When one thinks of Saint Louis, Missouri, one may immediately think of the gateway arch or their baseball culture surrounding their team, the Saint Louis Cardinals, not many people think of the lasting history of the Saint Louis World’s Fair that took place between April 30th to December 1st of 1904. Because of the Saint Louis World's Fair, numerous museums and exhibitions opened in Forest Park, with some of the major buildings and attractions still standing today; perhaps the most famous being the Saint Louis Art Museum.
Join me as I take you through one of my favorite museums of all time, the Saint Louis Art Museum.
Located at One Fine Arts Dr, St. Louis, MO 63110, admission to the museum is free every day, however, there are additional exhibits that may require ticketed entry. Admission to the ticketed exhibits is free on Fridays. The museum hours are Tuesday–Sunday, 10 am–5 pm, Friday, 10 am–9 pm, and Closed Monday.
Free public parking is available in the outside lots and there is paid parking available in the museum’s underground parking garage located on Fine Arts Drive. There are also two MetroLink stops within a fifteen-minute walk of the museum. Additional information about parking and public transportation is available on the museum website.
What might I expect to see during my visit?
One of the things I like best about the Saint Louis Art Museum is they cycle through contemporary, historical, and multicultural exhibitions. Past exhibitions include Monet/Mitchell: Painting the French Landscape, Native American Art of the 20th Century: The William P. Healey Collection, The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century, and Matisse and the Sea. Upcoming installations include Bolts of Color: Printed Textiles after WWII which opens November 8th, 2024, and Narrative Wisdom and African Arts, opening October 19th, 2024.
Originally called The Palace of Fine Arts, The Saint Louis Art Museum was founded in 1879 and was built as a permanent installation in Forest Park and stood as the beacon of the 1904 World’s Fair. In 2013, the East Building which houses the museum’s contemporary art collection was opened, and in 2015, the Grace Taylor Broughton Sculpture Garden was added.
Thanks to corporate sponsorship, The Saint Louis Art Museum offers a wide range of activities and events year-round. Corporate sponsorship allows the museum to also offer learning opportunities to students, teachers, and families of local schools and organizations.
Upon entering the museum, you’ll be immediately greeted by high, arched ceilings, stairways, and works of art that take full advantage of the massive space such as Breaking of the Vessels by Anselm Kiefer. Walking into this museum during summer provides a sanctuary from the hot and humid Missouri heat, and feels very different than when entered during winter. Visiting during summer carries a very different weight to the experience because one is often more inclined to journey through the surrounding areas when the weather is warm. Exploring the outside of the museum is an event in itself, and to feel the cold, dry, clean, air of the museum atmosphere as a respite from the summer humidity is worth the trip all on its’ own.
The magic of the museum is that it captures the glory and awe-inducing beauty a visitor might experience during the 1904 World’s Fair. Thousands of people traveled from around the world during that time simply to see the artwork so many of us take for granted today. The open floor plan of the main floor and neighboring exhibits begs for greater foot traffic and entices the viewer to seek more. Each piece is carefully displayed to compliment the surrounding pieces as well as highlighting the beauty of the building’s architecture. As one ventures through each exhibit, one cannot help but feel grateful to see work that spans centuries. To see this collection of work is truly to stand on the shoulders of giants.
In my personal opinion, the museum is so much more than just artwork. There is truly something for everyone in this space, whether it is admiring the artwork or learning about history, shopping at the gift shops and enjoying a snack from the café, or simply taking a break from your day.
As an introvert, one of the major selling points about this space is that I have never seen it crowded enough for there to be a wait to get in or any lines to get into any of the special exhibits. The space was clearly designed to handle heavy foot traffic and certainly lives up to its’ original name of The Palace of Fine Arts.
Best order to see exhibits:
Something I’ll argue about The Saint Louis Art Museum is that your experience begins before you even make it inside. I strongly recommend you budget your time to be able to explore Forest Park because the neighboring architecture and walking trails are unmatched (and did I mention there are many other great attractions in that area?)!
Once inside, there is no right or wrong order to view the exhibits, however, I always make sure I visit the ancient Egypt exhibit in the basement of the museum. When I start with the basement exhibits, it gives me a chance to work my way up to the main floor followed by the second floor. Somehow, I always end up in East Building last, which houses a majority of the contemporary artwork. Visiting the East Building gives me a chance to say “hi” to Betty, one of my favorite pieces in the museum. Even though the East Building was a newer addition to the museum, it still captures the zeitgeist of the original Saint Louis Art Museum because it carefully uses light and windows to showcase the artwork around natural surroundings as well as the building itself.
If you get lost while exploring, worry not! There are plenty of friendly staff and student volunteers who roam around the museum who are more than happy to offer guidance and information on the exhibits.
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Norahlyza has been writing since 2015 and has self-published nine books. She has a bachelor's degree in History and Psychology from CU Boulder and a master’s in ICT Project Management from the University of Denver.