kids will really get a kick out of Fitz’s. This diner doubles as a root beer factory, and during business hours you all can watch the soda being made. In related news, the ice cream floats are a must."

"Their vintage bottles of craft soda can be found in grocery stores across the St. Louis area but the mammoth sized floats are served up at their restaurant in the Delmar Loop."