If you live in or near STL and haven't eaten at Mad Mexico, you are seriously doing yourself an incredible disservice! The food was absolutely delish! Not to mention the aesthetics of the restaurant itself were simply just fun. An old police station turned restaurant with amazing (if not the best) tacos in the area! I had to try as much as I could... I ordered the Quesabirria, beef street taco, brisket street taco, strawberry churro, and chips & dip. Great portion sizes with plenty to take home. The only con I had was the seasoning on the chips - however, that's more of a personal preference than a fault of the restaurant. And just an added little bonus... the take home boxes are compostable! Slaaayyy. #SaveTheEarth I'll have to update this review after my next visit to include the art gallery. read more

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I live literally a block from Mad Art (please don't stalk me) and I had NEVER been inside. I've always been curious about this police station turned event space, as many folx have talked about how charming the interior is. Had an opportunity to check it out during a public event called Something Crafty This Way Comes - A Dark Arts A-Faire. While this was a unique event, I didn't stay long because I really just wanted to see the Mad Art space. When you walk through the door you are taken back in time. I think that Mad Art has done such an amazing job keeping the original character of the police station. The marble walls and flooring pull you in with so much classic vibes. There was a bar area that was behind bars. I really really loved the old prison cell. I really think this would be the perfect place for a wedding or major event as it's super memorable. One tip is to follow the Mad Art page on Facebook. They announce public events on their page. I noticed that their events aren't kept up to date on their website. Looking forward to more chances to get to hang out in Mad Art. read more

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I came her for a work fundraiser and this place is super cute! The bartenders were very nice, too. I'd give it a 5th star, but I require a larger craft beer selection for that #beersnob read more

Mad Art - Art Galleries Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

On April 16, 2023, we hosted a celebration of life for our dear friend, Fran Kenny. It was a huge success! We had a gathering of 80+ friends and family in attendance. The venue looked amazing and all the details were covered. From lighting to video/sound, fabulous artwork, to amazing food and craft cocktails, everything was perfect. The staff was super friendly throughout the 4 hour event! Ron and Kelsey were so great to work with while planning the party. Hats off to everyone at the Mad Art Gallery for making everything exceptional. It really added to the success of the celebration. We highly recommend this unique space for anyone looking for a cool space for a fun gathering. Thank you all, John Hecht and Steve Kotsines read more

Great event space. I came here for GinWorld and the patio is a little small, but it did manage comfortably about four booths, a welcome table, and covered small sitting area. The interior, however, is bigger inside than it looks from the street. The main gallery fit 40-50 tables of distillers as well as more than 100 guests, had a stage area with live music, and still some room for socializing. The bathrooms, even during an event for drinking, were clean. read more

Mad Art is reminiscent of a scene from Bugsy Malone - the one with Scott Baio and Jody Foster. The renovated police station makes for a fun and original event. I was there for the Big Ass Indie Art Show - Leslie and the Ly's were performing and the crowd was super stoked. Unfortunately, the sound quality was terrible! There was a PA but no one knew how to work it. Total bummer because the performance was hilarious but marred by the craptacular sound. True professionals that they were, the show went on. The Rock n Roll Craft Show is also held here and that seemed to be a bit more organized. They made good use of the space, including a separate check out near the exit. Good thinking! Have not been there for an art opening or wedding reception, but Mad Art has some serious potential. Whomever organizes the event has some challenges, but with some work the end product would be really fun and original. read more

Okay so back in the day, this was the police station for the third district of St. Louis. It was built in the 1930's. They use the old squad car garage as an art space, and have preserved the entrance so that you can hang out in jail cells if you feel like it! TELL ME WHY YOU WOULD NOT BE IN LOVE WITH VISITING A SUPER OLD POLICE STATION THAT'S NOW CONVERTED TO AN ART SPACE????? IT'S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GLORIOUS PLACE I'VE EVER SEEN i mean except for the part where bad people probably used to pee and whatnot. I love the event space. The sound can be a little...eh, but if you're expecting perfect acoustics from a place like this, you're probably kind of a jerk. I'm guessing that's why I never see adverts for live music, and it's mostly just screenings and art openings. When they have events, they have a bartender on staff so you can booze while you schmooze, which I'm always a fan of. I think the space that houses whatever art you're admiring is just as important to the viewing as the art itself, and to see anything in this venue adds a certain charm to whatever it is that you're seeing. If you EVER hear about anything happening here, just go. I don't care if it's the most ridiculous contemporary bizarre weirdass shit you've ever heard of, just GO, GO for the venue at the very least, and I PROMISE you'll have a great time. read more

I was excited to try a new event venue, however I was deeply disappointed to find that management treated me with no respect. At this venue, i provided the bouncer with a paper ID after getting my license renewed recently (I just turned 22). While a paper ID should have been sufficient, she asked for further identification. I was happy to oblige and show her my old void ID and several other cards with my name on it including my university student ID. After looking at all of this, she said that she didn't believe me and I didn't provide her with "enough" to prove I was of legal drinking age. The disrespect was enough to make me not want to return to this establishment. read more

