Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. We make every effort to protect the health and safety of our patients, team members and visitors. Please note that these guidelines may change.

Visiting Hours

  • Parents, guardians, grandparents and designated support members - 24 hours a day  
  • Pediatric Behavioral Health Unit - 6-8 a.m.; 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; and 4 - 6 p.m.
  • All other guests - 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Number of Visitors

  • Each inpatient should have a designated visitor list – either paper or electronic - on file with the hospital.
  • Up to 6 names can be added to the visitor list
    • This includes parents/guardians, siblings, and grandparents
    • Clergy members are not counted on this list, but name must be provided
  • Names on the list may be changed daily
  • To change the list, families can:
    • Bring their updated form to the 2nd floor information desk 
  • In some areas, the medical team may request to have only 2 visitors in the room at a time.
  • We welcome all guests not at the bedside to use our Edison Dining Room, waiting rooms, Center of Families, and family lounges as options for waiting inside the hospital.

Visitor Ages

  • Visitors under the age of 12 years must be accompanied by an adult over the age of 18.
  • Guests between the age of 12-18 must be accompanied by a guardian from 9:00 p.m. – 9:00 a.m. or when visiting hours are closed.
  • Visitors in our NICU should be at least 12 years old, unless the visitor is a sibling of a NICU patient.
  • Additional restrictions may apply in certain high-risk areas such as cancer, transplant and where patients have compromised immune systems. 

Masking and Wellness 

  • Mask are not required in in most areas.
  • To reduce transmission, masking is recommended for those who are showing signs or symptoms of respiratory illness and those with a recent known exposure to someone with a respiratory illness.
  • Those who prefer to wear masks in BJC facilities are welcome to do so. Respiratory hygiene stations will remain at all facilities.
  • Please follow hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of viruses.
  • Additional restrictions may apply in certain high-risk areas such as cancer, transplant and where patients have compromised immune systems. Due to the current increase of respiratory virus illness in the community, visitors in our NICU should be at least 12 years old, unless the visitor is a twin of a hospitalized NICU patient.

Outpatient Clinic and Testing Visits

  • Clinics manage their own visitor guidelines; speak to your child’s team if you have questions.

Showering/Laundry

  • You can shower in the Center for Families on the 3rd floor in room 3120 (across from the Eye Center). 
  • Towels and toiletries are available.
  • Washers, dryers and laundry pods are also available in the Center for Families. 
  • All amenities are free of charge.

Badges

  • Visitors must obtain a visitor photo badge from the second-floor information desk to ensure patient and staff safety.
  • Parent, guardian, and grandparent badges are valid for the entire length of the patient’s stay.
  • All other visitors should retrieve a new badge each day and must be returned there at the end of the visit.
  • Visitors must wear their badge above the waist, so the badge is visible at all times while visiting our patients.

Safety Precautions

  • For the infection control of our patients, no live plants or flowers are permitted in patient rooms or treatment areas.
  • Friends and family are welcome to send cards, mylar (foil) balloons and age-appropriate toys to patients.
  • Due to the potential for allergic reactions and choking, we cannot allow latex (rubber) balloons at the hospital. Latex balloon deliveries will not be accepted. We appreciate your understanding.
  • No weapons are allowed in the hospital. All visitors, staff and patients will pass through an electronic security screening system.

Contacting Patients

  • To call a patient in his or her room at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, call the hospital operator at 314.454.6000. Please provide the patient’s name and room number.
  • To allow our patients to rest, no inbound phone calls are sent to patient rooms after 10 p.m.

Send mail or a package

To send mail to your child’s room, use the following address:

Patient’s first and last name
One Children’s Place
Patient’s room number or floor
St. Louis, MO 63110

Mail is delivered to patients' rooms Monday through Friday. If mail arrives after discharge, we will forward it to the child's home address.

Cell Phone Use

  • Use of cellular phones is allowed in most areas of the hospital.
  • Certain areas may post signs restricting cell phone usage due to equipment interference. Please observe all signs.

Parking

  • Parking is available, for a fee, in the St. Louis Children’s Hospital visitor garage located directly across from the hospital. A covered walkway on the second floor connects the visitor garage to the main hospital.
  • Parking is free for parents, grandparents and clergy who are visiting inpatients. When you leave the building, you can obtain a parking validation ticket from a public safety officer in the second floor lobby or in the emergency room.

Tobacco Use

  • St. Louis Children’s Hospital is a tobacco-free campus. Smoking and tobacco products are not permitted anywhere on the grounds of the hospital.
  • A guest smoking shelter is available for visitors. The shelter is across the street from the hospital’s front entrance.

Need something?

  • Let us know! We want to help.
  • Social work is also available for ongoing support. Please feel free to ask your nurse to reach out to social work if you have not been contacted.

As part of BJC HealthCare, we follow a standard visitor policy to ensure a consistent experience across BJC’s 14 hospitals, multiple health service organizations and 100+ doctors’ offices.