Docent lead tour of an amazing and well loved house. So well maintained with commitment and love…read more Our docent was so knowledgeable! No doubts about her love of this house and keeping this beauty around for all to enjoy!

Santa House Starts tomorrow. Get the perfect Holiday spirit at Oakland. Their Santa, puppet show…read moreand Mrs Claus' cookies send you off singing Christmas songs. 11 am until 2:30 pm Dec 7,8,14,15. Two weekdaysDec 11 & 12, from 9 am until noon. Only $7 each.

Wow! For a small museum, they have a ton of information, pictures, research, etc. People are…read moredelightful and helpful especially if you're trying to find your roots. It's all free (donation appreciated) and it's one of the best places I've been. Great pictures of the town through the years and neat artifacts upstairs, including corn cob pipes, the first Busch beer, old doctor and photographer's office, etc. Everything is well organized.

Many of my ancestors came from Franklin County, so this place is near and dear to me. I've been…read morethere several times to visit and look around. There's always something I haven't seen before. The collection of photographs is well organized and extensive enough that one can get a real feel for the way of life in Washington for the last century and a half. Plan to spend a whole day if you want to peruse all the photos. The museum also houses the genealogical library. Lots of good information is there if you are hunting ancestors and long lost friends and relatives. Go there and you'll find the staff and volunteers helpful, welcoming and friendly.

We joined a group of people to do a group tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Kirkwood, MO. It…read moreis well worth the $20 tour fee. Anne was our docent. She was very knowledgeable about Wright and Russell and Ruth Kraus who the house was built for and the only residents. The Kraus house is one of the very few Wright houses that have not been remodeled and contains the original furniture designed by Wright. It has a cozy feel from the time you walk inside. I was intrigued by the esthetic design throughout the home.

I've been to about 150 Frank Lloyd Wright homes and have been lucky enough to have been inside…read morearound 30. We didn't know if we could get on the tour that day so we first stopped by to see it and take some pictures. We met an intern and found out that we could get in on a tour about 2 hours later. So we paid our fee and went to see Frank Lloyd Wright's mentor, Louis Sullivan's Wainwright Building in downtown St. Louis. I believe this is one of Sullivan's best work still standing. When we returned for the tour I was stunned. This is a great, late house by Wright that has many magical and playful elements to it. It's has most of the original furnishings and something totaling unexpected in a Usonian house--art glass windows. The tour guide was new and did an excellent. Everyone involved in this project should be very proud of the work they've done, and continue to do.

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.

Part of Governor Bates trail. 2nd Governor of Missouri…read more I did about 3 miles on beautiful, hilly and well marked trails.

In all my years of living in St. Louis and the many times that I have visited Faust Park, i never…read morerealized that this historic homestead existed. As a lover of history this place is magnificent. Thornhill Historic Site is the farm of Missouri's second governor, Frederick Bates. This site is at Faust Park and includes the home, barn, summer kitchen, ice and smoke house, orchard and herb garden and family cemetery. It is the oldest standing governor's residence in Missouri. http://www.stlouisco.com/ParksandRecreation/ParkPages/Faust/Thornhill

I was here for a wedding. The cathedral is beautiful, old world elegance. Large windows letting a…read moretremendous amount of light in. The service was excellent and the priest was kind, gentle and funny with the bride and groom. It was a delightful wedding.

VO cathedral is a nice thing to check out. We were exploring St. Louis we walk around and saw how…read moremuch cool sites we took a bunch of pictures of this old cathedral. I thought it was really neat.

I will go out of my way to check out a covered bridge and especially so when it's not even that far…read moreout of my way. This bridge would have been worth the detour! Sandy Creek Covered Bridge is in excellent condition and while it has been closed to vehicle traffic, you can still walk across it. The bridge is the centerpiece of this park which includes parking, picnic tables, primitive bathrooms and lots of captions with historical information. I had a terrific visit and really appreciate what has been done to preserve this history for posterity. [Review 1261 of 2024 - 362 in Missouri - 22284 overall]

