The Missouri History Museum's mission involves deepening the understanding of past choices, even on the possibly unexpected topic of love. The Loving Story will screen at 7 p.m. on February 13 in the Museum’s Lee Auditorium. This community program takes place on the eve of Valentine’s Day, when the open expression of love is widely celebrated. What makes The Loving Story remarkable is that it documents a relationship that could not be legally expressed and, in fact, was defined as a felony offense. Read more »

When it comes to the morbid, eerie, and downright horrific, St. Louisans aren't scared. In fact, there are several websites dedicated to locating and compiling all the alleged shriek-inducing places in St. Louis and metro Illinois. A cursory Google search turns up a cast of regular haunts, along with some unexpected ones. The Lemp Mansion—a sort of royalty among the macabre—is likely at the top of anyone's list of places that share space with apparitions. After all, three members of the Lemp family met their demise at the home, all by their own hand.  Read more »

What does it mean to lead men in war? What does it mean to come home—injured physically and psychologically—and build a new life? These questions are addressed in Hell and Back Again, a documentary about the war in Afghanistan. The MIssouri History Museum invites the public to a screening of Hell and Back Again at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, as part of its Community Cinema series. Read more »

UPDATE: Many who heard Dr. Cobb speak at the Museum on March 27 have inquired about his presentation. It is now available as a download.

While at a poetry reading, a young black man recited a poem that seemed like his original work until he uttered some familiar lines.  “I have a fool-proof method for controlling your black slaves. I guarantee every one of you that if installed correctly it will control the slaves for at least 300 years.”  Some people in the audience nodded their heads, and others murmured, but all reacted to his work without regard to the apparent plagiarism. It is likely that the attendees did not know that many of the poet’s lines were lifted from a speech known as How to Make a Slave, Read more »

As we mentioned in an earlier post, the Missouri History Museum's Discovery Tours offer themed and customized tours of sites in and around St. Louis and Missouri.

The next Discovery Tour is "Imported Cultures," to be held on Saturday, September 11. The day will be an exploration of the immigrants who have been coming to St. Louis for the opportunity to create better lives since the city was founded in 1764. Read more »

Although the Saint Louis Zoo is mostly looking to the past as it celebrates its centennial, Dr. Robert Archibald, president of the History Museum, recently sat down with Dr. Jeffrey Bonner, Dana Brown President and CEO of the Zoo, to ask him about the future of the Saint Louis Zoo and zoos in general. Read more »

Mark your calendars for a fascinating documentary about the story of an African prince enslaved in Mississippi in the 18th century. At 7 p.m. Read more »

Throughout the year the Missouri History Museum offers Discovery Tours, a series of themed and customized tours of sites in and around St. Louis and Missouri. These programs can be half-day or full-day experiences and are a great way to immerse yourself in our region's rich history.

The next Discovery Tour is "Rites of Culture: A World of Catholicism," on Saturday, July 10. Inspired by the current Vatican Splendors exhibit, the program will focus on the Catholic religion in St. Read more »

The Missouri History Museum will host the final installment of the Zoo Conversations series this Thursday. The free event will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Museum’s Lee Auditorium.

Dr. Robert Archibald, president of the Missouri History Museum, will sit down with Dr. Jeffrey Bonner, Dana Brown President and CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo, to ask him about the future of the Saint Louis Zoo and zoos in general.

Dr. Bonner became president of the Saint Louis Zoo in 2002 and has been instrumental in focusing the Zoo’s conservation efforts around the globe. Read more »

When Charlie Hoessle addressed a group from a local women’s auxiliary in 1962, he could never have imagined that the talk would lead to a 40-year career at the Saint Louis Zoo. But lucky for him—and lucky for the Zoo—the audience that day included Carol Perkins, the wife of then-director Marlin Perkins. She convinced her husband to hire Hoessle, launching a career that would include jobs as reptile curator, education coordinator, and general animal curator, not to mention a 20-year stint as director.

On April 1, Hoessle sat down with Dr. Read more »