St. Louis Art Museum at night; credit Dan Donovan
St. Louis Arts
Fox Theatre
DESCRIPTION: The opulence of this 1929 theatre was befitting the attitudes of Americans just before the stock market crash. Like all the great Fox Theatres nationwide, it went through a period of gradual decline and near oblivion; then in 1981, private citizens purchased the theatre and began a painstaking $2 million restoration. Although restored close to its magnificent 1929 state, the stage and backstage were updated to accommodate contemporary entertainment with state-of-the-art sound, lighting and rigging systems. Today, the magnificent theatre is a jewel-like venue for Broadway plays and concerts. It is once again, a St. Louis favorite.
BOX OFFICE: Mon-Fri 10a-6p, Sat 10a-2p
ADDRESS: 527 North Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO MAP
TRANSIT: Metrolink Grand Station
PARKING: on premises and street
PHONE: 314-534-1111
WEBSITE: http://www.fabulousfox.com
Powell Symphony Hall
DESCRIPTION: Erected in 1925 as the St. Louis Theatre, it presented the best in live vaudeville and motion pictures for decades; The Sound of Music was the last movie shown in the old theater. After falling on hard times, it was acquired by the Saint Louis Symphony Society in 1966. A $4 million enabled a team of internationally recognized architectural and acoustical specialists to renovate the former movie palace; today this 2,689-seat venue is named for the prime benefactor and hosts Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Have you ever wondered what the backstage of a grand symphony hall looks like? A complete building history highlights the FREE one-hour tour by reservation only.
BOX OFFICE: Mon-Sat 9a-5p
ADDRESS: 718 North Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO MAP
TRANSIT: Metrolink Grand Station
PARKING: garage and paid lots nearby
PHONE: 314-286-4104
WEBSITE: http://www.slso.org
Grandel Theatre
DESCRIPTION: Adaptively reused from a church, this small venue is home to local performance groups of the Grand Center Entertainment District: St. Louis Black Repertory Company, St. Louis Shakespeare and Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.
BOX OFFICE: onsite, one hour prior to the scheduled curtain time of each performance
ADDRESS: 3610 Grandel Square, St. Louis, MO MAP
TRANSIT: Metrolink Grand Station
PARKING: on premises and street
PHONE: 314-534-3810
WEBSITE: http://www.repstl.org
Sheldon Concert Hall
DESCRIPTION: Built in 1912 as the home of the Ethical Society of St. Louis, musicians enjoyed perfect acoustics in the concert hall. When the Ethical Society relocated to St. Louis County in 1964, The Sheldon became a music venue. In 1974, a former singer with the Duke Ellington Orchestra purchased the facility, transforming The Sheldon into a church and a venue for jazz and gospel concerts. A California attorney with a love for chamber music purchased the building in 1984 and began operating it as a venue for a broader range of concerts and events. Today, it is also home to the Sheldon Art Galleries.
BOX OFFICE: at 531 North Grand Boulevard
ADDRESS: 3648 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO MAP
TRANSIT: Metrolink Grand Station
PARKING: on premises and street
PHONE: 314-533-9900
WEBSITE: http://www.sheldonconcerthall.org
Grand Masonic Temple
DESCRIPTION: Its where hundreds who belong to the fraternal order mee and today it occasionally hosts concerts. See the masonry’s advancing degrees embodied in the massive Egyptian-architecture themed limestone pillars.
BOX OFFICE: varies
ADDRESS: 3671 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO MAP
TRANSIT: Metrolink Grand Station
PARKING: on street and lots nearby
WEBSITE: http://www.newtemple.blogspot.com
The Muny
DESCRIPTION: Short name for “Municipal Theater”, this amphitheater was first constructed in 1917. Since the beginning it has always hosted Shakespeare plays in the Park during warm months. Though it began as an austere venue, over years, the seats, gardens and pond surrounding the Muny have been upgraded to be one of the largest outdoor music venues in America.
BOX OFFICE: just before showtimes
ADDRESS: 1 Theater Drive in Forest Park, St. Louis, MO MAP
TRANSIT: Metrolink Forest Park-DeBalivere Station
PARKING: on street
PHONE: 314-361-1900
WEBSITE: http://www.muny.org
Pageant Concert Nightclub
DESCRIPTION: A venue built from the ground-up to host concerts, it borrowed the name of an older movie palace that was three blocks away. The seating is well designed so everyone has a clear and relatively close view of the stage; includes the Halo Bar for pre- and post-concert gatherings.
