#150: Jewel Box

• Also known as The St. Louis Floral Conservatory and The City of St. Louis Floral Display House 
• The idea for such thing was originally conceived in 1913 as an experiment for plants, as a survival of the fittest!
• Designed by architect William C.E. Becker
• Built by the city of St. Louis in 1936
• Special floral shows are hosted there usually during the holidays, as well as Mother's Day, Easter, spring, summer and fall. 
• The Jewel Box has been a location for many weddings.
• Renovated in 2002.

The reflecting pool at the entrance

A frontal view of the entrance

Jewel Box on FB
Wikipedia link
Official website from St. Louis site

5600 Clayton Ave., ST. LOUIS, MO, 63110
Cake artist: Andy Cross

The cake was sold on 1/1/2015 for $655 in the biddingforgood auction.

#149: World's Fair Pavilion

• Built in 1909 with proceeds from the 1904 World's Fair
• Renovated in 1998 with funds of over $1 million from Forest Park Forever
• This open-air facility can hold at least 1000 people.
• A popular place for receptions, reunions and picnics
• During the 1904 World's Fair, the Missouri State Building (which to fairgoers was considered luxurious because of its decor and it had air-conditioning!) was located where the Pavilion sits now. The Missouri State Building burned down that same year, just 11 days before the Fair was to end. It was never rebuilt, as it had been intentionally a temporary exhibit.

World's Fair Pavilion on FB
World's Fair Pavilion on St. Louis' city website

5600 Clayton Ave., ST. LOUIS, MO, 63110
Cake artist: Henryk Ptasiewicz

The cake was sold on 1/1/2015 for $955 (third highest bid) in the biddingforgood auction.

#148: Saint Louis Zoo

Besides the St. Louis Science Center, the Magic House and some others, this is arguably one of the most prominent family attractions in St. Louis. Without question, this is one of the last few free zoos in the United States. Donors and organizations continue to keep the place looking alive and well. Located at the southern part of Forest Park, families, friends or just plain tourists and natural folks can explore this popular zoo.

The St. Louis Zoo is home to more than 18,000 exotic animals, of all kinds. A lot of them are, unfortunately, on the endangered list. Still, the animals are well taken care of and the public has their chance to view them while they can. Also, more than 700 different species are being exhibited in the zoo. The animals are represented from most continents and places around the globe.

As mentioned, above, zoo admission is FREE. However, some places within the zoo charge a fee. You've probably heard the old saying: 'Sure its free. But everything else costs an arm and a leg...'. Not necessarily true. There are places to park for free (just walk a little farther), but if you want to park close to, say, the south entrance (where the cake is located), plan on forking over 15 dollars.

The Saint Louis Zoo's south entrance

The famous 'Zoo sign' as seen from Turtle Park (across I-64/Hwy. 40)

The cake, which no surprise here, features animals: (sorry, I wasn't able to get the back!)

Left side of the cake

Right side of the cake

Saint Louis Zoo on FB
Wikipedia link
Official website

1 Government Dr., ST. LOUIS, MO, 63110
Cake artist: Gregory A. Linton

The cake was sold on 1/1/2015 for $610 in the biddingforgood auction.

#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.

#146: Grand Basin/Fair St. Louis

This will be the site of Fair St. Louis 2014. It has been held downtown at Jefferson Memorial Park for several years. This year, however, the park (including the Arch grounds) will be undergoing a major renovation to make it more tourist-friendly in the coming years. They will make Interstate 44 (formerly I-70) into a long tunnel so visitors can easily access the Arch from downtown, from say, the Old Courthouse. In the past, people had to cross busy intersections! The Arch has unfortunately lost tourism as its numbers have declined in the last two decades. I do believe this is a great solution for that problem as there are other repairs being done to the area. One of them is replacing a multi-level parking lot that hardly gets used. This is said to be very environmentally-friendly as well as for families, animals, etc.

These are the same grounds where the 1904 World's Fair was held. It is the city's (as well as the organizations') dream to make this 'the biggest birthday party ever'!

A view from the plaza where the cake sits. That nice building in the background is, of course, the Saint Louis Art Museum.

