Once upon a time, in a magical land, there stood a majestic house that was known for its wondrous powers. This house, known simply as the "Magic House," had a reputation for granting anyone who entered its walls the ability to live out their wildest dreams and deepest desires. The Magic House was located on the outskirts of a small village, hidden amidst a lush forest. Its vibrant colors and intricate architecture made it seem like a fairytale come to life. Rumors of its enchanting abilities spread far and wide, attracting curious souls from far-off lands. Legend has it that the Magic House possessed a doorway, unlike any other.

The Magic House

Make your child’s special day magical with a celebration at The Magic House! From fun-filled Themed Parties to Special Private Parties to parties that Celebrate Littles, The Magic House offers a variety of easy and affordable celebrations. Whether your child wants to be a princess or scientist or enjoy their favorite exhibit all to themselves we’ve got a party for that!

Themed Birthday Parties
From a Science Show to Art Projects enjoy a fun-filled themed party led by a Magic House staff member, cupcakes to decorate and complementary refreshments to enjoy and time to open presents. Themed parties are for children ages 3-8, up to 25 children.

Celebrate Littles
Celebrate your little’s special day in a private party playroom designed just for them! Slide into a pool of balls, twist on the tippy top, build with big blocks, climb up a ramp and through a soft tunnel and enjoy refreshments you provide yourself! Parties are for children ages 1-3, up to 35 guests.

Special Private Parties
Enjoy private playtime in one of your favorite exhibits, followed by an hour in a reserved party room where you may open presents and enjoy refreshments you provide yourself! For children of all ages, up to 50 guests.

Looking for a new party venue? The Magic House also offers party options at our satellite location, MADE for Kids, on Delmar Boulevard.

Feature your business in the Sprout & About Party Guide! For more information and advertising rates, email [email protected] or call 636-896-4179.

The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum

What to do in an unfamiliar city? Why, reach out to friends that live there of course!

I sort of had our trip to St. Louis planned out a few weeks in advance. My family took a couple of vacations there when I was in Middle and High School. I knew there were some things I wanted to do and some things I didn’t. That still didn’t stop me from reaching out to friends who either live there or grew up there.

One of the things I never would have found was our Saturday entertainment. The weather was kind of iffy so we didn’t want to be outside. The City Museum was an option, but a friend of ours suggested something that would be even better for kids.

The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a house full of magic and wonder for the kids. With L, we’ve been to a number of Children’s Museums. We know it’s always a safe bet when traveling and L always has so much fun.

The Magic House is located in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood. It’s about 15 minutes southwest of the city center down Interstate 44.

We chose to head to Kirkwood for lunch first and then head over to the museum. Our route took us to the northeast side of the museum which is where the main parking lot is. On weekends, it looks like there is also parking at Nipher Middle School next door. If that lot is open for Magic House parking, that’s actually the place to park. The entrance to the museum is on the northwest corner of the building in what can be considered the front of the original house. We had to walk all the way around the building to get in from where we parked in the very last row in the main parking as far away from the door as possible.

Admission to the building is $10 for anyone over the age of 1. B is still under 1 so he was free. It cost us $30 for the three of us to get in.

The layout of the museum is a little odd and very disorienting at first. As you can gather from the name, it’s an old house that’s been added on to. The original structure dates back to 1901 and the George Lane Edwards family. The name might not sound familiar, but it might if you knew the family is behind the brokerage firm A.G. Edwards & Sons…so there’s clearly history in this house.

While the original Victorian Mansion is pretty large, it’s not large enough for a major city’s children’s museum. The building has been added on to five times since 1979 when the property opened as a museum.

All those additions make for an odd layout. You’ll probably see me write that a few more times because it was just so jarring. The map was a little hard to read and there weren’t a lot of signs pointing you to the other exhibits.

Right away when we got in the door, L found a climbing structure that went from the bottom floor all the way up to the third. She hopped in right away and we chased her up several flights of stairs to get to the top. It’s one of those climbing platforms you see at a lot of child oriented places nowadays with a netting around carpeted platforms. L made it all the way to the top then she and another little girl took over as “the winners” until we convinced her we still had a lot to see and there was going to be other things to do.

When we got her out, I wanted to see the model train area. They had some really great train areas set up, but the quarters were pretty tight. The kids all squeezed in to see the trains but the adults were kind of taking turns because there was enough room for the kids running around and all the adults who just wanted to enjoy the amazing craftsmanship.

We headed back down to the main floor and played with a few of the musical instrument type things they had in the atrium area. I noticed another room with the lights off and thought that might be fun. I dragged L in there only to have to fight with her later to get out.

The room was really cool and focused on light. There was a table with colored blocks. If you set two of the same colors on the table, it would form either a road, a railroad or the path for an airplane. There was a giant hopscotch game and a place to scan a picture you colored to that would print it out with instructions how to turn it in to a 3-D bus or airplane. All of the color pictures also ended up on a screen on the other side of the room. Finally, and where we lost L, was in a giant area with large lighted balls. The kids were running around and jumping off the balls. I’m not really sure what the point was, but she loved it and we had a really, really hard time getting her out of there.

We tried to continue our way through the museum, but after a potty stop, we really just kind kept running in to dead ends. The museum was pretty packed and it was hot, so there was very little patience from us. We only had a couple of hours before I had to meet the guys at a baseball game so I was a little cranky and I really was frustrated by how hard it was to find things.

We ended up heading towards a giant play area that L would have loved…but we couldn’t even get in the room. We pushed her towards what we thought was a hallway to more exhibits, but it dead-ended at a giant three story slide. L saw that and wanted to go down, so I pointed her towards the staircase and she climbed up by herself. There was a little bit of a line so it took five minutes or so for her to come down and once she did, we just pointed her towards where she wanted to go from the beginning.

