The Missouri Botanical Garden’s founder, Henry Shaw, is turning 211 years old!
To celebrate, the Botanical Garden is throwing a free birthday party this Sunday, July 24. Birthday party activities are from 10 am to 3 pm, but the entire Botanical Garden is open 9 am to 5 pm. Admission to the grounds and the Children’s Garden are free all day.
Family friendly activities this Sunday only include meeting an actor dressed up as Henry Shaw dressed in a sweltering black top hat accompanied by others costumed in vintage Victorian garb, having your silhouette portrait drawn by an artist, watching a stilt walker, listening to a live organ grinder, and seeing enchanting (and a little bit campy, but in a good way) puppet performances by St. Louis’s very own Bob Kramer’s Marionettes. The marionette shows are at 10:30 am, noon, and 1:30 pm, outdoors on Spoehrer Plaza (the fountain area immediately facing you as you exit the second floor of the Visitor’s Center) of the Botanical Garden.
Be sure to play for free in the wonderful Children’s Garden, in the Kaeser Maze located in the Victorian section, and the children’s education area of the Climatron as well during your visit.
If you have some non-kid time to yourself, tour the historic Museum Building this Sunday. Opened in 1859, the Museum Building originally housed the Botanical Garden’s mounted herbarium plant specimens and library, and is usually closed to the public. The Henry Shaw Cactus Society is also presenting a show and sale in the Orthwein Floral Display Hall located inside the Visitor’s Center.