St. Louis has gone a little soccer crazy with the inaugural St. Louis CITY SC season, and we are here for it!
The St. Louis Mom team joined the Missouri History Museum for the opening celebration of their new Soccer City exhibit, an interactive experience showcasing the significant history of soccer right here in St. Louis, starting with the first soccer game in town in 1875. Connecting history and a museum experience to an activity so many of our kids are already familiar with and enjoy makes it relatable and helps engage young historians — even those who don’t know they love history yet.
If you haven’t yet attended an opening for a Missouri History Museum exhibit, plan to do so! The Museum, already free to the public, provided a full day of free activities for soccer fans of all ages, including crafts, a Photo Booth, face painting, storytime, a mini youth soccer clinic, a cheerleading performance by an area high school squad, and a pep rally. If you missed opening weekend, there are still lots of engaging elements of this exhibit you won’t want to miss. It’s a great way to spend a day in the air conditioning this summer!
The Soccer City exhibit will be open at the Missouri History Museum through February 18, 2024.
We brought our preschool and young elementary-aged children on this visit. Some highlights and tips from our visit:
- Who’s it for? Adults and children of all ages! If you have any connection to soccer OR St. Louis, you’ll find something interesting!
- What will you see? There are lots of great photos, videos, soccer balls (some you can feel!), and uniforms on display that bring history to life. Everything is really approachable and visually appealing. Seeing the photos and uniforms brings the past alive even for museum-goers who can’t yet read. We particularly love the focus on sports to interest kids who might have the misconception that history or museums are “boring.” This exhibit is anything but!
- What can you do? A lot, actually! There is a game room with foosball and vintage soccer video games you and your kids can play. While kids of all ages (and their moms!) love these games, we found this particularly fun for those kids who are too young to fully understand the exhibit, but who will still benefit from a museum experience!
- Extend your visit by heading across the foyer to the History Clubhouse, featuring lots of interactive exhibits on local history – including dress-up!
- Mom tip: Parking at the Museum lot is limited, so you may have to park further afield and be prepared for a walk, particularly on weekends. A stroller and a snack would go a long way here!
We’re so excited to see the development of St. Louis as a true soccer city and how our favorite St. Louis institutions support each other. It’s one of the things that make us so proud of our St. Louis community. Understanding the depth and length of St. Louis’ history with recreational and professional soccer helps us see why our soccer club rose so quickly to popularity. You won’t want to miss this exhibit, whether you’re coming to Forest Park for the day, looking for a respite from summer heat, or want to provide an educational yet fun outing for your kids during school break!
Learn more on the Museum’s website and see our opening celebration recap here.
