It’s hard to believe that just under twenty years ago I was allowed to run around on the roof of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and take these photographs. Above is looking west down Constitution Avenue NW and the National Archives and Federal Triangle. Above, this is looking east at the U.S….
Tag: Museums
Nauvoo, Illinois
We visited the historic Mormon settlement of Nauvoo on our journey north up the Mississippi River looking at Iowa cities back in May. Of course, Nauvoo is in Illinois, and it is in an isolated corner of the state. There are numerous houses and other buildings from the historic period that have been restored, and…
Old Courthouse, Reopened
The Old Courthouse is looking great following years of being closed for the first renovation in decades. All exhibitions were removed and replaced with new ones, such as this one on the courthouse’s role in freedom suits and slavery. Of course, that story would be incomplete without including Harriet and Dred Scott, whose nationally influential…
Saint Louis Art Museum, Nighttime
I was up at the Saint Louis Art Museum almost until close and snapped these photos with the night sky behind it.
Four Historic Districts, Bloomington, Illinois, Part Three: Davis-Jefferson
The centerpiece of the Davis-Jefferson Historic District, east of the center of Bloomington is the David Davis House, Clover Lawn, whose estate clearly once encompassed much of the surrounding blocks. Davis was actually a friend and ally of Abraham Lincoln and served on the Supreme Court after being appointed by the President. French American architect…
Cherokee Cave at the Saint Louis Science Center
If you’re looking to do something fun the day after Christmas with the family, take a trip by the Saint Louis Science Center and check out a cool exhibit from the permanent collections. In addition to some other cool stuff, including pieces from the former Museum of Quackery, there is a whole room dedicated to…
Fort D, Cape Girardeau
I was excited to learn there was a surviving Civil War era fort remaining in Cape Girardeau, high on a strategic hill on the south side of downtown. For whatever reason, it was never destroyed and survives in a residential neighborhood. Constructed by Union Army engineers sent down from St. Louis, the influence of those…
Metropolis, Illinois
It dawned on me when we visited Metropolis, Illinois, which in no way has any connection to the Superman comics other than its name, that if you have innovative business leaders, you can create a tourist economy anywhere. There are at least a half dozen shops selling memorabilia and other knickknacks up the street from…
Museum Hill, Part Three, St. Joseph
The Wyeth-Tootle Mansion Museum sits at what is probably the highest point in the neighborhood, and is a sight to behold. The mansion takes up an entire block, but arranged on the streets around it are a bevy of other interesting historic houses, many of which have been renovated, as well. There is even a…
The Pony Express and Patee House, St. Joseph
Moving up into the hills of St. Joseph, we encounter the Patee House Hotel (pronounced “Pay-tea,” no accent on the first e), which played a critical role as the offices for the Pony Express and is now an eclectic and fun museum. Heavily influenced by an early Italianate style, the most stylish hotel in St….