Halls of History
History lovers, as well as travelers who want to get to know the rich stories of St. Louis, should make sure to leave plenty of time in their itineraries to visit the Missouri History Museum. Located in the city’s expansive Forest Park, this is one of several free museums in the city.
The museum’s Jefferson Memorial Building opened to the public in 1913, but the institution is far older than that.
“We’re celebrating our 150th anniversary this year,” said Tami Goldman, the museum’s tourism and group sales manager. “But our philosophy on how we develop exhibits has changed in the last two years. We’re really settling on telling the history of St. Louis by way of stories, making it relevant to each person.”
The cornerstone of the museum’s exhibition is a large gallery on the 1904 World’s Fair, which was a seminal event in St. Louis history. Other iconic exhibits include a Thomas Jefferson memorial statue and the Spirit of St. Louis, a sister airplane to the one that Charles Lindbergh piloted across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927.
In addition to these and other permanent exhibits, the museum has a robust schedule of special temporary exhibits. In June, it will premiere “Route 66: Main Street Through St. Louis,” which will explore the local history of the famous highway and will run through mid-July 2017.
Groups that visit the museum can arrange for several special experiences. Guided tours and curator talks are available, and an innovative program called Theatre in the Museum brings elements of history to life in one- and two-person plays.
It’s Personal in St. Louis
Located in a former print shop in an up-and-coming neighborhood not far from downtown St. Louis, the Moto Museum has enough amazing vintage motorcycles to rev up my inner gearhead.
Founded by a St. Louis architect and an avid motorcycle enthusiast, the Moto Museum was opened in 2007 as a private collection. Now it is open to the public and available for groups to tour.
Though I’ve been to my fair share of car and motorcycle museums, I’ve never seen a collection quite like this. The museum specializes in extremely rare motorcycles — you won’t find any Harley-Davidsons or Indians here — and many are prototypes or limited-run bikes created by foreign manufacturers.
Among the 120 motorcycles on display at the museum, the rarest is the 1927 Bohmerland, an oversized bike built in Czechoslovakia. Other highlights are a Matchless L3 with a gasoline-burning headlamp and a 1914 AJS motorcycle from Great Britain.
Groups that make advance arrangements to visit the museum may be able to arrange a private tour with owner Steve Smith, who can tell them fascinating stories about the motorcycles. The museum is also located adjacent to Triumph Grill, a motorcycle-themed restaurant. Another attraction, the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, is located on the second floor of the same complex.
