No state celebrates Mardi Gras harder than Missouri, and the St. Louis Mardi Gras is second only to New Orleans. The party begins on Twelfth Night in January and continues daily (and nightly) until the festivities culminate on Fat Tuesday.
Part of the Missouri Botanical Garden and Shaw Nature Preserve, the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House is located in Faust Park and houses a thousand live tropical butterflies in its glass conservatory. Be overwhelmed with the beauty of the plants and nature's most beautiful insects.
Let your wild side out at the Saint Louis Zoo. Check out exotic animals from all over the world, from Africa to Antarctica. Grab a train ride for a narrated tour around the zoo or get up close and personal with the animals in Discovery Corner and other exhibits and attractions.