SAINT LOUIS, Mo. — Once Christmas is over, the next biggest decision might be how long to keep the tree up.
Whether you take it down on Dec. 26 or leave it glowing until after Jan. 1, the end result is the same: you have to dispose of it somehow.
Fortunately, there are dozens of locations around the St. Louis area that'll take it off your hands, as long as it's free of lights, decorations, wire and garland.
St. Louis
Carondelet Park
Grand Boulevard and Holly Hills Ave., 63116
Open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. (7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday), Dec. 26 – Jan. 10
Forest Park (Lower Muny parking lot)
1 Theatre Dr., 63112
Open Dec. 26 – Jan. 10
O'Fallon Park
West Florissant Avenue and Holly Avenue, 63147
Open Dec. 26 – Jan. 10
St. Louis County
Bee Tree Park
2701 Finestown Rd., 63129
Open Dec. 27 – Jan. 16
Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park
13777 Marine Ave., 63146
Open Dec. 27 – Jan. 16
Queeny Park
550 Weidman Rd., 63011
Open Dec. 27 – Jan. 16
Spanish Lake Park
12500 Spanish Pond Rd., 63138
Open Dec. 27 – Jan. 16
St. Louis Composting (Valley Park)*
39 Old Elam Ave., 63088
St. Louis Composting (Maryland Heights)*
11294 Schaefer Dr., 63043
St. Louis Composting (North St. Louis County)*
13060 County Park Rd., 63034
* Fee of $1 per tree
St. Charles County
Recycle Works Central
60 Triad South Dr., 63304
Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Dec. 27 – Jan. 8 (closed Dec. 31 – Jan. 2)
Recycle Works West
2110 East Pitman Ave., 63385
Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Dec. 27 – Jan. 8 (closed Dec. 31 – Jan. 2)
Founders Park
7 Freymuth Rd., 63367
Open during posted park hours, Dec. 26 – Jan. 9
Heartland Park
100 William Dierberg Dr., 63385
Open during posted park hours, Dec. 26 – Jan. 16
Progress Park
968 Meyer Rd., 63130
Open during posted park hours, Dec. 26 – Jan. 16
Quail Ridge Park (Group Picnic Area parking lot)
560 Interstate Dr., 63385
Open 7 a.m. to sunset, Dec. 26 – Jan. 9
Rotary Park
2577 West Meyer Rd., 63348
Open during posted park hours, Jan. 10 – Jan. 16
Jefferson County
Festus-Crystal City Elks Lodge
4 Elks Club, 63028
Open Dec. 26 – Jan. 17
Jefferson County Courthouse
300 Main St., 63050
Open Dec. 26 – Jan. 17
Kress Farm Garden Preserve
5137 Glade Chapel Rd., 63050
Open Dec. 26 – Jan. 7
Pleasant Valley Nature Preserve
6701 Twin River Rd., 63049
Open Dec. 26 – Jan. 17
Sunridge Park
8093 Tower Rd., 63050
Open Dec. 26 – Jan. 17
Lincoln County
Cuivre River State Park
678 State Hwy. 14, 65775
Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Dec. 25 – Jan. 16
Phelps County
Rolla Environmental Services Department
2301 McCutchen Rd., 65401
Clinton County, Illinois
Carlyle Lake (Little Prairie Nature Trail near the west spillway)
Sunrise Hill Rd. and Carlyle Dam Rd., 62231
Open Dec. 26 – Dec. 30
Madison County, Illinois
There are more than 30 Christmas tree recycling sites in Madison County. Click here for a complete list.
Former Great Central Lumber Co. site
81 Henry St., 62002
Haskell Park
1211 Henry St., 62002
Killion Park
2400 Washington Ave., 62002
Milton Park
Aberdeen Ave., 62002
Riverview Park
491 Park Ave., 62002
Winston Brown Recreation Complex
1325 Schiller Ave., 62025
St. Clair County, Illinois
Belleville
One live Christmas tree per residence, Jan. 10 – Jan. 14