Self-guided Visits

Boy looking at bog plantsCome explore the Missouri Botanical Garden with your class on your own! We offer a variety of tools to help you design a class visit that makes the most of what the Garden has to offer.

Self-guided groups MUST pre-register.

Fees for Self-guided Visits:

Schools within St. Louis City and County (ZMD):
Students in grades PK–12: free
Adult chaperones (1 for every 5 students): free
Additional chaperones: regular admission

Schools outside of St. Louis City and County:
Students in grades PK–8: free
Students in grades 9–12: $8 per student
Adult chaperones (1 for every 5 students): free
Additional chaperones: regular admission

Please be aware that all school groups must bring at least one adult for every five students in attendance, and that students aged 16 and under should be chaperoned by an adult at all times.

Download a Garden map for school groups
Go to our FAQ page

REGISTER for a Self-guided Visit

Shaw’s Satchels

Enhance your self-guided visit by reserving a Shaw’s Satchel at the time of your reservation.  Shaw’s Satchels provide teachers with all of the materials needed to complete several age-appropriate explorations throughout the Garden.

Each satchel contains a leader guide and enough materials for up to 10 students.

Cost:  $5 per satchel*

Current offerings include:

Grades K–2:   In the Garden (download Teacher’s Guide)
Grades 3–5:   Horticulture (download Teacher’s Guide)
Grades 3–5:   Tree Trek (download Teacher’s Guide)
Grades 6–8:   The Rainforest (download Teacher’s Guide)

Satchels will be available for pickup at the entry gate when you arrive and may be returned there when you leave. Please be aware that supplies are limited, and reservations must be made before your visit.

*Schools within St. Louis City and County may check satchels out free of charge thanks to the generous support of the Zoo-Museum District!

Register for a Self-guided Visit and reserve Shaw's Satchels

 

Visit the Children's Garden

Children's Garden Logo

The Doris I. Schnuck Children's Garden offers a wide array of hands-on exploration and play-centered learning opportunities! Your students can explore a Missouri wetland with Lewis and Clark, explore a cave and pilot a steamboat with Mark Twain, pretend to keep shop in a settlement town with Daniel Boone, or explore the parts of plants and their role in an ecosystem with Henry Shaw!

Open:  9 a.m.–4 p.m., April–October
Admission:  $3 per pre-registered student*, all accompanying adult chaperones admitted free of charge. Membership discounts do not apply to groups of any kind.

Learn more about the Children's Garden

Teachers planning to visit the Children's Garden should keep in mind the following guidelines:

  • Admission fees are due on the day of your visit at the Ticket Fort in front of the Children's Garden. Please note that there are no scholarships available to cover Children's Garden admission fees at this time.

  • School Groups should register their visit at least two weeks in advance of their planned visit. Registered school groups receive the discounted rate of $3 per child. Unregistered groups will not receive the discounted rate but will instead be charged $5 per child. 

  • To ensure the safety of all Children's Garden visitors, students should be under the supervision of adult chaperones at all times. Teachers are encouraged to assign students to specific adults before entering the play area. 1 adult chaperone per 5 students is required in the Children's Garden.

  • Capacity is limited. Registering early is advised. Unregistered groups run the risk of being turned away on very busy days.

Register for a Children's Garden visit (Self-guided Visit)

 

Pot-a-Plant in the PlantLab
Volunteer potting plants with studentsYour students can bring the Garden home (or back to your classroom)! Pot-a-Plant sessions run fifteen minutes and include a short topical discussion of the type of plant and method of propagation, a guided planting session, and instructions for care. Each student's plant will be packaged in a labeled biodegradable bag and loaded into a cardboard tray for easy transport.

Pot-a-Plant sessions make a great addition to guided tours or to programming of your own design. Current options for planting include:

Species Method Content Discussed
Basil Seeds Plants as Food
Succulents Plugs Plant Adaptations (recommended for older students)
Philodendron Cuttings Plant Anatomy (recommended for older students)

Fees for Pot-a-Plant sessions run $50. Each session can accommodate up to 30 students. Large groups may schedule multiple sessions during the same visit. Sessions are booked on a first-come, first-served basis, so please book early to ensure the PlantLab is available on the day of your visit.
Quick Links
Highlights

Climatron Wondering where to go when you arrive? Consider the following, identified as favorites by many of our visiting teachers and students:

Climatron®
Enrich your students’ knowledge of tropical ecosystems with a walk through a lush lowland rainforest

Japanese Garden
This 14-acre garden incorporates a lake, waterfalls,  islands and numerous bridges.

Kemper Center for Home Gardening
Explore 23 display gardens including a native plant meadow and a vegetable garden

Victorian District
Featuring Tower Grove House, our popular hedge maze and the Piper Observatory

These are just a few of the many gardens and conservatories available for your class to visit during your field trip.

Learn about our other gardens and conservatories

Visit Tower Grove House
Tower Grove HouseTower Grove House, once Henry Shaw's country home, offers students a glimpse into our past! The house has been restored and staged using many of Henry Shaw's personal effects, and displays throughout provide information about the Missouri Botanical Garden's earliest years.

Teachers should plan to divide their classes into groups of 5 to 10 students chaperoned by at least one adult during their tour. 

Tower Grove House is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free and no preregistration is required. Tower Grove House is closed January through March.

Learn more

Learn at Our Other Sites!
Butterfly House logo   Shaw Nature Reserve logo

Check out field trip opportunities at the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House in Chesterfield, Missouri or the Shaw Nature Reserve located in Gray Summit!

 

Canopy Climb for Schools at Shaw Nature Reserve

Two girls ascend into the canopy

Join us for a full-day field trip that combines a guided forest ecology program and an unforgettable climbing experience!
Learn more

Climatron® is a registered servicemark of the Missouri Botanical Garden.