The Magic House

The Magic House has provided interactive exhibits and experiences for the children, families, and schools in our region for 45 years. The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum is one of the most attended cultural institutions in St. Louis as well as one of the most attended children's museums in the country. Unlike other institutions in St. Louis, The Magic House is a self-supporting 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that receives no ongoing tax support. Support from our community supports our mission and is the main source of funding for the Museum’s Access for All initiative. 

Together, we can achieve The Magic House mission of engaging all children with hands-on learning experiences that spark imagination, pique curiosity, enhance creativity and develop problem-solving skills within a place of beauty, wonder, joy, and magic. 

HANDS-ON LEARNING AND PLAY - Play is one of the most powerful ways that a child can learn, and The Magic House is dedicated to ensuring that children get the foundation that they need to excel. As advocates of play, The Magic House provides opportunities for children to learn through play and discovering new ideas and concepts through interactive experiences. We strive to be a resource for families, schools, and organizations that may not have the ability to provide their students and children with the tools that are needed for them to learn through play and help prepare them for the future.  

ACCESS FOR ALL - The Magic House has had a long-term commitment to provide Access for All, an initiative to offer free admission, field trips, programs, family nights and other learning experiences to families and schools from under-resourced areas of our region. More than 88,000 children and families in need are served in a typical year through our Access for All initiative including students from Title 1 Schools, active military and foster families, and community and nonprofit organizations that serve children and families. 

As a self-supporting 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, support from our community is the main source of funding for this initiative to provide Access to playful learning to All children. Check out the Access for All tab to see how your gift directly supports this mission.

COMMUNITY IMPACT - The Magic House works to provide more educational resources and opportunities for children within the community. Through community support, The Magic House can provide creative programming at children’s hospitals in our region and STEM focused programming in classrooms across our community. 

EDUCATION - Education is at the heart of The Magic House's mission. The Magic House offers an array of interactive learning experiences and hands-on exhibits to reflect current education priorities while aligning with the interests and needs of children today. The Museum's education team has developed a variety of curriculum-enriching programs that meet state standards designed to encourage 21st-century learning skills and promote a lifelong love of learning.  

MADE FOR KIDS - In 2019, The Magic House, MADE for Kids opened as a permanent satellite location in the City of St. Louis at 5127 Delmar Blvd. Designed for children ages 4 to 14, this space features a Makers Workshop; the Artist's Studio; the Designers Lab; and the Entrepreneurs Marketplace, plus a large classroom for field trips, summer camps, workshops for educators and other events. In line with our mission to expand learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) and create more Access for All opportunities, MADE for Kids promotes important problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills, while enhancing creativity and igniting new passions. 

#GiveSTLDay has shone a light on the wonderful not-for-profit organizations in our community, including The Magic House. The Magic House has been able to share our mission with a wider audience, including how we are reaching underserved children. Through Give STL Day, donors can support our mission of engaging all children with hands-on learning experiences that spark imagination, pique curiosity, enhance creativity and develop problem-solving skills within a place of beauty, wonder, joy and magic and extending our impact throughout the community.