As one would expect, there's a lot of history of this bridge! This is one of four covered bridges…read morefrom the 19th century still standing in Missouri. However, it has been rebuilt, redone and repaired in various years. But Missouri lawmakers and residents see no reason to tear this one down, as it shows a lot of importance. This bridge was used to connect St. Louis and Hillsboro (MO). Oddly enough, Lemay Ferry Road, which is prominent in South County, once extended all the way to this park. The bridge is in very fine condition. I have visited four old covered bridges (a couple were restored) in Illinois and all of them have graffiti and at least some sort of vandalism on them (no exaggeration, sadly). This one looks untouched, and I hope it stays that way. Anyone can walk through the bridge, and even under it! As for the park, it is a bit tricky to get to, but there is a decent-sized parking lot and park there. Restrooms are available as well as picnic benches. There's even historical markers at the site that talk about the history of Missouri's covered bridges. Plenty of space to walk your dog. There are some nature trails - one that leads past the bridge (to somewhere?). Summer or any day with great weather is a perfect day to come out here. It is part of Missouri's State Park system so check it out! Winter? I'm not so sure...maybe for photographers when it snows.

You will find this nice sculpture on the Mississippi Riverfront, in St Louis, just behind the…read moreGateway Arch. It is the work of Harry Weber who completed the piece, which is made of bronze and sits 22 feet tall, in 2006 The 3.5 ton sculpture depicts explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their Newfoundland dog, Seaman. It is owned by the city of St Louis and was commissioned by the Greater St. Louis Community Foundation to commemorate the bicentennial of the explorers' return September 1806. According to Weber, it "took seven months of long hours to complete the structure in clay, make molds and reassemble it like a giant jigsaw puzzle. It is a nice sculpture and Weber does a great job encapsulating Lewis and Clark's feeling of accomplishment, sacrifice and pride. It is very detailed and well done. The viewer can really connect to the piece. The sculpture is designated a national Lewis and Clark site by the US Park Service and spending on how high the Mississippi River gets, sometimes the statue is submerged in the river. In 2014, the statue was removed and restored to repair damage it had received from the flood. In 2016, the statue was returned to the riverfront to a location slightly south and about 17 feet higher than before. Before it was moved, during a flood situation, it would look like the duo were sailing into shore Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 10 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. I would recommend checking out the Gateway Arch and Park while visiting this sculpture.

I enjoy visiting Kiener plaza for different event they host throughout the year. Lots of photo…read moreopportunities if you are in need of a good spot for them. Keep an eye on this park to see what kinds of events they have. Concerts, rallies, yoga, markets, winterfest, etc. Always something fun to experience. Parking around Kiener plaza is mostly street parking, but I have been able to find a spot pretty easily whenever I visit even if I have to walk 2-3 blocks - no biggie.

I went here for a Friday night concert over the summer. It was very relaxing and entertaining all…read morein one. I forgot the name of the artist, but her performance along with the live band was so captivating. This place gives date night, solo date, and family trip all at the same time. I love events such as these. Also, I know downtown parking usually isn't the best. However, because of the time and people getting off work to head home, parking was quite easy to find. I was able to park within reasonable walking distance near the Hooters across the street.

An adorable, rustic log cabin in the midst of a modern-day subdivision, the Bacon Log Cabin is…read moreworth a trip. The cabin is open May-October on the 1st & 3rd Sundays from 1pm-4pm and maintained by the Old Trails Historical Society. 2015 marks the 180th anniversary of the cabin, which was built by William Douglas Bacon. Unfortunately, the structure contains little to no actual bacon (boo) but it has been restored as a pioneer cabin. The stone fireplace is original as are the logs, beams, and some fireplace bricks. The cabin houses period furnishings and a museum display of West St. Louis County historical memorabilia. The docent, Irene, was highly knowledgeable and extremely spry for 86. In addition to giving tours, she helped fund the preservation of the root cellar on the property, cans her own raspberry preserves, and quilts. I felt as though I had taken a step back in time to a simpler, but definitely not easier, way of living. There were a lot of things to take in during the walk through the cabin, including a kitchen, bedroom, working gun above the mantelpiece. In June 2015, the Forget Me Not Garden Club dedicated a Blue Star Memorial byway marker, honoring service men and women, that can be found near the front entrance. The dedication that members of this historical society have shown to restoring this structure and open it to public viewing is inspiring. A must see, underrated historical attraction for anyone with an interest in historic houses and Americana.