I visited this space to participate in the 5th Annual Gin World Festival. The gallery itself felt too small for the event but the art on the walls was all beautiful! It showcased many forms of art and the ambiance was comfortable without feeling stuffy (as some art galleries do!) I'll be looking forward to going back to this gallery when they're not hosting a shoulder-to-shoulder crowded event. read more

Mad Art = Hidden St. Louis Gem. Still with its jail-like ambiance, Mad Art does all different kinds of public events, private events, and everything else in between. You want a gallery art show? They can do that. You want to get married there? They will accommodate. You want to hold Pecha Kucha there? Check. You want to do live art? Why, go ahead and make use of this otherwise ordinary space! Best event though that I've been to is their Garage Sale. Yes. Their garage sale. Where they drag out random stuff that they've accumulated. I'm now the proud owner of a vintage Singer Tiny Tailor and a Chicago White Sox batting helmet. I'm not sure how those two go together, but I'm sure the helmet will be more than adequate to protect me from flying bobbins. I could also have owned 500 of those little pencils that you find at a library or find on the golf course...you know...to fill out your scorecard. But I held back. The batting helmet was excitement enough. And I'm not even a Sox fan. I totally digress. Just like how Mad Art digresses with all its different events and still manages to stay quite relevant. read more

This isn't a great art gallery. You walk into a big room with art not set up in any interesting way. It is more of an event/special occasion space with some art hanging on the walls. That's it. With that said, while I wouldn't go out of my way to stop by to check out the art, I enjoyed attending events here and keeping myself entertained by looking at the pieces in their current exhibits. read more

I got married here and it was a perfect venue for my small wedding. We had the ceremony in the courtyard and then the reception inside. It's hip and trendy and different -- just what I wanted. My guests all loved the choice. read more

We had our wedding here last July (2015). It was the perfect venue to accommodate our small wedding of only 50 guests. The food was delicious! In terms of the venue and food, 5 stars all the way. However, there were a couple of small hiccups with the wedding coordinator. The venue is right next to the AB brewery and they were having their annual "beer and burger" festival on the day of our outside wedding ceremony. This meant a couple of things: 1. parking was a nightmare for our guests and 2. all I could hear as I walked down the aisle was "Fergalicious" blaring from the AB festival speakers. Is this the end of the world? Not at all. But a heads up from the coordinator about the event next door would have been nice. Also, the coordinator did not help at all during the ceremony rehearsal and we simply had to rely on our married friends who were there to help us figure out timing and such. On the day of the wedding, we even had to have a friend stand at the end of the aisle to cue the wedding party on when to walk. That was definitely something I thought the wedding coordinator would do. Despite these couple of minor issues (and they were minor in the large scheme of things), we were very pleased that we chose this venue for our wedding! Both the coordinator and chef were a pleasure to work with and it was the perfect fit for the small, urban wedding we've always wanted. read more

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Horrible wedding venue. Worst in house catering weve ever experienced. No only was the food different from our tasting but the "chef" decided we didn't need the carving station we paid for so our beef was siting in a big mess of juice. Then they ran out of beef for 3 tables and even out of potatoes for some guests. How embarrassing... The even coordinator is unprofessional and ditsy. She didn't even stay at the event through dinner service. aND the art work displayed was not what we agreed upon. I have a laundry list of other complaints that still bother me and our wedding was 5months ago... Do yourself a favor and look at other options or you may be quite disappointed.... read more

This is a non-profit, community gallery/exhibition space and space for hipster wedding receptions located in an old police district station. It's a pretty nice exhibition space, especially for 3-D works and comes with good lighting. The curating here is very uneven, you never know what you'll find in the shows here, but it's often worth the trip. read more

I am always a fan of converted places from places that used to be places completely different than the current place. Places? Yes, places. lol I have never really been to a gallery showing here, but I did go see the burlesque wedding (with Clownvis Presley presiding) and a couple improv shows. I always have great time. The acoutics for a music show suck though. I can understand why though... read more

This place is super cool. And a little mad, which is totally needed around these parts. Mad, in this case, means eclectic, fun and think outside the box. I've gone to the gallery for the Art of Food event hosted by Slow Foods. It's awesome. A smorgasbord of area chefs giving out samples, coupled with all manner of art adorning the walls, which are all auctioned off. Mad Art has some really cool alternative music acts and I think they even hosted the tour of "Found" magazine the last time they were in town. Super fun. read more

