All programs will begin at 11am in the Lee Auditorium. All programs are FREE unless otherwise noted.
TUESDAY APRIL 11
Welcome to America’s Best Sports Town
Sports have been integral to St. Louis’s history and culture for generations. How many heart-pounding moments can you recall? Relive those moments—and learn about some less famous ones—as Ed Wheatley shares stories from his latest book, St. Louis Sports Memories: Forgotten Teams and Moments from America’s Best Sports Town. After the reading, Wheatley will sign copies of his book in the Missouri History Museum’s Grand Hall.
TUESDAY APRIL 25
Soccer Made in St. Louis
Join Dave Lange, author of Soccer Made in St. Louis: A History of the Game in America’s First Soccer Capital, as he discusses the past, present, and future of the sport in St. Louis. The program will start with stories from local soccer history, beginning with some of the first games played on this side of the Atlantic in the early 1880s. Stories about the Stars, the Steamers, and the Storm—plus local World Cup athletes and St. Louis CITY SC—will be kicked around the Lee Auditorium. Audience questions and a discussion will follow, then Lange will sign copies of his book in the Missouri History Museum’s Grand Hall.
TUESDAY MAY 2
St. Louis Sites Unseen
PRESENTED BY THE William T. Kemper Foundation
Community Tours Manager Amanda Clark goes on the hunt for vanished architectural gems—not just those that have been lost to the wrecking ball but lost to our collective memory as well. Each installment of St. Louis Sites Unseen will be a fascinating look into the architectural treasures found throughout our community.
TUESDAY MAY 9
St. Louis in Wartime: WWII to Vietnam
Ron Elz, a.k.a. Johnny Rabbitt, and guest speakers will examine St. Louis during World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War, and Vietnam. Spotlighting St. Louisans who fought overseas to life on the home front, emergency preparedness, arms manufacturing, protest, and even connections to the Gateway Arch, this program will illuminate how these conflicts have shaped our region.
TUESDAY JUNE 6
Twelfth Night Discussion with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
Since 2001 the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival has marked the unofficial start to summer for thousands of metro residents. Nestled in Forest Park’s Shakespeare Glen, the festival has provided free, accessible theatre guided by—and dedicated to—the community. Join us in the Lee Auditorium as staff and performers from the 2023 season gather to discuss the festival’s Latinx-inspired production of Twelfth Night
TUESDAY JUNE 27
Frank Lloyd Wright: Impossible Genius
Hear Bev Schuetz of HISTORY TALKS discuss Frank Lloyd Wright—one of the 20th century’s greatest architects—his complex family background, his stunning buildings, and his personal tragedies and scandals.
TUESDAY JULY 11
On the Road with Johnny Rabbitt: The Automobile and St. Louis
St. Louis radio icon Johnny Rabbitt is back to lead a sensational summer program about the auto industry in St. Louis. From cruising dirt roads in your locally made Dorris, Gardner, or Moon car to getting your kicks on Route 66 in a St. Louis–assembled Chrysler, we’ll cover a lot of ground, including classic-car clubs, drive-ins, and tales of historic Automobile Row.
TUESDAY JULY 18
Construction of the 1904 World’s Fair and the Restoration of Forest Park
Mike Truax of the 1904 World’s Fair Society discusses the architecture of the Louisiana Purchase Expedition—from inception to demolition—and its legacy in Forest Park and throughout the city. Learn about the various locations where the Fair could have been located instead and see some incredible views of its construction. A quick tour of the completed fairgrounds will culminate with a trip on the giant Ferris wheel, an engineering marvel even today. Finally, hear what happened to the Fair’s structures that once stood in Forest Park, as well as the pieces that remain.
TUESDAY JULY 25
St. Louis’s Impact on the Disability Rights Movement
PRESENTED BY THE St. Louis Society for the Blind and the Visually Impaired
July is Disability Pride Month in the United States, commemorating the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. We celebrate the inherent dignity and inalienable rights of people with disabilities. The Missouri Historical Society will observe 2023 Disability Pride Month 2023 on Tuesday, July 25, with a panel discussion on St. Louis’s impact on the disability rights movement. Participants can also test their disability rights knowledge with a trivia quiz.
TUESDAY AUGUST 1
Digging for the Truth at Washington Park Cemetery
Join Aja Corrigan of the St. Louis Preservation Crew and Saving Washington Park for a deep dive into the challenges and joys of historic preservation work with Black cemeteries in and around St. Louis. Corrigan, a current Regional Arts Commission Community Arts Training Fellow, will share the history of Washington Park Cemetery. With its 42,000 graves, Washington Park holds the narrative of Black history in the St. Louis region. Corrigan will discuss education and community building efforts, historic preservation, and best practices for cemetery maintenance. Washington Park Cemetery descendants and members of the St. Louis African American History & Genealogy Association will also be on hand at a reception immediately following the program.
TUESDAY AUGUST 29
St. Louis Architecture Rocks
The materials that make up St. Louis are hundreds of millions of years old, meaning that its buildings predate the dinosaurs and you can travel to the bottom of the sea while looking up at the Gateway Arch. Join Community Tours Manager Amanda Clark on a journey through the city’s architectural geology as she investigates building materials from all over the world and deep inside the earth, from ubiquitous red bricks and limestone slabs to cast-iron balconies and granite pavers.