This tour requires pre-registration.Join The Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis and Missouri Valley Chapters president John C. Guenther, FAIA on a remarkable tour of the city’s most notable sites.
The tour begins by visiting the site of St. Louis’ origins. Situated on Cathedral Block, designated in 1764 by Auguste Chouteau, co-founder of St. Louis, the
Old Cathedral was a focal point of the City of St. Louis for religion, civic activity, and education. We then walk to the entry plaza of the new museum entrance of the
Gateway Arch to view Eero Saarinen’s winning national competition entry to commemorate the United States’ westward expansion through the Louisiana Purchase.
Next, we visit the 1891
Wainwright Building designed by Louis Sullivan, considered to be the first expression of the new high-rise building type.
We next travel to the 1907
Central Branch of the St. Louis Public Library—the crown jewel of the St. Louis Public Library system – designed by Cass Gilbert. We will tour the
Steedman Architectural Library – a gift from George Fox Steedman (1871-1940) of his collection of many of the most influential and beautiful architectural books ever published.
Our last site is a tour of the
Fabulous Fox – one of the crown jewels in William Fox’s motion picture empire designed by C. Howard Crane. It has been the setting of a wide array of concerts, plays, and various performances since its opening on January 31, 1929, as a 5,000-seat movie house. Restored in 1982, the Fabulous Fox continues to delight patrons to this day, from its dramatic, exotic lobby to its magnificent performance hall to its smallest detail.
Maximum participants: 20
Fee: $40
Accessibility: Walking, standing.
Transportation: Coach bus from conference hotel. Meet the tour volunteer by the front desk 15 minutes prior to start.