I must say I have a secret fantasy about partying in a jail-cell (that I can later leave at my leisure). Mad Art is an incredible venue if only for the fact that it's in an old jailhouse. I was pleasantly surprised as I entered and took a gander at the faces the populated the joint (nudge nudge.) The crowd was diverse; young, punk, hipsters, aging, artists, musicians, yuppies, etc. The art is hit-and-miss but definitely showing a lot of potential. Keep an eye on Mad-Art, it's a worthwhile stop, and a great contribution to the St Louis art scene. read more

The Mad Art Gallery is a great place to view art by local St. Louis Artists. Mad Art Gallery presents the Big Ass Indie Art and Craft Show, your alternative to the alternative holiday craft shows. The STL Craft Mafia will be helping organize and plan this alternative art & craft extravaganza with Mad Art Gallery. This show offers three days of shopping (December 5, 6, 7) in St. Louis' most spectacular and well-known venue for art exhibitions and unique events. Our show focuses on presenting original art and hand-made crafts of the highest quality. Expect the unexpected with the most unique and high-quality indie art this holiday season. " Mad Art Gallery 2727 S. 12th Street, St. Louis, MO 63118 www.madart.com read more

Combine jailhouse ambience with art and you get Mad Art Gallery. I have been to this venue spots so many times for so many different events. It can transform for a wedding reception, then do a cool art exhibit, accomodates live music and probably could be a jail again if needed. I love the flexibility of the space and the reasonable pricing for rental. read more

This gallery is really unique. It's in the old city prison. The jail cells with bars are still in tact, but now there are tables & chairs inside. The main space is large and can easily host a band. If you're looking to host an event and want something different, check this place out. read more

The Mad Art is an old police station converted into a smaller banquet hall. It has a great vibe to it with the original cells and counter. There is a large parking lot across the street which is nice for the Soulard Area. My son's wedding and reception was held here and the venue was perfect. Mad Art catered the food, which I have to admit was a bit disappointing, but, it's a wedding reception, so I didn't expect the food to be gourmet. If you are looking for a party venue, this is the place to be. read more

What do you do with an old police station? Why you hold some of the best events in it! I've been to this location a few times over the last 18 months and every time I'm there, I'm amazed at how it transforms for each event. Whether it's a causal event or something a little nicer like a wedding show, you can not beat this location. If you aren't looking, you're VERY likely to drive right by it, but once you are there, you won't regret it. I love how they have an outdoor patio as well. This patio is covered with a tent and heaters when it's cooler outside but never disappoints. read more

This place is a blast. It seems they are able to bring in a wide variety of exhibits that you would never find anywhere else. We went to the exhibit that celebrated painted wrestling masks and the event was completed by a wrestling match performed by the artist's two children in a tiny wrestling ring. Thanks for bringing some much needed culture to this Midwest city. read more

I had my wedding reception at Mad Art in early August 2012. It is a really cool, funky space which I really liked. However, I had Mad Art do the catering and it was a bit of a disaster. If you pick this venue do yourself a favor and use an outside caterer. There were 200 people at my wedding reception and it took 2.5 hours to serve dinner. The schedule we went through ahead of time showed that it would take 1.5 hours. It appeared that they didn't have enough wait staff. They skipped my husband's parents when serving salad and I had to flag down a waitress and ask them to get their table salads. We were required ahead of time to provide a seating chart with requested entrees, not just by table but down to the specific seat. At the reception the waitresses took each person's order, telling my guests that we didn't give them their pre-order information. When it was taking too long between the salad course and the entrees my mom and photographer went back in the kitchen trying to figure out what was going on and they were told by strict order of the bride the wait staff should wait until the speech was done to serve food. Which was a complete lie. We had reviewed everything the day ahead and it writing it showed food being served while speeches. Our late night food actually arrived while dinner was still being served. Since everything was taking forever, my friend went and negotiated an additional hour of bar. Which was great, because we would not have had time to dance otherwise. It was a good gesture that they gave us the extra time, however at that point over 50% of the group had left and my photo booth time was over that I paid for from 8-10. This is the only reason I am giving 2 stars instead of 1. My DJ stayed the extra hour and my photographer went way over on time because of this delay. I also found out later that they had tip jars out at the bar although we had prepaid the tips and they were not suppose to do that. I didn't hear that until after since I never went up to the bar my self. And last but not least, I have been completely shocked that no one from mad art has contacted me since the day of the event. I have received thank you's from most of my other vendors, but not from Mad Art. I spent by far the most money in this one spot and not only did they not contact me to apologize they haven't said anything. Overall cool space, bad customer service, if you have your party here do not use their catering. read more

Went there for a business event this week. The staff was very friendly and the decor is unique. Capitalist Pig, which is connected to Mad Art, made the food for the event and it was good! We asked the owner for a menu for the BBQ joint and we will definitely be back for a brunch! read more

Six months after my daughter's wedding reception, we have been informed that several cars were broken into during the event. We were under the impression that there was security on the parking lot. Apparently not. Feel badly and embarrassed. read more