St.
Louis has some of the finest cultural institutions in America,
and many of them are free to the public.
By Jim Baer
St. Louis has an amazing array of cultural institutions
for its residents and visitors alike. Millions of individuals
pour through the doors of a wide variety of institutes, sampling
and understanding better the culture of this multi-diverse community.
Here is a look at the top institutes in America, presented in
no significant order:
Missouri Botanical Garden
Missouri Botanical Garden in South St. Louis is the oldest botanical
garden in the U.S., founded in 1859. According to Dr. Peter
Raven, director of the Missouri Botanical Garden, “The Garden
is outstanding because of its gardens first presented by Henry
Shaw, a 19th Century merchant who established it as a gift to
the St. Louis people.”
“Our main rivals (and collaborators) are the Royal Botanic Garden,
at Kew, west of London, which has the support of the British
government as well as a century lead (founded in 1759), the
New York Botanical Garden, located in Central Bronx, which enjoys
the largesse of the philanthropic community of New York. In
our field of activities and research, we are second to none,”
says Dr. Raven.
The Magic House
This popular Victorian structure in scenic Kirkwood has become
one of the major attractions for children in the Midwest since
opening its doors in 1979. Museum President Beth Fitzgerald
says “The Magic House is unique in the region—and the nation—in
that we are the only not-for-profit cultural institution that
is multidisciplinary, totally interactive, and has the unique
abilities and interests of children at heart.”
“The Magic House is St. Louis’ Children’s Museum and we take
that title seriously. We are committed to making the museum
and its resources accessible to all children in the region.
Every year, we provide free educational opportunities to more
than 25,000 young people from underserved areas of our community.
And for those children who cannot reach the museum, the Magic
House comes to them with outreach programs, teacher workshops,
scout programs and traveling exhibits in neighborhood schools,
child-care centers and other community sites,” says Fitzgerald.
Saint Louis Zoo
More than three million visitors come to the Saint Louis Zoo,
one of only three free zoos in the nation, which is also one
of the most attended zoos in the country.
“In a national survey that ranked the Zoo’s family appeal, facilities
and service, the Saint Louis Zoo was the No. 1 zoo in America.
And we ranked with the Magic Kingdom, Discovery Cove and Monterey
Bay Aquarium as one of the top attractions overall,” says the
Director Dr. Jeffrey Bonner.
“Not only is the Zoo home to 17,900 animals, many of which are
endangered or threatened, it is also home to the WildCare Institute,
the AZA Wildlife Contraception Center, Madagascar Fauna Group,
the worldwide nutrition program Zootrition and the International
Species Information System,” says Dr. Bonner.
“We’re very proud that we’re considered one of the top zoos
of the world in terms of wildlife conservation, animal management,
veterinary care, research and conservation education,” says
Dr. Bonner.
The City Museum
City Museum was named as one of the “Greatest Publics Spaces
in the World” by New York-based non-profit Project for Public
Spaces.
It is one of the nation’s largest works of installation art—comprising
65,000 square feet and filling four floors of a former shoe
warehouse with interconnected tubes, chutes, slides, caves,
pipes, stairs, mazes, and tunnels. It is made up of thousands
of things an entire city decided to throw away over the span
of forty years—including substantial parts of a dozen historic
buildings, two airplanes, 946 cafeteria pans, two intact water
towers, the former Vandeventer pedestrian overpass, and 16,425
neckties according to Rick Erwin, director of City Museum.
Erwin explains, “A full-time crew of a dozen artisans spends
its working life welding, painting, tiling, hauling, and bolting
things together (and re-welding, repainting, re-tiling, hauling
to new locations, and unbolting things) under the creative direction
of an artist who refuses to allow signs other than “Exit” and
“Bathroom” in the facility.”
“To date, City Museum founder Bob Cassilly has turned down fifty-six
invitations from committees in other cities to consult on museum
projects there,” says Erwin.