BOX OFFICE: during normal showtimes
ADDRESS: 6161 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: Metrolink Delmar Loop Station
PARKING: on street and paid lots
PHONE: 314-726-6161
WEBSITE: http://www.thepageant.com
St. Louis Art Museum
DESCRIPTION: Founded in 1879 as the St. Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts, as an independent entity within Washington University, then located in downtown St. Louis. It relocated to Forest Park after the 1904 World’s Fair created its initial structure. Through generations of public support and philanthropy, this encyclopedic museum has assembled one of the finest comprehensive art collections in the country; features excellent striking collections of German Expressionist, Early European, African (Sub-Saharan and Egypt), Asian, Contemporary, Prints, Drawings & Photographs, Decorative Arts, and Oceanic art. A standard-bearer in the arts world, the museum includes a excellent gift store and a Puck’s fine dining restaurant.
ADMISSION: Free; admission fees to featured exhibitions vary and featured exhibitions are free on Fridays
DAYS & HOURS: Tue 1:30p-8:30p, Wed-Sun 10-5p
ADDRESS: 1 Fine Arts Drive in Forest Park, St. Louis, MO MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: Metrolink Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station
PARKING: Free on premises
PHONE: 314-721-0072
WEBSITE: http://www.slam.org
Sheldon Art Galleries
DESCRIPTION: Built in 1912 as the home of the Ethical Society of St. Louis, musicians have really enjoyed the perfect acoustics of the concert Hall over the years. When the Ethical Society relocated to St. Louis County in 1964, the Sheldon primarily became a music venue. In 1974, a former singer with the Duke Ellington Orchestra purchased the facility, transforming The Sheldon into a church and the site for jazz and gospel concerts. A California attorney with a love for chamber music purchased the building in 1984 and began operating it as a venue for a broader range of concerts and events. The art galleries encompass 7,000 square feet of exhibits on photography, architecture, St. Louis artists, jazz history, emerging artists and children’s art.
ADMISSION: varies by event
DAYS & HOURS: Tue Noon-8p, Wed-Fri 12 Noon-5p, Sat 10a-2p
ADDRESS: 3648 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: Metrolink Grand Blvd Station
PARKING: on premises and street
PHONE: 314-533-9900
WEBSITE: http://www.sheldonconcerthall.org
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
DESCRIPTION: The city’s leading institution for contemporary art exhibitions in an modern innovative venue. The list of current and upcoming exhibitions is as engaging as it is long. One example is the Contemporary Project Series 2006 featuring the work, Dirrrty Harriet Tubman, a funny and irreverent action-movie trailer that presents a unique re-imagining of freedom fighter Harriet Tubman as a Pam Grier-like super heroine ready to free her people via Underground Railroad. The venue includes Tempt Café and Muse the museum store.
ADMISSION: $5 Adults, $3 Seniors, Free for Children and Students with valid ID
DAYS & HOURS: Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 10a-5p, Thu 10a-5p, Sun 11a-4p
ADDRESS: 3750 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: Metrolink Grand Blvd Station
PARKING: on premises and street
PHONE: 314-535-4660
WEBSITE: http://www.contemporarystl.org
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum
DESCRIPTION: Founded 1881, now has a strong collection of 19th, 20th, and 21st-century European and American paintings, sculptures, photographs, Egyptian and Greek antiquities, Old Master prints, and the Wulfing Collection of 14,000 ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins
ADMISSION: Free
DAYS & HOURS: Mon, Wed & Thu 11a-6p,
Fri 11a-8p,
Sat-Sun 11a-6p
ADDRESS: 1 Brookings Drive, Washington University, St. Louis, MO MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: Metrolink Skinner Station
PARKING: on premises and street
PHONE: 314-935-4523
WEBSITE: http://www.kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu
Tivoli Theatre
DESCRIPTION: Built in 1924 before movies ”talked”, the Tivoli certainly enjoyed its share of grand popularity. Through the years however, it went through numerous changes in ownership, suffered a long period of gradual decline, and closed in 1994. In 1995 owners of the nearby Blueberry Hill Restaurant bought the theatre and meticulously restored it bringing it back to its 1924 splendor. Marvel at the 29-foot tall marquee, vestibule with its terrazzo floor and ornate ceilings, recessed ceiling domes, proscenium arch, side wall arches, stage, orchestra pit and lush burgundy curtains. The building includes seven specialty shops now features the finest in independent film and foreign language cinema. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, it is now part of the Landmark Theatres chain.
BOX OFFICE: before showtimes
ADDRESS: 6350 Delmar Blvd, University City, MO MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: Metrolink Delmar Loop Station
PARKING: on street and paid lots
PHONE: 314-995-6270
WEBSITE: http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/St.Louis/TivoliTheatre.htm
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
DESCRIPTION: Provides an inventive mix of repertory theatre and apprentice programs surrounded by lawns and gardens. This small theater is an idyllic setting for music on summer evenings. Everyone in the audience can meet the artists in the green-and-white tent after performances.
BOX OFFICE: during normal showtimes
ADDRESS: 130 Edgar Road, Loretto-Hilton Center at Webster University, Webster Groves, MO MAP
RAPID TRANSIT: none
PARKING: on premises $5 per car in Big Bend Lot
PHONE: 314-961-0644
WEBSITE: http://www.opera-stl.org
