5700 Lindell Blvd.
Forest Park
Saint Louis, Missouri
314-746-4599
The Missouri Historical Society operates the Missouri History Museum. The Historical Society, which was founded in 1866, has been collecting written records, photographs and artifacts representing the people who live and work in St. Louis and Missouri. The Society was housed at a number of locations until 1913, when it moved to the Jefferson Memorial Building in Forest Park. The Jefferson Memorial Building is on the site of the main entrance to the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition (Saint Louis World's Fair) and was built with proceeds from the fair. In 2000 a significant building addition, the Emerson Center, was completed. The Emerson Center features a ground-to-roof southern glass façade and provides substantially more exhibition space, an auditorium, classrooms, a restaurant, and a gift shop.
The Missouri History Museum is dedicated to documenting and interpreting the history of the Saint Louis area. The museum permanent collection includes both national artifacts, as well as Missouri and St. Louis related materials. The original Louisiana Purchase transfer document that formally passed the Louisiana Territory from Spain to France on March 9, 1804 can be seen. The French then signed over the territory to the U. S. the next day. Among the signers was Meriwether Lewis, co-leader of the Lewis & Clark expedition that explored the new American territory from 1804-1806. Artifacts from the Lewis and Clark Expedition are in the permanent collection, as St. Louis was the starting point for the expedition. The museum also displays personal artifacts from explorer William Clark including furnishings and artifacts from his St. Louis office. The Museum also displays a number of local colonial and Native American artifacts.
The Missouri Historical Society hosts both traveling and special exhibits. Use the link to the Historical Society's website below to find out what is currently showing at the Museum.
CURRENT EXHIBITS
Painting Creole St. Louis
Through March 3, 2024
This exhibit showcases reproductions of the work of Missouri’s first known woman artist, Anna Maria von Phul. Her artwork illustrates life in the Missouri Territory during the 1810s and 1820s, including the people, culture, architecture, and landscape of early St. Louis. Visitors will learn about this fascinating figure from history through reproductions of von Phul’s artwork, letters, and other selections from the MHS collections.
Coloring STL
Through May 5, 2024
St. Louis is a kaleidoscope of architecture, filled with structures of every age, shape, and size. In Coloring STL, visitors can interact with these fascinating buildings in a way they never have before - by coloring them, right on the walls. From downtown’s iconic landmarks to the very homes lived into buildings now erased from the landscape, this interactive exhibit delves into the stories of more than 50 local structures, all of them waiting to be filled with color. Visitors can also get an up-close look at dozens of artifacts and learn about the dreamers and designers who used the materials beneath our feet to leave their mark on the city.
WEEKLY EVENT
Thursday Nights at the Museum
Every Thursday Evening
Kick off your weekend at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park! Each Thursday Night at the Museum will be the most fun, engaging, uplifting, thought-provoking, perspective-shaping night of your week. And there are drinks. Join us starting at 5:30 pm for happy hour and pop-up activities, such as brief tours, games, and performances. The main stage comes to life at 6:30 pm, light appetizers and drinks are available for purchase until 7 pm, and the Museum’s exhibits are open until 8 pm for you to explore!
Visiting the Missouri Historical Museum
Visiting Hours
Wednesdays - Sundays: 10 am - 5 pm daily
Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays
Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
General admission to the Museum is free. Tickets may be required for special exhibits.
Use the official site of the Missouri Historical Society to find the answers to the questions about the Missouri Historical Museum that you may have.
