Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis (must see)

The Saint Louis Art Museum is one of the principal U.S. art museums, visited by up to a half million people every year. Admission is free through a subsidy from the cultural tax district for St. Louis City and County. Located in Forest Park in St. Louis, the Museum's three-story building was constructed as the Palace of the Fine Arts for the 1904 World's Fair, also known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Architect Cass Gilbert was inspired by the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy.

In addition to the featured exhibitions, the Museum offers rotating exhibitions and installations. These include the Currents series, which showcases contemporary artists, as well as regular exhibitions of new media art and works on paper. The Saint Louis Art Museum began in 1881 as the Saint Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts, an independent entity within Washington University in St. Louis. Originally housed in a building in downtown St. Louis, the Museum moved to its current location in Forest Park after the 1904 World's Fair. During the 1950s, the Museum added an extension to include an auditorium for films, concerts and lectures. The collection of the Saint Louis Art Museum contains more than 30,000 artworks dating from antiquity to the present.

Why You Should Visit:
Very eclectic collection – from paintings to pottery, from sculpture to furniture...
Would you like to see Monet's famous 'Water Lilies' and an Egyptian mummy? You can see them both at this museum.

Tip:
Entrance to the museum is free; the special exhibits are free on Fridays.
Fine dining in Panorama restaurant on the first floor (reserve in advance), and café in the basement.