First experience at the Edison Theater for a Black Rep performance. Happily surprised at the size…read moreof this auditorium. Seating comfortable, semi-circle around the stage with center, right and left choices. Ticket price included free parking in the garage located about a block from theater entrance. Enjoyed a funny, well performed play. Small concession stand. Enjoyed the show and setting on campus.

The Edison Theatre is a small proscenium thrust theater at Washington University. I swear there is…read morenot a bad seat in this 656 seat theatre. Everyone of them seems to have a direct view of the stage. It is located on Forsyth Blvd and is an easy find on campus. ET is a busy little theatre. In addition to Washington University Performing Arts Department, which produces three mainstage Edison shows each year, it also serves as a performance venue for Washington University student organizations. It also serves the STL theatre community as a rental house. Local performing arts organizations such as The Black Rep and Missouri Ballet Theatre, have produced major shows here. I love the intimacy of this small theatre, it has a real New York feel to it. Would I return? - Dim the lights and raise the curtains, I'm ready for a show When: Numerous Why: Live Theatre

I like public art, and I like find a different public art. We came across the steamboat murals. We…read moreare walking around in St. Louis. St. Louis has all kinds of different public are displays and this is a neat one.

Piece for piece. Pound for pound…read more SLAM is free, yet the quality and quantity of the art works were amazing. From Monet to Van Gogh to african pieces. There are plenty of eras at this museum. Honestly, there are a lot of great works. There are free parking spots nearby as well as a garage, but you need to pay for that. Overall, beautiful space inside and outside of museum.

First off, it's hard to beat the setting which is right in Forest Park and the building itself is…read morebeautiful and historic. Walking to it already feels like it's part of the experience. Inside, the collection is genuinely impressive. There's a huge range from ancient artifacts to modern and contemporary art so it never feels repetitive. You can go from Egyptian pieces to seeing European pieces from Monet and Picasso in the same visit. One of the best parts is that general admission is free which makes it super accessible and easy to spend as much (or as little) time as you want without feeling pressured. The layout is spacious and easy to explore, although some sections feel stronger than others depending on your taste. It's also the kind of place where you can wander and really take your time. Great for both a quick visit or a longer afternoon. It's one of the best attractions in St Louis with a surprisingly deep collection. Definitely worth visiting especially if you're already in Forest Park.

Love Taste of Clayton! I've attended for 30 years! I love the various food and people I encounter!…read moreAlways top shelf and very diverse.

Anyone with an appetite is welcome at this yearly event, held in the bosom of Shaw Park. It's a…read morebustling event and in the very high temperatures that typically embody St. Louis in the summer, can be a bit overwhelming at times. Things slow down around 4 or 5, right before Taste Too gets ready to kick in. Taste of Clayton offers you a sampling from many of Clayton's best loved establishments and you purchase tickets upon arrival. Each sampling of food generally costs you around 4-5 tickets and can range from seafood bratwurst to crme brulee, a cosmo or a dish of salad. Taste Too is primarily desserts and alcoholic beverages, though you can find plenty of that during the day. There are fireworks after 7, and live music to boot. It's a great event for the family, and proceeds benefit local charities.

This piece by local artist Ruth Keller Schweiss is in the center of a (drained) fountain at the…read moremiddle of a traffic circle next to several high rise office buildings and hotels. I walked past it each morning as it stands between where I was staying and my office this week. There is some video online of the fountain with water and it's very lovely. The sculpture depicts six slender ballerinas posed in "grant battement," a classical ballet position meaning "great brush off the floor." They are bronze and have the usual green tint that would be expected. They were installed in 1990, dedicated to Dance Saint Louis and are on loan to the art council. If you're nearby, cut through the fountain area and take some time to appreciate the art. [Review 19974 overall - 256 in Missouri - 948 of 2023.]

I did not check in to a room at AC Hotel, I just stopped by and enjoyed a cocktail in their lobby…read morebar. Actually, I arrived early for a private event up on the 11th floor at High Bar. Since I arrived so early, I had time to kill and I thought sipping a cocktail was a good way to pass time. The lobby bar, didn't have a name, it was just to right as I entered the main entrance. It's small in size, so you can kind of say it was intimate. I took a seat at the bar, but they did have several tables for groups to gather and drink. I was pleased to see that under the bar, they had hooks. I'm a big advocate for hooks being under bars. They're great for light coats and for ladies to securely store their purse. After looking over the cocktail menu, I went with a Manhattan. Wow, the young lady working as bartender, knew her craft and made me an outstanding cocktail. I watched her make it and her skills were masterful. I prefer my Manhattans up and with a dark cherry. You give me a Maraschino cherry, you lose a star in any rating. Good Cocktail, Good Service, Good Value and Relaxing Atmosphere. I'll be glad to stop by again, when I'm in Clayton.

