Free + Paid
OMNIMAX® Films
Serengeti
GROW
Admission
Free
Age Range
All Ages
Location
Main Building, Floor 1
THE GROUNDS
Experience GROW
GROW is a 5,000-square-foot pavilion and an acre of beautiful outdoor space. In the GROW Pavilion and Gallery, not only will you learn about your food’s journey from farm to table, you’ll learn the scientific processes that turn seeds into towering plants. Discover the story of agriculture and the many ways technology is shaping the agricultural landscape.
The Secret Life of GROW in Winter
GROW may not appear as lush or vibrant during the winter months, but there’s still plenty happening behind the scenes! We’ve planted a variety of cover crops, including clover, CoverCress, and daikon radish, to protect and enrich the soil. These hardworking plants help ensure we’ll have healthy, nutrient-rich ground ready to support a diverse array of crops next year. Our team is already deep into planning for the upcoming season, and maintaining living, thriving soil is the first step toward a successful garden.
Winter is also a great time to explore GROW’s many indoor-growing features. Stop by the GROW tent in the Pavilion to check out our ongoing pepper-breeding project. We’re now cultivating the fourth generation of peppers as we work toward developing a variety unique to the Saint Louis Science Center! Our staff is always happy to share details about the crosses we’ve made and what we’re learning along the way.
Don’t forget to visit our aquaponics greenhouse, which stays open year-round. You’ll find a variety of crops thriving inside, even in the coldest months.
ACTIVITIES
Gallery Features
Many gallery features and activities are weather, and season, dependent.
Trace the steps of your food from the farm to the table – and everywhere in between. This award-winning indoor area features exhibits, educational programs, and planned events that explore farming and its vital role in today’s complex local and global economies. Visit our seed display, view a stunning display of soil monoliths from every state in the United States, and check out the amazing glulam beams used to build the Pavilion.
Explore nine different towers to discover the plant parts that are rarely seen. See which roots grow the deepest and find out if roots can grow longer than you are tall. Each tower has its own story to tell as you explore what lies underneath.
The adventure begins at home. Dig into the agricultural products and processes of Missouri and Illinois and learn where your food comes from.
Water plays a vital role in agriculture, as well as in our lives. While the kids play in this interactive water area, check out the nearby rain gardens and permeable pavement. Learn how we use this very important resource in farming and in our everyday lives.
Open weather permitting. Closed mid-October through mid-March.
Explore the inner workings of plants and discover how they harvest the Sun’s energy to grow and support all life on Earth. Check out the native plantings and learn how plants spread and grow.
Plants aren’t the only source of food you can find on farms. Take a tour through the Animal Corral and simulated milking, understand the digestive processes of livestock, and learn how farmers manage feed conversion. On select days, local farmers visit and bring animals to visit. Past animal visitors have included dairy cows, goats, sheep, rabbits, alpaca, ostrich, and baby pigs.
Check out a real combine and learn how farmers use this machine to get their crops out of the field. Combine demonstrations are held on select days; check the event calendar for specific days!
Agricultural growth isn’t always open fields and gigantic tractors. Many urban areas are demonstrating ways to grow specialty food crops like lettuce, kale, and tomatoes indoors using aquaponic, hydroponic, and aeroponic systems. Visit our greenhouse to see examples of these systems.
Visit GROW Grill (open seasonally) to purchase a delicious selection of freshly grilled items and sides.
GROW Grill is open on select days in the summer from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Check with staff for specific days and times on your visit.
Spend some time watching our chicken flock out in GROW or at our viewing window. Some of these breeds are the same breeds responsible for your morning eggs. Talk with our staff to discover how you can raise your own birds or learn how egg farmers do it differently.
Learn how to grow food in various Do-It-Yourself ways! Whether you have a large backyard, a patio, a small deck, or just a windowsill, this exhibit shows options for growing where you can. Wander through the space to see raised beds, different sizes for container gardens, and multiple hanging pots. The eclectic options prove you can grow your own food in almost any sort of container!
Bee sure to check out our bumblebee hive in the GROW pavilion. They can be seen busy at work from May – August. For the rest of the year, learn about how bees see the world and what all the “buzz” is about.
The GROW Greenhouse
The GROW aquaponic greenhouse is for self-guided exploration, open during the Science Center’s normal operating hours. Thanks to a grant from the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, we can better explain the hydroponic systems on display in the greenhouse and highlight careers in the indoor growing industry, ranging from aquaponic farming to lighting design.
Hydroponic Gardening – Light for Life
When we talk with our younger guests about hydroponics, we like to start with a seemingly simple question: What does a plant need to grow? It seems like such an easy question to answer, but the more you start thinking about the answers, the more complex the question becomes. Somebody once asked the question, “Does a plant truly need dirt to grow?” And from that line of questioning, hydroponic gardening was born. Rethinking the status quo and diving deep into the limits of our answers helps create innovation. In that spirit, today we’ll be discussing one of the many overlooked factors of plant growth: light.
Water Works
Water Works invites our guests to “engineer” or move water to our plant crops and farm animals. Using manipulatives like levers and pumps, our guests will move water through farm systems. Guests then explore ways to “engineer” natural systems to clean up waste products (animal manure and extra fertilizers) left in the water. Guests will plant trees and channel water through plants, bushes, and other trees to clean it. Along the way, our young guests will get wet and enjoy lots of play and hands-on learning.
Location
GROW is located on the Main Floor of the 5050 Oakland building. Access is available through the main entrance. Keep going straight past the box office and the dinosaur overlook. Then you will see the glass doors leading you to GROW’s entrance outside.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership does more.
As a nonprofit, the Saint Louis Science Center relies on memberships, donations, and ticket sales to support its free galleries, including GROW, our education programs, community outreach, and daily operation.
VISIT
Grow Programming for Groups
The Science Center offers a wide variety of agriculture-themed educational programs and tours tailored to specific groups and audiences.
SPONSORS
