I feel like I was only there for a couple of hours. Idk the type of smoker you are, but you can probably make it if you smoke one right before you enter & again right after you leave

The kids will buzz right through the Climatron, but the children’s garden does have fun things to play on. I’d guess 2 hours would be good. Walking in and walking out will take you some time.

Sorry for the late response. Travel has been curtailed as a result of increasing COVID19 numbers here in the Midwest. Admission price for the Missouri Botanical Garden is $14 per person for ages 13 and up. Children under the age of 12 are Free. Hope this helps!

According to the MOBOT website, the Garden Party Lights event opens @ 6:00 p.m.. At this writing, sunset in St. Louis is 7:09 p.m.. That would give you an hour (or less as sunset advances thru September) to see other Garden features. The website adds: "Multimedia Show starts at dark and runs until 10 p.m." so that's the time period when you'll likely be restricted to the paths featuring the lighted displays. There is minimal overhead lighting through most of the Garden spaces (the city neighbors prefer it that way), so wandering after dark is unlikely to be encouraged & may be forbidden. Thursday nights should be the lightly attended evenings of the event, but it will depend largely on weather conditions. But it's always been an enjoyable time for me & my family members in the past, even with large crowds. I hope you & your party enjoy it, too.

The Garden will be very busy. Parking can be a problem. Best to go early in the day or late afternoon. It is much less crowded as you get farther from the entrance.Fun if you like a neighborhood festival.

The garden has a lovely year round, 7 days a week cafe which also has patio seating in nice weather. From March to October the garden also has a Sunday brunch on a covered patio in the garden area.

We spent five hours and could have easily spent two more.

I'm sorry for my delay in responding. I did not go through the childrens area.

The climatron , Linnean house, temperate houses, Shaw's home, and the Sachs museum are nice, but you will enjoy the garden more on a nice day ... there is a lot to see outside and a walk back to the Japanese Garden is a must. There is a tram, but again, you will enjoy it more if it is not raining. You can feed the huge koi fish on the bridge - always fun!