Saint Louis Zoo is one of Saint Louis, Missouri’s, finest museum wedding venues. The venue has a number of locations to host all of your wedding festivities, including ceremony and reception, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, and more. The zoo is centrally located in the near vicinity of all Saint Louis attractions, with easy access by metro, trolley, and local highways.
Facilities and Capacity
Saint Louis Zoo offers a number of beautiful and distinct locations locations to host your celebration, including four elegant banquet halls and accommodations for up to 450 guests. Whether you envision an intimate outdoor event among the Zoo’s animal collection, or an extravagant indoor celebration with sophisticated surroundings, the Zoo has a variety of spaces that can accommodate your event vision. The Living World is a 9,000-square-feet event space with a 65-foot rotunda, flooded with natural light from the glass-domed ceiling. You and your guests will be greeted by life-size shark, squid, and stingray sculptures, and can also enjoy an outdoor patio that leads out onto the Zoo grounds. The Lakeside Cafe, which accommodates up to 450 guests, is a waterfront pavilion in the heart of the Zoo which provides a lively setting for weddings and events. Its covered patio overlooks a lake inhabited with waterfowl and turtles, and the interior creates a spacious and grand atmosphere with architectural columns and a vaulted ceiling. The McDonnell Center at River Camp is one of the most scenic event spaces, featuring a private terrace that runs the length of the building and overlooks the Missouri River Aquarium. The Event Tent provides clients with a unique, open-air outdoor event setting, and offers a generous amount of space for clients to mingle and dance. Nestled between the Primate House and the Charles H. Hoessle Herpetarium, this spectacular tent provides an intimate and spacious setting for your celebration. The Saint Louis Zoo also offers a variety of meeting rooms and various size event spaces to accommodate wedding ceremonies and receptions of all sizes and styles.
Services Offered
The world-class event rentals at the Saint Louis Zoo include a variety of amenities, event services, and other special features that are designed to create the wedding that you’ve always dreamed of. Along with state-of-the-art event and meeting rooms, the event staff offers a wide range of audio/visual equipment, an assortment of menus that are catered to your taste, and a variety of event packages that include behind-the-scenes tours and attractions. Their staff specializes in handling all the details of your celebration with flexibility, excellent service, and personalized care. The Zoo also facilitates animal meet-and-greets so that you and your guests can create unforgettable memories interracting with some of the Zoo’s most beautiful creatures. Event services include:
Saint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooThe Living WorldToastNewlyweds and their guestsBowingBy the aquariumSea Lion Sound TunnelTable settingThe dipTable setting and centerpieceRiver camp patioGroom and brideSouth entrance bridgeCarouselNewlyweds kissingAssignmentsTable number and floral centerpieceBridal partyWedding ceremonyCarousel rideVeil floweringSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooSaint Louis ZooThe Living World
Having my wedding at the Saint Louis Zoo was a wonderful experience. Danielle, our event planner, was absolutely amazing. She answered every little question I had and truly listened to my wants and feedback.
Prior to the wedding, we rented golf carts, and it was SO fun to drive around the zoo with our wedding party and the drivers were so nice.
The zoo provided a wonderful reception space within RiverCamp, the guests loved the aquarium, the staff was wonderful in setting-up, and the food was delicious. We also loved our animal greeters and were so glad we decided to invest in those.
The ceremony space in the South Entrance was also breath-taking and we were so glad we got to have our wedding there!
Overall, the Saint Louis zoo may not be the first venue choice that comes to mind but it is a great space that provides a fun and unique experience with great food and great staff. They truly know how to pull off a grand event!!
Sent on 07/03/2019
Marissa Knopf-Kennon
· Married on 05/04/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
I want to get divorced just to get married again at the zoo.
The zoo not only was a unique and gorgeous venue for us, but the staff are completely amazing. They are so attentive to you and your guests all night, the catering is surprisingly DELICIOUS, it's a great value, and your coordinators are amazing when planning. They are basically free wedding planners! We did not want a very typical wedding, we got married on Star Wars day and wanted to include nerdy themes, wanted as many animals as possible (especially snakes and reptiles), and basically when people asked what our wedding colors were I just said "black." I was honestly needlessly self-conscious when planning a lot, because while I've always been my own goofy self, I knew this wedding would be looked at oddly. I didn't think it would come together very well, or be... "nice" and "wedding-y". However, the zoo staff pulled it all together, and we had this seamless, super elegant, goofy wedding with animals galore. I didn't feel like I had an "odd" wedding, just an awesome one. They are miracle workers.
We chose to splurge a bit in some areas, requesting extra lights, animal greeters, and to rent the Herpetarium for the ceremony, but honestly they have options that fit most budgets, and we could have done it for a fraction of the cost if we wanted/needed to. Even with us splurging, I find that we spent a lot less than what other people seem to be spending at more "traditional" venues when you add up the cost of the setting, the catering, the bar, the cake, the decorations, the everything. I was certain I couldn't afford the zoo on my small salary that is supporting the both of us, but I COULD.
Seriously, book with the zoo. They are fantastic.
Sent on 06/27/2019
Saint Louis Zoo's reply:
How about we plan an anniversary party instead? Thank you so much for sharing. We were thrilled to be a part of it all and had just as much fun as you did planning outside of the box. It was such a pleasure and fun to work with you both.
Please stop by and say hi whenever you visit.
Kerry
· Married on 04/27/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
St. Louis Zoo River Camp
I can't say enough great things about the zoo. Everyone I worked with along the way was so kind, professional, and helpful. The catering package was really reasonable for my price range, and it made planning so easy! I loved the venue, I chose the River Camp room since I had about 100 people. The room features a fish tank which was so unique and perfect for my ocean themed wedding! I had the best time, and so many people were commenting on how different and fun my wedding was. You NEED to book with the Zoo!
Sent on 05/02/2019
Saint Louis Zoo's reply:
Please be sure to stop by and say hi when you're here for a visit.
Thank you so much for making us a part of your perfect day!