Clean, convenient and welcoming. The AC Hotel St. Louis Clayton is part of the Marriott chain. I…read morearrived Monday afternoon and my room was ready with a lovely front desk clerk upgrading me (I have Titanium status with Marriott) to a larger room at the end of the hallway. It was quiet my entire stay - no slamming doors, no noise from the hallway. One issue with noise was the heating unit. It's winter in Saint Louis so it was running all night to keep up and it was wheezing loudly even cutting through my earplugs. In the end, I had to turn it off at night. Second issue. There is coffee in the lobby and that was great three of the mornings I took a cup to go. The fourth morning as I'm waiting for my 4:30am taxi to the airport, the coffee was cold and the urn finished halfway through. I didn't have time to wait for a fresh urn to arrive. The room was comfortable with a nice workspace, a good setup in the room for coffee/tea, a great shower with a very large bathroom. Bed was comfortable, too. I left the "do not disturb" most days but did take it down the second morning. The room was very nicely cleaned and reset. Friendly people at the desk, a lovely room, a great location right next to the Clayton Metrolink station. This hotel is perfect for access to the Saint Louis courthouse, downtown Clayton and an easy ride on the train into downtown. [Review 26 of 2025 - 406 in Missouri - 23598 overall]

Located in Shaw Park near the North Shelter, this large sculpture is a little trippy. It is the…read morework of South-African born and English-educated artist Steven Gregory. The sculpture depicts a stylized elephant sits astride a small blue tricycle, and boasts a head resembling the opening of a saxophone. Unveiled in 2015, it is a lot strange and a lot whimsical. And at 16 feet tall and weighing 17 thousand pounds, you can't miss it. I can not decide if I like or if I hate it. It's art and there you go. When you're in Shaw Park, stop by and check it out. Let me know what you think of it. [Review 1748 of 2024 - 384 in Missouri - 22771 overall]

This is a hidden gem when it comes to historic houses. This house has been incredibly restored with…read morecare and attention to detail giving visitors a true step back in time to see what 19th-century Victorian life was like for a affluent family in St. Louis. The house itself is that last remaining piece of the original neighborhood which originally stood outside of city limits. The docent was knowledgeable, welcoming, and gave what felt like an insider's look into the Campbell family highlighting original family belongings. My favorite pieces include a gas lamp that illuminates beautifully (seriously stunning) and massive portait of James A. Campbell with his dogs. Oh -- and the ornate toilet. I recommend a visit at Christmas time. The house is beautifully decorated for the holidays and you might just get to see and HEAR a special Christmas tree stand/music box!

We took advantage of the free tours being offered at the Campbell house museum this weekend and it…read morewas a great time. The fact that so much of the original furniture, art, and accessories remain in top condition if wild after all these years. Our tour guide was fantastic and we really enjoyed ourselves. A must-do if you are at all interested in STL history

The Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Monument is located in Forest Park on a trail that's tucked between Art…read moreHill and the World's Fair Pavilion. It's probably one of the least visited places in the park and really isn't worth trying to find unless you're just wandering around the park. I'd never heard of the guy, but I often ride my bike past this monument and had always wondered what it was for. Finally, I stopped one day and took some photos so I could research it later. So it turns out that Friedrich lived from 1778 to 1852. He was from Germany and was a gymnastics educator. Apparently, he is known as the "father of gymnastics", and created early versions of the balance beam, parallel bars and horizontal bars. It also sounds like this guy has some controversy over his political views. It said that in 1810, as a nationalist, he advocated Germany's maintaining of its own language and culture against foreign influence. About 100 years later in 1941, Peter Viereck wrote a book about the "Roots of the Nazi Mind" and called Friedrich "the spiritual founder of Nazism". However others point out that his calls for nationalism were during a different time when Germany was occupied by foreign armies under Napoleon. I can't find any connection between St. Louis and Friedrich Ludwig Jahn. It looks like the memorial was dedicated by the American Turners which is an organization that "encouraging people of all ages to be mentally and physically active". This group has German roots and was perhaps popular with St. Louis' large immigrant population. The monument was dedicated in 1913 and rededicated in 1972. Ok, so I've spent way too much time on this review! Whatever the history of this guy, I like the area around the monument and the way it's kind of hidden on the side of a hill overlooking the lazy river. It's a good area to relax, watch the paddle boats putter by, and perhaps take in a little bit of history.