St. Louis has an array of new enrichment opportunities in store for students in summer 2015.
Be sure to visit the Saint Louis Zoo’s newest summer attraction McDonnell Polar Bear Point, a 40,000 square foot, $15 million state-of-the-art polar bear habitat. Enjoy an Arctic cave room with a four-panel viewing wall where visitors can view polar bears swimming in a 13-foot deep pool, carrying 50,000 gallons of saltwater.
Polar Bear Point will be situated between Bear Bluffs and Penguin & Puffin Coast. It is the newest exhibit this summer at the Zoo, which also features new exhibits areas: the Purina Painted Dog Preserve, Andean Bear Range and Sun Bear Forest.
Also animal-friendly and featuring over 900 animals, is Grants Farm which will open on April 11. Newest attractions include swan shaped paddle boat rides on Mirror Lake and a parakeet feeding station located next to The Bauernhof. The 281-acre farm first opened in 1954 and has had over 24 million visitors.
Six Flags St. Louis will open Friday, April 3 with a new ride for summer. Justice League: Battle for Metropolis is a 4D interactive dark ride experience. Superheroes will have the opportunity to save Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Green Lantern from Lex Luthor and The Joker on this adventure ride.
And if you’re looking for a more educational pursuit check out the Saint Louis Science Center. With an $815,000 grant from NASA, the Science Center is one of only 10 organizations in the country selected to receive funding to support informal STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs.
The grant will fund a new Mars exploration exhibit titled, “Bridging Earth and Mars (BEAM): Engineering Robots to Explore the Red Planet” which will open this summer. Visitors will simulate Mars exploration through programming a robotic rover in the main building of the Science Center and watch the rover at work in the James S. McDonnell Planetarium in Forest Park.
The Missouri Botanical Gardens presents an all-new Lantern Festival: Magic Reimagined from May 23 through Aug. 23. Lantern festivals are an essential part of Chinese culture and celebrate the Chinese New Year. The 22 sets of ornate lanterns will be made from silk, wire and porcelain materials. Each lantern will light up the sky along with a detailed interpretation of the design’s symbolism and tradition.
Likewise, The Magic House is also providing learning experiences about Asian culture with the Children’s China: Celebrating Culture, Character and Confucius exhibit. This nationally traveling exhibit is open now until September 7 and provides a glimpse of what life is like today for a child in China.
Children and teens, grades 3-12, can join the summer vacation challenge by entering the St. Louis Convention and Visitor Commission’s Ultimate Tourist Contest. Winners will receive $500 and be featured on explorestlouis.com and in the 2016 Official St. Louis Visitor’s Guide. From May 1- Sept. 7, visit at least three St. Louis attractions and tell us about your experiences in a 500-word essay. Visit explorestlouis.com for more information.
