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WEDNESDAY, JULY 25 |
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1:30 pm – Celebrating the Past and Preparing for the Future: Downtown St. Louis — Tour will depart from the Millennium
Downtown St. Louis has reinvented itself, using a Community Improvement District (CID-East) to encourage re-investment in historic buildings and boost the urban population. Buildings that were vacant for many years have been redeveloped for new retail establishments, upper-story condos and loft apartments. The tour covers the eastern portion of the CID from Memorial Drive to 7th Street, including two elegantly restored landmarks: the historic federal Courthouse where Dred Scott made his first plea for freedom, and the Basilica St. Louis (locally called the Old Cathedral) on property donated  in 1770 to the Catholic community by the city’s founding fathers, Auguste Chouteau and Pierre Laclede. Downtown features many examples of adaptive re- use, such as the former Merchants Laclede Bank (now the downtown Hilton), the International FurTrading Company (now the Drury Plaza Hotel), the former Laurel and Mercantile Exchange (converted to loft apartments and hotel plus retail space). This tour will demonstrate why St. Louis has a well deserved reputation for preserving excellent examples of America’s major architectural trends throughout history.
Tour ticket: $ 20 – walking – return to hotel at 4:15 pm
PHOTOS: Left: The historic Fur Exchange Bldg, now the Drury Plaza Hotel (at 2 S.4th Street); Right: the Old Court Building,
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 1:30 pm Restoring the Downtown Glitz: Downtown St. Louis — Tour will depart from the Millennium
Suffering for many years with crumbling, vacant office buildings and warehouses, mid-town St. Louis has put aside the gloom and decay by implementing a Community Improvement District (CID-Central) that has brought activity and profits back to downtown. This tour shows off the many rehabilitated buildings now bustling with a variety of businesses and civic energy. Dining and entertainment opportunities greet downtown visitors on every corner.
 You will see several examples of adaptive re-use, that have created loft apartments in the former Missouri Pacific/Union Pacific railroad company offices. Another downtown historic building how hosts an innovative grocery store serving the needs of downtown. The old Post Office has been adapted to host a branch of Webster University and a St. Louis Public Library branch. The imposing Kiel Auditorium – once a downtown opera house and entertainment landmark for many years, is now celebrating the completion of a roof-to-curbside restoration and a new name – The Peabody. These restorations can inspire your hometown revitalization efforts and rehabilitation projects.
Tour ticket: $ 20 - walking - return to hotel at 4:15 p.m.
Photos, above left:The Mercantile Exchange;right: Washington Avenue entertainment & shopping district
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1:30 pm Re-inventing the Waterfront Image: The Jefferson Memorial Park, Gateway Arch, and Laclede’s Landing Historic District — Tour will depart from the Millennium
The Museum of Westward Expansion tells the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and experiences of the early pioneers. Explore the world of the American Indians portrayed here in the extensive collection of artifacts, including an authentic tipi and Indian Peace Medals. See history unfold through the voices of life-like figures. Also, you choose between two 30-minutes films on the IMAX screens at the museum: A re-enactment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, or a detailed documentary about the architectural design and construction of the Arch. An optional ride on a tram to the top of the Arch is optional. The second phase of the tour takes you to Laclede’s Landing, a stone’s throw away from the Arch. It is downtown’s oldest neighborhood and the only riverfront entertainment and dining destination in St. Louis. The Landing is named after French fur trader Pierre Laclede who established a fur trading post on this site in 1764. The 12-square-block area, once the manufacturing, warehousing and shipping hub of St. Louis, is filled with brick and cast iron façade buildings that tell the architectural history of St. Louis from 1849 to 1910. The district is home to several of the city’s newest hotels and the Lumiere Casino, plus many retail shops, attractions and restaurants with ethnic and traditional fare. After dark the district becomes an entertainment zone, resounding with music and fun to please anyone’s taste.
PHOTOS ABOVE: left: Arch. right: the historic Hoffman Brothers Building, 700 N. 2nd Street at Laclede’s Landing
Tour ticket $25 – walking – A $10 tram ticket for a ride to the top of the Arch is optional.
