Visiting the Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis: practical guide for first-timers

The Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) is a comprehensive art museum at in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri, with collections spanning virtually every culture and time period. It is one of the leading art museums in the United States. This guide covers opening hours, admission, parking, transport, what to see, and practical tips for planning your visit.

Last updated: June 2026. Note that admission to the permanent collection is free every day, but special main exhibitions carry a charge except on Fridays, when they are free. Garage parking increased to $15 (peak) / $10 (off-peak) — some older guides still list lower prices.

Quick facts

Saint Louis Art Museum opening hours

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10am to 5pm, with extended hours on Fridays until 9pm. It is closed every Monday.

The museum is also closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and closes at 3pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

The Grace Taylor Broughton Sculpture Garden is open every day, 6am to 10pm, independently of museum hours.

Museum Shops: Tue–Sun 10am–4:40pm; Friday 10am–8:40pm. Richardson Memorial Library: Tuesday–Friday 10am–4:30pm.

Hours and admission were checked on the official SLAM website and last updated in June 2026.

Saint Louis Art Museum ticket prices

Admission to the permanent collection is free every day, funded through the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District.

Special main exhibitions charge a separate admission fee, except on Fridays, when they are free to all visitors. Last entry into ticketed exhibitions is one hour before closing.

The museum is not included in any commercial city pass scheme.

How to get to the Saint Louis Art Museum

By car: The museum is in Forest Park on Fine Arts Drive, accessible from I-64/US 40 (Hampton Avenue or Skinker Boulevard exits) or Lindell Boulevard.

By MetroLink: The Skinker Station is approximately 0.8 miles (a 15-minute walk) from the museum. The Forest Park–DeBaliviere Station is further but connects to bus routes serving the park.

By MetroBus / Forest Park Trolley: The Forest Park Trolley serves the museum between Memorial Day and Labor Day. MetroBus route #90 Hampton serves the museum during the rest of the year.

Parking at the Saint Louis Art Museum

Free public parking is available in two lots on the north side of Fine Arts Drive, directly across from the museum. These fill up on busy weekends and during Forest Park events.

Paid underground garage (on Fine Arts Drive, 300 spaces): open during museum hours plus 30 minutes before and after. Rates:

• Peak months (March–October): $15
• Off-peak months (November–February): $10
• Museum members: $5

The garage is also open after hours for Forest Park events including the Art Hill Film Series.

Accessible parking is available in both the public lots and the garage. Accessible entrances are located at the East Building and in the parking garage. An accessible drop-off area is directly in front of the East Building.

How long to spend at the Saint Louis Art Museum

Allow 2 to 3 hours for a focused visit to the highlights. A full day is possible for visitors who want to explore the entire collection across multiple galleries. The Sculpture Garden can be visited independently before or after the museum, any day of the week.

Friday evenings until 9pm offer the most relaxed experience and free access to any current special exhibition.

Accessibility at the Saint Louis Art Museum

Accessible entrances are at the East Building and the parking garage. Accessible parking is in both the public lots and the garage. An accessible drop-off zone is in front of the East Building.

Strollers are welcome and available free of charge on loan at Welcome Desks. Use may be restricted in some areas. Coat check is available in Taylor Hall and Sculpture Hall. Bags larger than 11 x 17 inches should be left at home or checked.

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the museum on the SLAM_Guest network.

For full accessibility services — including audio tours, programmes for visitors with specific access needs, and Community & Accessibility Programs — visit the accessibility section of the official website.

What to see at the Saint Louis Art Museum

Permanent collection highlights

SLAM’s collection spans 33,000 works across virtually every culture and period. The museum is particularly strong in the following areas:

German Expressionism — one of the most significant collections of German Expressionist painting and graphic art outside of Europe, including works by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Käthe Kollwitz, and Max Beckmann.

Pre-Columbian art — a major collection of art from Mesoamerican, Andean, and other ancient American civilisations.

Ancient art — Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern collections including mummies, sculpture, and decorative objects.

Impressionism and Post-Impressionism — works by Monet, Renoir, Gauguin, and Cézanne, among others.

American art — significant holdings of American painting and decorative arts from the colonial period through the 20th century.

Arms and armour — an internationally significant collection of European and Asian armour and weapons, one of the most visited areas of the museum.

African, Oceanic, and Indigenous American art — extensive holdings representing the museum’s commitment to global cultures.

Asian art — collections covering China, Japan, Korea, South and Southeast Asia, and the Islamic world.

The museum also maintains strong holdings in prints, drawings, and photographs, with a dedicated study room open to researchers Tuesday through Friday.

Special exhibitions

Special exhibitions rotate throughout the year and are charged admission on days other than Friday. Check the exhibitions page on the official SLAM website for current and upcoming shows before your visit.

Grace Taylor Broughton Sculpture Garden

A free, publicly accessible sculpture garden open daily from 6am to 10pm, with rotating and permanent outdoor works. The garden has views over Art Hill and the Grand Basin — one of the finest views in Forest Park.

Dining and shopping

The museum has on-site dining — check the dining page of the official website for current options and hours. The Museum Shops are open Tuesday through Sunday (closing 20 minutes before the museum) and sell art books, prints, jewellery, and gifts.

Practical visitor tips

Frequently asked questions about the Saint Louis Art Museum

Things to do near the Saint Louis Art Museum

• Saint Louis Zoo (Forest Park, ~0.8 miles) — Free admission zoo with 12,000+ animals, 90 acres, and paid attraction options (Adventure Pass).
• Missouri History Museum (Forest Park, ~0.8 miles) — Free history museum covering St. Louis from prehistoric times to the present. Open Tue–Sun.
• Art Hill Film Series (Forest Park, seasonal) — Free outdoor film screenings on the lawn in front of the Art Museum, running in summer. Bring a blanket and arrive early.
• The Muny (~0.5 miles) — America’s oldest outdoor musical theatre in Forest Park. Free seats available in the top rows of every performance.
• Steinberg Skating Rink / Boathouse (~0.5 miles) — Ice skating in winter; paddle boats and kayaks in summer. Both available for hire in Forest Park.

What to visit tomorrow: similar art museums within two hours

• Pulitzer Arts Foundation, St. Louis (~4 miles east) — A world-class contemporary art foundation in a Tadao Ando-designed building. Free permanent collection; exhibitions may charge.
• Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis (~1 mile east, Washington University) — A free university art museum with a strong modern and contemporary collection, open Wednesday–Monday.
• Laumeier Sculpture Park, Sunset Hills (~30 minutes southwest) — 105 acres of free outdoor sculpture park with over 70 large-scale permanent works, open year-round during daylight hours.
• Sheldon Art Galleries, St. Louis (~3 miles east) — Free contemporary art galleries in the historic Sheldon Concert Hall building.
• Speed Art Museum, Louisville, Kentucky (~4 hours east) — Kentucky’s largest and oldest art museum, with a strong encyclopedic collection.