#147: Saint Louis Art Museum

 'Dedicated to Art and Free to All'

Here's a place that you most likely went on a field trip with your high school or grade school Art class: The Saint Louis Art Museum! It is one of the few free art museums in America, not bad for one of the most historically important!

What I mean is this:

• Originally built as the Fine Arts Palace for the 1904 World's Fair.
• It was designed by renowned architect Cass Gilbert, who is also responsible for the old St. Louis Public Library and the United States Capitol building!
• The Saint Louis Art Museum started in 1881 and was housed in a building in downtown St. Louis.
• There have been numerous extensions and improvements over the years, including an auditorium in the 1950s.
• Museum holds collections of works of art from just about every culture and time period.
• Its special exhibitions are free as well.

Art museum (along with Art Hill) by day

Art museum by night

The famous King Louis IX of France statue is located right in front of the museum. At one time, it was considered 'the city's icon'....years before the Gateway Arch came along! It is still an iconic treasure though, and definitely worth the photo opportunity.

Statue of  The Apotheosis of Saint Louis, or King Louis IX of France, the city's namesake

Front of the Art Museum

The cake, as designed by Rich Brooks. This has sort of an art museum theme, along with the cake's sponsor, Southwest Airlines:

Top of the cake

Right side of the cake

Back side of the cake

Left side of the cake

Saint Louis Art Museum on FB
Wikipedia link
Official website

1 Fine Arts Dr., ST. LOUIS, MO, 63110
Cake artist: Rich Brooks
Cake sponsored by Southwest Airlines

The cake is now on private property.