Saint Louis Art Museum
St. Louis maintains one of the truly outstanding art museums
in the world, and its doors are open to the public thanks to
financial support from a city-wide museum taxing district.
“The Saint Louis Art Museum ranks among the top ten comprehensive
art museums in the nation based on the quality of its collection,
which includes magnificent works of art from virtually every
art-producing culture and time. Its holdings include notable
strengths in ancient Chinese bronzes, Oceanic art, Pre-Columbian
art, and European and American painting from the 19th and 20th
centuries, with particular strength
in pre-and post-war from Germany and the largest public collection
of paintings by Max Beckmann,” says the Museum’s Director Brent
Benjamin.
“The Saint Louis Art Museum finds itself in the enviable position
of having a much larger collection than can be exhibited—a situation
that has provided the genesis of the planned expansion in Forest
Park. The extent of the community support for museum expansions
currently underway across the country is a testament to the
shared recognition of the importance of cultural resources as
part of what makes a region attractive to tourists and citizens,”
says Benjamin.
Saint Louis Science Center
The Academy of Science of St. Louis was founded in 1856 as the
first scientific organization west of the Mississippi River.
Following a $34 million dollar expansion to the main building,
the Saint Louis Science center opened its doors in November
1991. In one destination, a visitor can see a real child mummy,
a T-Rex and dinosaur bones, brain teaser experiments and a star
show in the James S. McDonnell Planetarium.
According to Doug King, president and CEO, the Science Center
is one of the most prestigious and cutting-edge technology centers
in the world. More than 10,000 students visit the center annually
and more than 1.2 million visitors come to the center on Oakland
Avenue annually.
“We are one of nation and world’s top 10 science centers,” says
King. The Saint Louis Science Center ranks in the top five best
centers in the U.S. today. The Association of Science AC Technology
Centers awarded the Science Center the prestigious Leading Edge
Award for visitor experience anywhere.
The Saint Louis Symphony
The Saint Louis Symphony was founded in 1880 as the St. Louis
Choral Society and is the second oldest symphony orchestra in
the United States. Famed conductors, ranging from Vladimir Golschmann
to Walter Susskind, to Leonard Slatkin to present-day David
Robertson have entertained music lovers for 127 years.
The present symphony has a $23.5 annual operating budget and
endowment boosted to $134 million, thanks to the good work of
its president, Randy Adams.
“We have attracted some of the finest artists in the world to
perform with our orchestra. We are clearly in the top 10 of
best symphonies in the U.S. and we offer world-class performances,”
says Adams.
Adams points to his community outreach program. “We have adopted
six inner city schools and more than 25,000 children participate
in our youth programs,” he says.
Performing today at majestic Powell Hall, the focus has been
on building a St. Louis audience. “We have been able to maintain
artistic excellence while continuing to offer community outreach
programs,” says Adams proudly.
The Missouri Historical Society
The mission of the Missouri Historical Society is to deepen
the understanding of past choices, present circumstances and
future possibilities, strengthening the bonds of the community
and facilitate solutions to common problems.
The Missouri Historical Society has been active in the local
community opening the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park
and the Library and Research Center on Skinker Boulevard and
has been active since 1866.
“The Missouri History Museum presents the story of our past
in formats and lively, attractive styles that invite conversation
and multiple exchange of stories, and ultimately collaborative
in making the St. Louis region a better place to live, work
and be proud of,” says Dr. Robert Archibald, president of the
organization.
“The Missouri Historical Museum is regularly cited as a model
for museums and museum programming among professionals in the
field throughout the country and in other parts of the world
as well. The quality of the reputation of the historical society
is a leading indication of what St. Louis has to offer,” says
Dr. Archibald.
Go to New York, Chicago, Paris, Rome or London and you won’t
find an array of museums and institutions any finer or more
universally accepted than those that prosper, thrive and thrill
their patrons and visitors alike in St. Louis.
