Fun things to do in Saint Louis

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The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington Univeristy is an excellent college collection that benefits both the campus and the community. It provides students at Wash U with the opportunity of learning about museum work from the inside, while it also gives the St. Louis area another venue for the small and distinctive travelling or temporary exhibitions. The University has a large and interesting collection of art in its permanent holdings, and the Museum also displays the work of some of the outstanding students in the Fine Arts Program here.

The Museum is housed in a new building (2006) which was designed by prominent Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki - the recipient of the prestigous Pritzker Prize in 1993. Maki is now based in Japan, but spent the early years of his career teaching architecture at Wash U, where he also responsible for Steinberg Hall (1963), his first American building.

The central lobby of the M.L. Kemper Museum is dominated by an installation by Olafur Elliasson, "Your Imploded View." I was especially impressed with the sculpture garden, whose highlights include an interesting Alexander Calder, "Five Rudders" (1964) and a striking Maillol, "Homage to Debussy" (1930).

The Museum is open daily EXCEPT FOR TUESDAYS. (don't ask me)

This handsome old church sits above the streaming traffic of I-70 across the street. The Basilica of St. Louis is the oldest Roman Catholic Cathedral west of the Mississippi River. When the entire surrounding neighborhood was cleared to make-way for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (40 blocks!), the Cathedral was spared - but it now looks somewhat out of place, and is definitely dwarfed by Eero Saarinen's soaring arch.

The building which you see dates from the early 1830s, although the land on which it sits was originally given to the church in the 1770s by Pierre Laclede. The architectural firm of Lavielle and Morton were responsible for its design - they were also commissioned to create the original Courthouse nearby.

My photo was taken from my hotel room on the 11th floor of the Hyatt Riverside (formerly the Adams Mark.)

Kansas City, with some 445,000 people, is the largest city in Missouri. Kansas City is headquarters to four Fortune 500 companies: Sprint Nextel Corporation, H&R Block, Embarq Corporation, and YRC Worldwide Inc. Kansas is perhaps best well known for its distinctive Kansas City-style barbecue, a sweeter sauce probably best known in the national KC Masterpiece brand bbq sauce.

One of my favorite landmarks in Kansas City is its Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It was dedicated in 1986 and contains the names of all 336 Kansas City area soldiers who lost their lives in this war. This beautiful park full of stone and fountains is located at 4298 Baltimore Avenue, at the intersection with Vietnam Veterans Memorial Drive.

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If you are in St. Louis in July with a free Sunday or Monday evening, be SURE to go to hear the Compton Heights Band concert in Tower Grove Park (Monday) or Francis Park (Sunday). This is a treat for many good reasons. First of all, here you are doing what your ancestors from the late 19th Century did on a hot July night, listening to a volunteer concert band play John Philip Sousa and American Classics. Sure, there is a rare bad note, but this band really does excel at Sousa marches. Also, there is a featured band or artist, including occasionally the amazing basso profundo of Robert Ellison! Second, there you are in Tower Grove Park (not even listed as a category in VT, unfortunately). This is the largest Victorian walking park in North America, with many gezebos. The actual site of the Tower Grove concert is surrounded by restored busts of various 19th Century composers. Third, there is popcorn and ice cream. Fourth, you are surrounded by native ST. Louisans and their families. Once a year the band plays all the theme songs for the various branches of the armed services, and many, many men who have defended our country stand. Fifth, as the lady announcer says, it is 15 degrees cooler than anywhere else outside in St. Louis. Bring your own folding chairs, pick up some fried fish or chicken and a cool beverage, and be prepared to see the lightning bugs rise as the evening progresses. And at least once, you'll get to see a full moon. It just doesn't get any better than this!!

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The town is celebratory second only to Chicago in the St. Patricks Day events. It seems like the whole town is ready to get down and have fun. Many events are held in the downtown area, and it draws thousands for the parade and then the run and then the bar hopping. All restaurant, except maybe Thai become St. Pats green for the day or two celebrations.

The Moolah Theater is a single screen movie theater, bar, and bowling alley housed in a gorgeously restored and architecturally interesting Moolah Temple. The neighboring architecture such as the Scottish Rite Temple and others give the street some of the most unique and impressive architecture in the city.

The movies are shown on the large screen which is housed in the original 2 story ballroom space. There are typical theater seats on the mezzanine but the best seats are on the floor. These are overstuffed leather couches and chairs (with accompanying side tables) where one can really relax and enjoy the movie.

The theater is great for adults who like a more 'refined' versus 'family' atmosphere. Children under 5 are not allowed after 5pm and the lobby has a full service bar which allows patrons to bring any drink into the theater. While there is a good draw from SLU, crowds here tend not to have many teenagers like theaters in the suburbs or malls.

The theater shows first-run movies (it operates as the main screen for the Chase Park Cinema a few blocks away).

This renovated 3 screen theater has a great collection of old movie posters & movie-related collectibles on display. They retained many of the architectural features of an old movie house, including the little box office out on the sidewalk. I, actually, enjoy standing on line at this theater to buy a ticket! The refreshment area & the staff are great, too.

But the best thing is the films they show, which rate tops around the world. Many of the films I see are at this theater because I normally don't go to the ones the majority of Americans see. They have special events, including film festivals, here, too.

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The City Museum isn't just for kids. Recently a conference I attended hosted a reception there & I can't tell you how much fun I had climbing around all of the contraptions suspended over the roof. There is a school bus, a hippo, and this praying mantis perched atop the old warehouse building that houses the museum. Kids of all ages can climb through the belly of a whale, watch a glass blowing demonstration, or slide down the 2 story slide. It's the brainchild of a local artist, it's unique, and it's alot of fun.