The Saint Louis Art Museum: A (Mostly) Free Cultural Hub in Forest Park
Forest Park is full of free activities to do, including the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Science Center, and the Missouri History Museum, to say nothing of the nature of the park itself, like the Nature Playscape. There’s also The Muny, which offers an entire free seat section.
With so many offerings in the park, it’s easy to overlook the St. Louis Art Museum. But SLAM, as its fans call it, is a rich trove of history, and in more ways than one. The art museum began life in 1879 on what is now Locust Street, and when the 1904 World’s Fair came to St. Louis, the director of the museum at the time advocated for a permanent fair building that could become the new art museum once the fair had ended. He got his wish: the Palace of Fine Arts, built for the 1904 fair, became the new home for the art museum after the fair.
That building stands today as the premiere center of visual art in St. Louis.
Getting There
The St. Louis Art Museum is located on — appropriately — 1 Fine Arts Drive (Google Maps link) in the central-west part of Forest Park. The museum sits atop Art Hill, with a breathtaking view of the Grand Basin just across the street from the museum.
There are multiple ways to get to the museum from all four directions, including from Lagoon Drive in the north and Government Drive from the south. There are signs throughout Forest Park if you’re having trouble getting your bearings.
Parking
There are two decent-sized lots flanking the art museum, the West Lot and East Lot. Both are free to park. In our experience, parking can fill up as the morning goes on in both lots, especially on weekends but even on normal weekdays. The SLAM lots are also popular for use during other events, like Shakespeare in the Park.
There is also paid parking in an underground parking garage just east of the art museum on Fine Arts Drive. The garage is $15 from March through October, $10 from November through February, and $5 for SLAM members.
If those options are somehow taken, the next closest option would be street parking on and around Fine Arts Drive, although that, too, can fill up quickly. Beyond that is the North Lot at the Zoo (Google Maps link) about 10 minutes away, although it is usually quite busy its own right, and you must pay to park there. Another option is the Visitor’s Center Lot (Google Maps link), which is free and very large but also 15-20 minutes away on foot.
Costs and Considerations
The art museum is free to enter, and most of the space is free to explore. Some exhibitions and activities may be ticketed, with ticket prices varying depending on age. The museum also operates two gift shops and two places to eat.
Every Friday, the St. Louis Art Museum hosts Access For All Free Fridays. On Friday, ticketed exhibitions are free. In addition, the museum often runs other free events on Friday, ranging from lectures to live music. You can find the events calendar here.
As of mid-2025, the museum is open Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. SLAM is closed on Monday. The last entry into ticketed exhibitions takes place one hour before the museum closes.
The museum maintains certain visitor policies that are good to be familiar with prior to entry. For instance, no food or drink are permitted in the galleries, and visitors are not to touch any of the works of art. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult and supervised, and the museum asks bags larger than 17″ x 11″ to be left at home.
The museum also lays out various rules about photography. Commercial photography and professional portrait photography are not allowed unless you are renting space for a private event. Flash photography, monopods, tripods, and selfie sticks are also prohibited. Photos or video recordings using a phone or small personal camera are allowed as long as they’re not disruptive or the work’s display doesn’t specifically prohibit it. However, keep in mind that many of the works are under copyright, which can limit what a person can do with photos.
For people with accessibility issues, including mobility restrictions, low vision, or impaired hearing, the museum does offer accessibility options. Service animals are permitted but must be kept on a leash.
Things to Do
The core of SLAM is the art exhibitions. Some of the exhibitions are ongoing, while others are temporary. Even among the ongoing exhibits, various pieces may rotate in and out. Part of the adventure in each visit is seeing what’s new or different.
There are three stories to the building. The bottom floor, Level 1, currently contains sections like ancient American art, Islamic art, and arms and armor.
The bottom floor also has the main gift shop, a quick service cafe that’s quite good, and access to underground parking. We snapped pictures of the cafe menu in mid-2025, you can see food here and drinks here.
The middle floor, Level 2, where the main entrance is located, currently includes the Sculpture Hall, European art, and ticketed exhibitions.
Level 2 also hosts various activities in Sculpture Hall. It also has a second, smaller gift shop near the ticketed halls, and it has an upscale sit-down restaurant, Panorama. Panorama does take online reservations. You can view the menu outside the restaurant; we also snapped a photo of the menu in mid-2025, which you can see here.
Out the back door of Level 2, you can take in the Grace Taylor Broughton Sculpture Garden.
A smaller door near the doors leading to the garden takes visitors to the Blanke Sculpture Terrace.
The top floor, Level 3, is the smallest floor and presently includes American art, Native American art, Egyptian art, and new media.
It’s worth noting that Art Hill, across the street from the museum, is a great sight to take in as you are coming and going from SLAM. In the summer, you’ll see people strolling around, while on snowy days the hill becomes a popular sledding destination.
Our Thoughts
We’ve been to the St. Louis Art Museum a number of times and we’ve enjoyed our visit each time. The exhibitions are varied and interesting, and the individual pieces each have a story. My personal favorite part is the detailed explanation on each piece, which describes some of the backstory behind the piece, often including what was going on in the artist’s mind. While I realize some people view art as all about the interpretation of the viewer, I personally like knowing what the artist intended and what the context was behind the piece.
I also appreciate the spaces the museum often sets up for younger visitors. I think SLAM makes a real effort to have multigenerational and cross-cultural appeal.
The museum has so many exhibits that it’s just about impossible to take it all in during one single visit. That makes it a place worthy of repeat visitors. Best of all, because it’s a free museum, it’s not too hard to do that if you live in St. Louis.
We think every St. Louisan ought to give the art museum at least one visit if you can. It’s worth a look. Oh, and while you’re at it, be sure to check out the view of Art Hill.