The really cool thing about The Magic House is the Backyard Magic. They have special exhibits out in this garden area and while we were there, it was Sandcastle Beach. L saw the beach area as we were walking from the parking lot and kept asking to go play out there. After getting frustrated by the sheer number of people and lack of directions inside, we headed outside and let her finish out the day playing in the sand.

This was actually a really cool exhibit as they moved a beach to a parking lot and kept the sand just wet enough to make sandcastles with. There was also a World-Champion sand sculptor working on a huge castle in the area as well. We were able to get B out of J’s carrier and put him in the sand while L and I built a castle nearby. Eventually L ended up finding kids to play with and she left me, but that was fine.

We spent just about two hours at The Magic House. I left with a mixed impression. I’m sure it’s a great children’s museum, but there were just too many people there to really enjoy ourselves. The layout is….odd…to say the least. Some could call it charming…or unique…and it’s both. If there weren’t as many people there, I may have been able to figure it out, but I always felt like I was either in the way or getting run over as I was trying to figure out how to get from building to building.

I’d like another crack at the Magic House…maybe on a weekday when less people are there. They have a lot of great stuff and a lot of stuff we didn’t have time to see. It doesn’t even compare to someplace like Indy, but it is a nice little place….once you figure out your way around.

The Magic House

An inviting destination for children and adults alike, the Magic House in St. Louis combines entertainment and learning. Founded in 1975 by Jody Newman and Barbie Freund, the interactive museum is set within an alluring Victorian mansion. The award-winning museum aims to educate learners of all ages by incorporating elements of creativity and curiosity. The yearlong family STEAM nights and scout programs, coupled with the summer camps, provide a fertile environment where learning becomes fun. The Electro-Static Generator, Jack and the Beanstalk Climber, Mizzou Training Center and the Backyard Magic are some of the museum's most popular exhibits, attracting locals and tourists alike.

An inviting destination for children and adults alike, the Magic House in St. Louis combines entertainment and learning. Founded in 1975 by Jody Newman and Barbie Freund, the interactive museum is set within an alluring Victorian mansion. The award-winning museum aims to educate learners of all ages by incorporating elements of creativity and curiosity. The yearlong family STEAM nights and scout programs, coupled with the summer camps, provide a fertile environment where learning becomes fun. The Electro-Static Generator, Jack and the Beanstalk Climber, Mizzou Training Center and the Backyard Magic are some of the museum's most popular exhibits, attracting locals and tourists alike.

Legend has it that the Magic House possessed a doorway, unlike any other. This mystical portal acted as the gateway to a realm where reality and fantasy merged seamlessly. It was said that upon crossing the threshold, one would be transported into a world of their own creation.

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Those who ventured into the Magic House would find themselves in awe of its interior. Each room was a manifestation of its occupant's desires. The walls were adorned with breathtaking artwork, the floors strewn with the softest carpets, and the ceilings covered in twinkling stars. It was as if the very fabric of imagination had come alive within those walls. The Magic House had the power to transform not only the physical environment but also the lives of those who sought refuge within its embrace. Each person who entered its enchanted doors was granted a chance to reinvent themselves, to let go of the limitations that held them back in the outside world. For some, the Magic House became a sanctuary of peace and solitude. They found solace in the tranquil gardens, surrounded by colorful flowers and babbling brooks. Others sought endless adventure, exploring secret passageways that led to hidden treasures and thrilling quests. The Magic House also captivated the hearts of dreamers and artists. Its walls echoed with the melodies of musicians and painters immersed in their craft. They found inspiration in its ethereal beauty, and their creations danced with life under the spell of its enchantment. However, the Magic House was not without its challenges. Its powers were not to be taken lightly, and those who became consumed by their own desires faced the consequences. Greed and arrogance transformed the once beautiful rooms into dark, foreboding spaces, trapping their occupants in endless cycles of regret. Despite these dangers, the Magic House continued to offer its extraordinary abilities to those who sought its embrace. It taught valuable lessons about the power of imagination, the importance of balance, and the responsibility that came with wielding such incredible talents. The magic of the Magic House could never be fully understood or explained. It was a place where dreams became reality, where possibilities were limitless, and where the boundaries of the mind were shattered. It remained a beacon of hope and wonder, inviting all who dared to believe in magic to step inside and embrace a world beyond their wildest imaginings..

Reviews for "From Movie Magic to Real Life: Magic Houses in Cinema"

1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Magic House". The plot felt disjointed and the characters were underdeveloped. The movie relied too heavily on CGI effects and flashy visuals, without paying much attention to the story or the emotional depth of the characters. I found myself struggling to care about what was happening on screen. Overall, it was a forgettable and mediocre experience.

2. Sarah - 1 star - "Magic House" was a complete waste of time. The acting was wooden and the dialogue was cliché-ridden. The story felt rushed and poorly executed, and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. The film seemed to rely on cheap jump scares and predictable plot twists, lacking any true originality or creativity. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone.

3. Michael - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "Magic House", but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The pacing was off, with long stretches of boredom punctuated by random bursts of action. The film lacked any real substance or depth, and I found myself questioning the purpose of many scenes. The ending was unsatisfying, leaving too many loose ends. Overall, it was a disappointing viewing experience.

4. Emily - 1 star - I couldn't wait for "Magic House" to end. The plot was convoluted and confusing, with too many unnecessary subplots that distracted from the main story. The dialogue was laughably bad, filled with cringe-worthy one-liners and cheesy lines. The acting was subpar, with little chemistry between the cast members. The CGI effects were overused and poorly executed, making the movie feel cheap and lazy. Save yourself the trouble and skip this one.

The Ultimate Guide to Designing Your Own Magic House