Saint Louis Science Center Brings the Farm to the City with the New GROW Exhibit

Within a few minutes of downtown St. Louis, you can leave behind the fast-paced city streets for endless miles of rolling farmland. In place of silver skyscrapers, red barns dot the horizon, and instead of buses and taxis, combines and tractors provide the soundtrack to summer days.

Even though we’re surrounded by the country’s top producers of corn, soybeans and horseradish, many of our kids don’t fully appreciate the impact our local farmers have on our dinner tables – and on dinner tables around the globe.

With its new exhibit, GROW, opening June 18, Saint Louis Science Center has lifted the farm from the fields and planted it in the heart of the city, to give thousands of families the opportunity to get up close and personal with the world’s food suppliers.

“We hope this will provide an opportunity for people of all ages to learn about how food is grown and where their food comes from,” explained Bert Vescolani, president and CEO of the Saint Louis Science Center.

“Our mission is to ignite and sustain lifelong science and technology learning, and I cannot think of a better way to inspire our next generation of farmers, scientists, inventors, and problems solvers than through food. Because of the hands-on, interactive activities, we know our guests will learn while having a lot of fun.”

The pinnacle of agricultural exploration

According to Vescolani, GROW is the first agricultural exhibit of its size in the United States and is the Science Center’s first major addition since 1991, replacing the EXPLORADOME which was decommissioned in 2013.

With more than 40 exhibits and demonstrations gracing a one-acre display area, GROW introduces visitors to a state-of-the-art experience that blends farming traditions with the latest technologies that allow growers in the Midwest to feed hungry families a healthy array of meat, fruits and vegetables.

Said Vescolani, “Guests will have the chance to meet our flock of chickens, milk a life-sized cow, browse the Seed Library, visit the Hive, and learn how food goes from farm to table.”

What’s especially cool about GROW is that just like an actual farm, the activities within the exhibit change four times a year to reflect each season. Therefore, regular guests to the Science Center can have a new experience at almost every visit.

Just some of the exhibits include:

• GROW Pavilion – The indoor space includes exhibits, educational programs and planned events that explore farming and relate it to today’s local and global economies.
• Water Works – Guide water through an exhibition of channels and pathways to learn how water is a valuable resource and one that must be managed responsibly.
• Botany Basics – Get an inside look at plants in the field to learn how they harvest the sun’s energy to grow and support all life on Earth.
• Farm Tech Field – Like everything else, farming has morphed over the past few decades. Discover how scientists are using new technologies to meet challenges in agriculture, from world population growth to environmental concerns.
• Animal Corral – Your kids can try milking a life-sized cow and compare it to today’s high-tech, hands-free milking technology. Local farmers will also make regular appearances, bringing some animal friends along with them.
• HomeGROWn – Don’t leave all the cultivating to the farmers! Learn how to plant, grow and harvest some delicious ingredients in your own backyard.
• Fermentation Station – Mom and dad can have their own afternoon of fun by discovering the science behind craft beer, wine, cheese, and bread, and enjoy some delectable seasonal menu pairings created right here in the region.
• Greenhouse – Not all farming is done in the field. Learn how some of your favorite vegetables, fruits and crops can be grown in the great indoors.

GROW is an exciting way to give everyone the opportunity to experience an industry we too often take for granted, but one none of us can live without. But even more important, it teaches kids – and tomorrow’s leaders – how to be good stewards of the land.

“Everyone likes to see how things are grown,” said Vescolani. “But when it is the food you eat, it makes the subject even more interesting to learn.”

Admission to GROW is free, but there will be some paid programming and activities. The exhibit opens Saturday, June 18 at 9:30 a.m. with a variety of festivities and special events. To learn more about this new exhibit, visit www.slsc.org

See photos and follow along as finishing touches are added to the GROW exhibit on SLSC's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts!