The art museum is such a beautiful collection of ancient sculptures and artwork. It really lets you…read moresee what the different times were like and understand how talented the human race is at creation. We went during the Ancient Rome exhibition and it was breathtaking to see the size of the sculptures and learn about the families, royalty vs their servants, what type of armor and jewelry they would wear. Alongside the pieces of art that are normally there, I love the museum and think everyone in STL should visit.

Excellent collection for a small city. The museum is not too large but it has a good…read morerepresentative collection of European, American and ancient art. I was happy to find three Bierstadts. Impressionist room is excellent. Not a huge museum but definitely worth visiting!

The Crisp Museum is a hidden gem. They change their art gallery every 30/45 days. The history…read moregalley is very well done. From Indian artifact, River Boat information to anthropology. Very Friend people.

" Very Informative Museum "…read more We went to the Crisp Museum at the University of South East Missouri . We watched a movie about the University and Museum, in a small theater first, before we walked around the museum. The Museum has a wide range of historical artifacts for you to see. The Museum is focused on the history of the the Cape Girardeau area along the Mississippi River.

I finally realized this museum was free, and so we came here after brunch. There is a small parking…read morelot behind the Pulitzer next door and street parking everywhere. This is also surprisingingly near the Fox Theater! We were welcomed in very warmly! The attendant at the front desk explained everything: all the exhibits, what to expect, which artists are there now, and what to expect in the fall season. Honestly, she was delightful! There is also a small cafe inside where I got a small iced chai. After that, and browsing the 1st floor, we went upstairs. The 2nd floor features more locally made art from Middle School and High School art programs. It was really delightful to see the range of mediums! My toddler's favorite part was the playroom. Although, it is quite small, but it was just him with lots and lots of interactive and imaginative play! We look forward to see the next exhibit after installation!

I really enjoyed my time at CAM. It's a free contemporary art museum and right next door is the…read morePulitzer. They host fun events too. It's a bit on the smaller side so temper your expectations accordingly. The staff is incredible! Their collections are always really thoughtful. Worth a visit.

This is a wonderful place for hands on learning for all ages. Something for everyone. Full of…read morefossils, rocks and bones. Dinosaur bones! Actual life size dinosaurs beautifully painted that look so real! Knowledgeable staff, Handicap assessable and very clean. Must visit if in St. Gen

A great small town with many restaurant choices. The museum is an interesting and eclectic…read morecompilation of historical information not necessarily directly connected to the town. A nice addition to the to the other activities in this historic town.

Had an interactive kids section that my boys enjoyed playing in. Thursdays is free admission for…read moreall sections and we really enjoyed that. They had scavenger hunts for the main gallery for kids to do. We enjoyed walking around and seeing the outdoor sculptures as well.

We visited at the Museum while at an overnight stay in Mt Vernon. After dinner we headed to the…read moreCenter for their Thursday evening out door concert on the patio. (A regular event during the summer). Free of any cost. Plenty of parking and easy to find. The music on this particular evening was just OK but we were able to get into the museum to browse. It was perfect, since the crowd was outside there was no one in the galleries inside. Not a particulary large collection but some interesting art in the main gallery. Being from Louisville, the Derby City it was fun to see an exhibit of Derby Hats by Dianne Isbell displayed in the main foyer. The museum typically has a $5 admission fee but free entry on Thursdays. It was spacious, clean and well organized. I was inpressed for a museum of its size to have the collection it did. My love of art was really satiated with the outdoor sclupture garden. There must have been 30 outdoor scluptures (one of my favorite mediums of art) in the outdoors gardens surrounding the museum. About half of the scluptures are in an open field without a walkway so you must be careful walking in the grass. But some of the scluptures are situated around the lake in the back and the museum itself. So plenty to see, explore, entertain and delight in this small town venue.

For a quick visit and to stretch your legs during a long drive, this place is great. Kids' activity…read moreroom has several hands-on ways to do art. Lego mosaics, a huge Lite-Brite type board (for those of you who remember those), and a life size horse sculpture you can reassemble. Oh, and it's free. Outdoor sculpture garden covers about an acre and has many large sculptures kids can run among. My two boys, 7 and 10, would have liked to stay longer. Permanent exhibit is small but has some notable artists, like Mary Casatt. Not sure if I was supposed to pay for going in that room? Oops. Temp exhibit for next couple months is photos of rock stars, plus autographed guitars from the collection of a local radio guy. Costs $5 and my wife opted for me not to see it. Some of the guitars are hanging in the main lobby, like Clapton's and BB King's. Not that you would drive to Mt. Vernon *just* to see it, but if you are passing thru on I-64, give it a look for an hour or so.

Well worth a visit. Frequently changing displays and great special events. Not too near the hotels,…read morebut only about a mile away. A pleasant little walk.

A Hidden Jewel in St. Louis - Don't Miss the Magic Chef Mansion!…read more What a historic gem! The Magic Chef Mansion is one of St. Louis' most stunning and best-kept secrets. If you haven't taken a tour, you are truly missing out. This architectural treasure offers a glimpse into another era--where craftsmanship, elegance, and timeless beauty meet. What makes it even more special is the incredible care and devotion of Shelly, the current owner and resident. It's amazing how she has lovingly restored the entire interior, tracking down original furniture, lighting fixtures, and period-appropriate details to bring this mansion back to its former glory. What an act of love--and one that every visitor can feel the moment they walk through the doors. Every room is a story, and the guided tour is filled with fascinating history, local lore, and exquisite details. Whether you're a St. Louis native or a visitor, this is an experience that belongs at the top of your list. The Magic Chef Mansion isn't just a tour--it's a living, breathing piece of art and history. Don't miss the chance to be a part of it.

This is a wonder!!!! Beautifully maintained and decorated mansion. Owner guided tour for our…read moregroup. Charge for tours but well worth seeing this amazing turn of the 20th century mansion.

Came here for a tour and had a good time! I grew up in STL and never knew about this! Very nice…read moreworkers/ they offered us a 45 min tour that ended up over 1.5 hours...the tour guide could talk ALOT. I liked the tour but it went a little too long. I would come back and bring others here to visit!

This museum has a wide variety of telephones and equipment from 1800s to the present. The tour…read moreguide is very informative and knows a lot about the telephones on display. Well worth seeing

Saw this place on tiktok a few years ago and just knew I had to stop!! I'm so glad we did!! There…read morewas honestly so much to see that we'll probably be back someday! This place was amazing plan on being here for at least four hours. There are so many areas to climb and fit your body through. There were slides, caves and so many areas that if you hadn't been paying attention, you would have missed! We brought the kids here to have a fun time but honestly us adults really enjoyed this as well! There is a place to grab a snack here as well as gift shop. There are multiple floors and rooms and just when you think you've seen all of it another floor or room will pop up. We thought we had seen everything and then realized we missed two whole floors! This is absolutely worth going to!!

This place is really overwhelming. It was SO CROWDED. You know you are old when you start…read morewondering about max capacity and fire codes while in a place. There is constant noise. Kids yelling, crying, people talking, metal banging. Got here close to open. Parked at a lot nearby (thought it was the one for City museum. It was not and cost me $30 so BEWARE). Walked to the museum (about half a block) and the line was through the parking lot. I had not purchased tickets online because they charged a $8 convenience fee. Paid $68 ($62+$6 tax) ($23 per ticket for admission and $8 per person rooftop add on) for one adult and one kid ticket (there is no difference in price) with the roof top add on. They give you a wristband to wear which is nice that you can leave and come back. We left to go grab lunch nearby and were able to exit and re-enter easily. Got inside and had to use the restroom. Restrooms are old, run down, some stalls were out of service, paper towels were out, toilet paper out. I saw the restroom being serviced several times but it always seemed to be out of something. My kid had fun but there were areas they were not allowed to access due to not having a flashlight. Kidlet wanted me to buy one but we had no room to pack it. They could benefit from having a flashlight rental program for people traveling. Lots of kids wearing knee pads but my child did not particularly care they did not have them, they just wanted a light. Line to get on elevator to go to roof was long and hot. Roof was hot and there is not a lot of shade. It was cool views and photo ops if you are into that. I wanted to ride the ferris wheel but it was too hot to be out in the sun. Took the stairs back down. I was surprised I kept seeing it was in a 10 story building but there are only 3-4 floors you can access plus the roof. Due to the way it is laid out there are bottle necks that gather and make it hard to maneuver in some places. The restroom entrance is near the gift shop entrance (which is also where you exit) and people were just standing there so it was difficult to get through. Maneuvering the stairs was difficult as well as people did not keep one side open for going up and one for going down, taking up the whole stairway so you had to wait. Overall this was a way to kill some time before going to the airport. Kidlet had fun and they are the target demographic but I would not go back.

The Popeye statue at the Illinois Welcome Center in Chester is a fun and unmistakably local…read morelandmark, sitting right in the parking area on the Illinois side of the bridge that leads to Perryville Missouri. It's a cheerful figure and on a quick stop, it adds a little personality to what would otherwise be a standard highway welcome center. The placement is perfect. Enter the parking lot and there he is with that classic grin before you even get to the building. It's here because Chester is the hometown of Elzie Crisler Segar, the creator of Popeye. The town has fully embraced that heritage, scattering character statues around the area and celebrating its connection to the comic strip. The welcome center Popeye is one of the most visible of the bunch, acting as a friendly introduction to the town's quirky claim to fame. As roadside attractions go, it's simple but charming, and it sets the tone nicely for a visit to Chester. [Review 1097 of 2026 - 257 in Illinois - 26276 overall]

Kinda blew right past the welcome center hosting this tribute due to lots of goings on going on…read morewhat with the bridge construction and reconfiguring the approaches and all that... Popeye is all bronzed up for the world to adore as he welcomes folks to Chester Illinois, hometown of EC Segar. plenty of parking but the lot will need some attention when the road is completed. the visitor's center was closed when I got here it's full up with sailor stuff so try to get here when you can step in and have a look around. there's maps available in the lobby that show the location of 18 other statues of characters from print and film if you want to spend a day doing nothing of merit but enjoyable regardless. this, the first statue, dates from 1977. after a twenty-nine year hiatus 18 additional marble statues were eventually installed around town - one per year - to enhance the visitor experience. yea Popeye!