The Missouri History Museum is excited to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the city of St. Louis with its new exhibit 250 in 250opening on Friday, February 14. This free exhibit looks at 50 people, 50 places, 50 images, 50 moments and 50 objects that showcase the city’s history. The exhibit gives the city an opportunity to commemorate the men, women and events that have shaped St. Louis into the Midwestern metropolitan area it is today.
While I could write a spirited debate about the 250 items on the list, I want you to visit the exhibit and make up your own mind.
Since I won’t provide the list, I will talk a little about the selection process. It is important to note that the 50 people, places, images, moments and objects are not to be considered the most important pieces of St. Louis history, but rather a sampling of the richness, diversity and complexity of the region over the past 250 years.
The public had an opportunity last year to make suggestions on the museum’s website. In the object category, a viewer’s choice was selected and will be identified as such in the exhibit. In addition to the public’s list, the museum staff was also encouraged to recommend people. Once the lists were compiled, it had to be narrowed down to just 50 in each category. From a staff member’s perspective, I knew I had to be strategic and lobby for just a few things. I am happy to report my three made it to the final list.
If you missed the opportunity to make suggestions on the website, all is not lost. There are two areas in the exhibit that will also allow you to submit your suggestions. One of the areas is the people section. There will be a space that allows you to vote for the 51st person. The person with the most votes each month will be included in the exhibit for that month. The second area for visitor input is the places section. Local artist Andy Cross is creating a wonderful chalkboard mural of all 50 places. There will be an area on the chalkboard for suggestions (either written or drawn) for the 51st place.
While we encourage everyone to visit the museum to experience the exhibit, we also created a traveling banner show that includes one selection from each of the categories along with an introduction and conclusion banner. The banner shows are available free of charge for one month to churches, schools, community centers, etc. as a way of promoting the city’s 250th anniversary. For more information please contact Katie Moon at 314-3561-7395 or kmoon@mohistory.org.
Usually I would take the time to research and write about the different African American-related people, places, images, moments and objects. I still may do that, but for the next few months, the museum’s outstanding Teens Make History exhibitors will be writing the content once a month for this column. They have already researched some of the history in the exhibit and are excited (ok, that might be a bit strong) about the opportunity to create a column each month. The teens’ columns will focus on individuals they interviewed about their role in St. Louis civil rights history.
The museum kicks off the celebration weekend with family friendly activities and an opportunity to step inside a historic image with the help of our friends at Good Eye. These activities are free and will take place throughout the holiday weekend (including President’s Day, February 17). The exhibit is the museum’s present to the community on its 250th anniversary, and I hope you will take the time to visit and join the commemoration.
Friday, February 14th
250 in 250 Exhibit
Free
Opens at 10am
Family Activities 3pm to 7:30pm
Join us for birthday cake, coffee, and hot chocolate. Plus enjoy craft workshops, theatre presentations, puppet shows, music, and more.
Step Inside a Historic St. Louis Image
Free
1pm to 4pm
Each month visitors will get a chance to have an image of themselves inserted into a different photo of the city
Saturday, February 15th
Family Activities
10am to 3pm
Step Inside a Historic St. Louis Image
1pm to 4pm
Sunday, February 16th
Theater presentations
11:30am to 3pm
Step Inside a Historic St. Louis Image
1pm to 4pm
Monday, February 17th
Family Activities
10am to 2pm
Step Inside a Historic St. Louis Image
1pm to 4pm
For more information on the programs please check out the museum’s website at www.mohistory.org
