The Missouri Botanical Garden is one of my favorite places to go in St. Louis.  It has been a feature in the area for 150 years and is one of the country’s oldest botanical gardens.  Also known as Shaw’s Garden, it was founded by Henry Shaw in 1859, a world traveler who decided to create his own garden is St. Louis after the gardens he saw in Europe.  Check out Henry Shaw’s travel blog, a collection of his journals detailing his journeys across Europe.

The Garden includes almost 80 acres of beautiful flower displays, Japanese gardens, orchid, rose, and iris gardens, a tropical greenhouse and much more.  Here are a couple pictures from the Garden, including inside the Climatron.  It is also a world-class research center and a leader in science education, including an emphasis on environmental sustainability. 

But, I have always thought of it as a warm-weather attraction and not a winter destination.  Until now!  There are a lot of fun events around the holidays that everyone can enjoy!  One of the larger holiday attractions is the Gardenland Express, an annual flower and train show that includes a miniature reproduction of the Garden, including the Climatron.  Check out photos of all the work that goes into creating an entire mini Garden, which started back in August.

The historic Tower Grove House and the Kemper Center are decorated for Christmas, complete with an auction of wreathes created by many local florists.  They even offer holiday cooking classes!

There are a lot of events taking place in December, so click here to check out the complete listing of events, schedules, and price information.  St. Louis City and County residents get a discount on admission, as well as free general admission on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.  So, if you’re a resident be sure to bring your driver’s license or other proof of residency!

Water Lily at the Missouri Botanical Garden