Return to hotel at 4:15 pm
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5:00 pm Show Me St. Charles Reception & Wine Tasting — Tour will depart from the Millennium
 Show Me St. Charles begins with a reception at Missouri’s First Capitol Building in downtown St. Charles, hosted by St. Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau, 6:00 – 7:00 pm, “Taste of St. Charles” includes samplings of food from local restaurants and wine tastings, featuring Missouri’s best wineries. Tours of the historic district and time for shopping will follow, from 7:00 –  9:00 pm. You will hear the stories of many historic buildings which have been lovingly restored and filled with shops, restaurants and offices. When the revitalization of St. Charles began in the 1960s’s, the historic district was skid row anchored by a downtown area that was soon to be threatened by suburban mall development. The South end of Main Street was the first section of the historic district to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and contains the oldest and smallest and earliest properties, some dating to the 18th century, while the North end of Main contains larger commercial structures mainly dating after the Civil War through WWI, with an Art Deco building or two in the mix. Today the area is thriving and provides a signature for the city and a tourism/shopping destination as well as an authentic local business area, thanks to Architectural Guidelines and dedicated preservationists.
PHOTOS: above left: Missouri’s first capitol; above right: St. Charles Fife & Drum Corps
Tour ticket $40 bus + some walking – board in St. Charles at 9:30 pm for return to hotel, arrive at approx 10:15 pm
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THURSDAY, JULY 26 |
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1:30 pm Kirkwood: A Downtown Transformation — Tour will depart from the Millennium
Spanning sixteen square blocks, downtown Kirkwood is a charming, pedestrian friendly city filled with turn-of-the-century buildings and more than 100 specialty shops and restaurants, plus a Farmers’ Market with an abundance of local produce, specialty food items and plants. A day of shopping, dining and entertainment in Kirkwood is an adventure for the whole family. The district features tree-lined streets and historic buildings interspersed with many green spaces Downtown Kirkwood was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Supporters of the nomination include Kirkwood Landmarks Commission, Kirkwood Historical Society, Downtown Kirkwood Advisory  Commission, Kirkwood City Council, and other interested agencies. On the tour you will hear about how the Community Improvement District (CID) developed the financial resources to carry out an ambitious revitalization program. The Downtown Kirkwood Special Business District is conveniently located between Highway 40 and I-44, a few miles west of downtown St. Louis.
Tour ticket $30 bus + some walking – board in Kirkwood at 4:00 pm for return to hotel, arrive approx 4:30 pm
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| 1:30 pm Grand Center Arts District: Feeding the Mind, Body and Soul — Tour will depart from the Millennium
 Grand Center says about itself: “From the traditional to the experimental, from around the corner and  around the world, we bring the finest in art, music and theatre to the people of St. Louis, the Midwest and the nation. We are a playground for the senses, full of exotic sights, amazing sounds, tantalizing smells and tastes, and overwhelming feelings. We are the center of all that feeds the mind, body and soul. We are Grand Center.” The district includes Washington Street (far west side), and the Olive Street shopping area which features many art galleries, restaurants and performance venues. What else is here? 12,000 theatre seats, 12 galleries and museums, 1.3 million visitors annually. http://www.grandcenter.org/
(Transportation will be shared with the Extreme Makeovers tour.
PHOTOS Above left: The Samuel Cupples House Art Gallery; right: Grand Center Park and shopping district.
Tour ticket $30 bus + some walking – board at Powell Hall at 4:15 pm for return to hotel, arrive approx 4:45 pm
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1:30 pm Extreme Make-overs for Historic Theatres – Tour will depart from the Millennium
 This tour investigates the processes of rehabilitation in three theatres that were vacant or underutilized for many years, featuring the Fox, Powell Hall, and the Grandel Theatre, all in the city’s west-side Grand Center Arts District. Time takes a heavy toll on any large building that is unoccupied and neglected, as the current owners of these theatres can testify. Hear how resources were assembled to analyze the condition of the buildings, plans to maintain the architectural integrity of the structures, the need to adapt to current tastes in live entertainment and the funding to complete the projects. This tour provides living examples for theatre make-overs and adaptive re-use.
(Transportation will be shared with Grand Center Arts District tour)
PHOTOS Above left: Powell Hall lobby, view from the mezzanine;
Right:The Fox Theatre
Tour ticket $30 bus + some walking – board at Powell Hall at 4:15 pm for return to hotel, arrive approx 4:45 pm
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