Explore-A-Story
April 1-May 31, 2025
Discover unique St. Louis County sights and new titles in this fun family reading adventure.
Visit three locations to be entered in an electronic raffle for a $100 Visa gift card.
Check off the locations on the print guide or in your online Beanstack account. Tag the library with the #exploreastory on social media to share your photos.
Sites and Books to Explore
Ferguson Station
33 N Florissant Rd., Ferguson, MO 63135
William B. Ferguson donated land in the 1850s to the North Missouri Railroad with the condition that a depot was built. That depot was Ferguson Station, which became the center of city growth.
Books
- "Train" by John Coiley
- "Locomotive" by Brian Floca
At-Home Activity
Create a simple train out of egg cartons, blocks, paper, or even food.
Longview Farm Park
13525 Clayton Rd., Town and Country, MO 63141
Walk the paved trail through the woods to the lake and be on the lookout for gnome houses on the way. Visit the stables and see horses from Equine Assisted Therapy.
Books
- "If I Was a Horse" by Sophie Blackall
- "Windy Night with Wild Horses" by Mary Pope Osborne
At-Home Activity
Make a mini obstacle course and gallop through it like a horse.
Nims Mansion at Bee Tree Park
2701 Finestown Ave, St. Louis, MO 63129
The founder of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company built the mansion in 1929 for weekend retreats and called the estate “Bee Tree Farm.” St. Louis County opened Bee Tree Park in 1973.
Books
- "House Finds a Home" by Katie Duffield
- "A Place Called Home: Look Inside Houses Around the World" by Kate Baker
At-Home Activity
Build a house of recycled materials.
Powder Valley Nature Center
11715 Cragwold Rd., Kirkwood, MO 63122
Located in the middle of Kirkwood, this educational nature oasis features a storybook trail, an aquarium, bird watching, an interactive conservation center and more.
Books
- "Can You Hug a Forest?" by Frances Gilbert
- "Listen to the Language of Trees: A Story of How Forests Communicate Underground" by Tera Kelley
At-Home Activity
Go on a nature scavenger hunt and look for birds, leaves, stones, spider webs and more.
Sensory Garden at Shaw Park
27 S Brentwood Blvd., Clayton, MO 63105
Listen to the plants rustle in the wind, touch the various textures, see beautiful natural colors and smell different plants and herbs.
Books
- "All of Me is Nature: Exploring My Five Senses Outside" by Ashley Renee Jefferson
- "The Ultimate Book of Scavenger Hunts: 42 Outdoor Adventures to Conquer with Your Family" by Stacy Tornio
At-Home Activity
Draw pictures of things you experienced through your senses of sight, hearing, smell and touch.
Vago Park
2700 Fee Fee Rd., Maryland Heights, MO 63043
This 20-acre park includes walking trails, a splash pad, basketball courts, horseshoe pits and a scented garden, which challenges you to identify the plantings by touch and smell. See if you can locate the frog statue near one of the playgrounds.
Books
- "Tad" by Benji Davies
- "Frogs : what do frogs, toads, and tadpoles get up to all day?" by Itzue Wendolin Caviedes-Solis
At-Home Activity
Play a game of leapfrog.