A 90s Summer at The Magic House Invites Families to Unwind, Rewind, and Play Together
ST LOUIS (May 7, 2026) – This summer, The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum, invites families to step back into the carefree magic of the 1990s with A 90s Summer, a season-long celebration of unplugged, imaginative play inspired by the summers parents remember growing up.
Kicking off May 22, A 90s Summer celebrates the kind of unstructured, joyful play that defined childhood before screens took center stage, days spent outside, getting creative, and making up your own fun. The Magic House brings that nostalgic spirit to life with expanded outdoor play experiences and hands-on activities designed for kids and parents to enjoy together.
Throughout the summer, families can “go outside and play” with classic activities like bubbles, hula hoops, and parachute play. Nostalgic creativity stations invite parents to share their favorite childhood pastimes from the 90s, including making friendship bracelets, folding paper fortune tellers, tie-dyeing, weaving potholders, building mud pies, and more.
A favorite summer tradition also returns as Sandcastle Beach reopens with literally tons of sand for digging, building, and imaginative play. Children can cool off running through an iconic 90’s-style sprinkler and construct their own creations using real tools instead of virtual ones.
Later in the summer, The Magic House will debut Trike Town: Route 66 Highway to Fun, a reimagined bike-riding experience where kids can cruise through a replica small town inspired by St. Louis during the Route 66 era.
Inside the Museum, families will rediscover the unplugged experiences that have made The Magic House a beloved destination for generations. From climbing and building to creating, experimenting, and pretending, A 90s Summer is full of those joyful “I did this when I was a kid!” moments. Parents can share childhood memories while fishing in Children’s Village, jumping at the Shadow Walls, posing for hair-raising photos at the Electro-Static Generator, or spiraling down the iconic three-story slide.
“A 90s Summer is really about celebrating the kind of play that has always been at the heart of The Magic House,” said Beth Fitzgerald, President of The Magic House. “It’s a reminder of how powerful simple, unplugged play can be for sparking creativity, building confidence, and bringing families together. We love seeing parents relive their favorite childhood moments while creating brand-new memories with their kids.”
A 90s Summer celebrates the joy of slowing down, being present, and playing together, values that have defined The Magic House for decades.
A 90s Summer is free with museum admission and made possible through the generous support of the Hunter Family Foundation.
“Play has always been at the heart of how children learn, grow, and discover who they are,” said Linda Hunter. “As a parent and longtime supporter of The Magic House, I’ve seen the incredible confidence, creativity, and connection that play can inspire. Supporting the Play Together initiative is deeply meaningful to our family because it helps bring those transformative experiences to even more children and families throughout St. Louis.”
All-day admission is $15 per person. Children under 1 are free. For more information, visit https://www.magichouse.org/events-programs/90s-summer/
Kick‑Off to A 90’s Summer
The Magic House will launch its summer season with a Kick‑Off to A 90s Summer on Friday, May 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event marks the opening of Sandcastle Beach, the transition to summer hours, and the start of A 90s Summer.
During the event, families can explore Sandcastle Beach, enjoy bubbles from the Bubble Busin the front Play Garden, plus kids will get a free patriot pop from Prairie Farms while supplies last. Kick‑Off to 90’s Summer introduces the themes and activities families will see woven into programming and experiences throughout the season.
Kick‑Off to 90s Summer is included with the price of admission. For more information, visit:
https://www.magichouse.org/events-programs/kick-off-to-90s-summer/
About The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum
The Magic House is a not-for-profit participatory museum that provides hands-on learning experiences that spark imagination, pique curiosity, enhance creativity and develop problem-solving skills within a place of beauty, wonder, joy, and magic. Serving more than 550,000 visitors annually, The Magic House opened in 1979 and has 55,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits. In 2019, the Museum opened an all-new satellite makerspace in the City of St. Louis on Delmar Boulevard, located between the Central West End and the Delmar Loop.
To stay up-to-date with The Magic House, visit www.magichouse.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.