A closer look at the beautiful fountains!

Fair St. Louis Official website

Located on the western edge of the plaza along Lagoon Drive at Forest Park
Cake artist: Fair St. Louis

The cake was sold on 1/1/2015 in the biddingforgood auction.

#145: Lemp Mansion

When I hear people talk about the Lemp Mansion, it is always about how the place is haunted. And it's probably true - at least to paranormal enthusiasts! This historical building has quite a lot of history to it. The Lemp family has always been a dynasty that historians seem to look into the most. The empire started when the first generation Lemp family migrated to St. Louis from Germany in 1838. They ran a grocery and in the process, they brewed a kettle of beer in the back. It would soon become a St. Louis empire, but it didn't last as it became a legendary St. Louis rise-and-fall story. Read on:

• The house was completed in 1868 by German-American Jacob Feickert. 
• The Lemp family moved into the place in 1876.
• Lemp Beer was very popular in the late 19th century, which would soon be surpassed by Anheuser-Busch in later years.
• Three suicides happened at the Lemp Mansion; the first being William Lemp, Sr. (who was the head of the brewing empire at the time) who was devastated by the death of his 4th son, Frederick, as well as his best friend, Frederick Pabst (a Milwaukee brewer).
• The caves underneath the mansion and the Cherokee-Lemp district served as refrigeration facilities by a number of brewers, including the Lemps.
• Three generations lived at the mansion, until 1949 when Charles Lemp committed suicide. From that time to 1975, the place served as a boarding house and an apartment building. 
• Years after showing signs of deterioration, the Pointer family bought the Lemp Mansion and converted it into a bed-and-breakfast type place, as well as for other uses. It is still run by them today.

The Lemp Mansion

The Lemp Mansion sign as seen from Interstate 55

An episode of KETC Channel 9's Living St. Louis, which focuses on the history of Lemp Beer

Lemp Mansion on FB
Wikipedia link (also talks about members of the Lemp family)
Official website

3322 Deminil Place, ST. LOUIS, MO, 63118
Cake artist: Phil Jarvis  (he also decorated the Luvy Duvy's cake)

UPDATE (8/24/2016): The cake is still there.

#144: Chatillon-DeMinil Mansion

• A symbol of the Greek Revival style in St. Louis.
• Henry Chatillon, a famed hunter, built the original section of the building and lived here (along with his second wife) in 1849.
• It wasn't until 1863 when the DeMinil family gave it a more 'Greek Revival' look by making it into a mansion.
• Museum houses several artifacts, all related to St. Louis and its culture, from its origins, the families that lived there to the interstate highway that nearly destroyed the mansion.
• The largest collection of 1904 World's Fair memorabilia on public display is shown in two rooms. 
• Weddings are usually performed here as well.

A far away view of the mansion

The cake, which from what I hear, is suppose to resemble an old-style wedding cake:

Top of the cake

Right side of the cake

Back side of the cake

Left side of the cake

Chatillon- DeMinil Mansion on FB
Official website
Official website (for weddings)

3352 DeMinil Place, ST. LOUIS, MO, 63118
Cake artist: April Morrison

UPDATE (8/24/2016): The cake is still there, however it is located in the back of the place.

#143: Off Broadway

• One of St. Louis' greatest concert venues has been in business for more than 30 years.
• Many different genres of music have been played here, including jazz, electronica and rock.
• Besides the floor seating, there is also a balcony.
• Among the nation-wide famous performers that have performed here include Mumford & Sons and the Carolina Chocolate Drops

Front of the building

Off Broadway from across the street

The cake, as decorated by Kris Mosby:

Right side of the cake

Top of the cake

Back side of the cake

Left side of the cake

Off Broadway StL on FB
Off Broadway StL on Twitter
Official website

3509 Lemp Avenue, ST. LOUIS, MO, 63118
Cake artist: Kris Mosby

The cake was sold on 1/1/2015 for $485 to the Cakelovers in the biddingforgood auction. It has been placed in various places around Maplewood and Cherokee area since. As of now, it is on private property.