Missouri History Museum is located in Forest Park in St. Louis Missouri, I had the opportunity to visit it for the first time on the 29th of March. I have been living in St. Louis for almost three years now and I’m finally getting out and exploring more of the city. Before my review here is some history on the museum…
“The museum is operated by the Missouri Historical Society and was founded in 1866. The main galleries of the museum are free through a public subsidy by the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District.
The Jefferson Memorial Building, built in 1913 with profits from the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, is the current home of the museum.
In 1988, the Museum joined the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District and began receiving sales tax revenue.
In 2000, the Emerson Center, a significant building addition was completed, boosting attendance and exhibition capacity. The Emerson Center, featuring a ground-to-roof southern glass facade, was designed by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, and included substantially more exhibition space, as well as an auditorium, classrooms, a restaurant and gift shop. The Emerson Center was selected by the American Institute of Architects’s Committee on the Environment as an example of architectural design that protects and enhances the environment. It is an example of a green museum.
The museum permanent collection includes both national artifacts, as well as Missouri and St. Louis related materials, such as local colonial and native artifacts, Louisiana Purchase Exposition artifacts, and items relating to Charles Lindbergh and his trans-Atlantic flight in the “Spirit of St. Louis”.[ A replica of the “Spirit of St. Louis” can be found in the museum. A large amount of artifacts from the Lewis and Clark Expedition are also housed in the permanent collection, as St. Louis was the starting point for that venture.
Recent travelling exhibits and events have included items related to the Fox Theatre’s restoration and renovation,the Road to Freedom tour (celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act), and, prominently, the Lewis and Clark National Bicentennial Exhibition.”
Now that you have the back story on the museum you can read my review!
The museum wasn’t to busy on good friday so there was lots of space to spread out and not have to be piled into each other like some museums in the area. The architecture was beautiful, well laid out and branched out from a central area holding a statue of Thomas Jefferson in the main building.
Being it was free to get in and see most of the exhibits it makes for a wonderful thing to take the whole family to see and not empty your wallet! It even has a wonderful restaurant and express cafe on the second floor of the new expansion in the rear of the museum. The prices for them wasn’t to bad but they could get expensive quick! It also has a museum gift shop that you can pick up books about St. Louis, Christmas ornaments and other nick naks.
If you are worried your kids might be board and not enjoy this museum, don’t be! I came across several kid activities in the exhibits and I’m sure your children will love them.
Since Museum is located in Forest Park take a walk around the park and enjoy the wonderful outdoors and scenery, but that is for another review!
Take the opportunity to go downtown to visit Forest Park and the Missouri History Museum when coming to St. Louis, you won’t regret it!