Explore St. Louis with these fun and educational excursions
How well do you know St. Louis? Whether you are a native, a transplant, or somebody in between, you can always learn something new about the city you now call home. The Missouri History Museum Discovery Tours are local excursions for both education and entertainment. Inspired by History Museum exhibitions and programming, these tours explore historic themes at various sites throughout the city and surrounding area.
Ways of Worship
Date: Saturday, July 26
Thomas Jefferson said, “The constitutional freedom of religion [is] the most inalienable and sacred of all human rights.” Our diverse community has a beautiful variety of cultures, habits and religious faiths. Discover these belief systems and practices in our July event. Your tour commences at the Missouri History Museum with a presentation by the Interfaith Partnership, an organization that promotes peace, respect and understanding among people of all faiths. Then you will visit the Concordia Historical Institute Museum, the Daar ul Islam Mosque, Hindu Temple of St. Louis, and Assumption Greek Orthodox Church. Lunch at the Kabob House is included on your tour.
Imported Cultures
Date: Saturday, September 11
Immigrants have been coming to St. Louis for the opportunity to create better lives since the city was founded in 1764. They brought their cultures with them and maintained many of their traditions. Begin with a lecture about a few of our cultural communities at the Missouri History Museum’s Library and Research Center. Continue with tours of the neighborhoods, churches and organizations that provide ties to the homeland with stops at the Jewish Community Center Staenberg Family Complex, the Italian neighborhood of The Hill, and St. Stanislaus Church. Enjoy lunch at the Polish Festival held at the Polish Falcons Hall.
Girlfriends’ Getaway
Date: Saturday, October 23
It’s Ladies Day Out! Begin at the Missouri History Museum with a tour of the exhibit Homelands: How Women Made the West to examine women’s roles in developing life and landscape in the American West. Take in the autumn beauty of our region as you explore women’s work and leisure with visits to Winding Brook Estate Lavender Farm, Wool Gatherings fiber art center and the beautiful village of St. Albans. Lunch is included at the Hawthorne Inn in the historic town of Labadie, MO.
St. Louis Beyond the Graves
Date: Saturday, October 30
The historic cemeteries of St. Louis contain the graves of the famous and the infamous. Discover their resting places and the stories they have left behind. Start this spooky day at the Missouri History Museum’s Library and Research Center to learn about St. Louis’ Haunted History. Venture on – if you dare – to the old Missouri Crematory and Bellefontaine and Calvary Cemeteries to unearth some of the legendary tales buried in the city’s past. Enjoy lunch at The Stable, part of the Lemp Brewery complex.
The Woman of the House
Date: Saturday, November 13
Women’s roles in the home have changed over time according to their status in society. Visit some historic homes to see how the women of the house lived their daily lives. Start at the Missouri History Museum with the exhibit Homelands: How Women Made the West and a one-woman play about women’s history. Examine the lifestyles and household responsibilities of women in the 1800s at the Daniel Boone Home and Village and other historic homes in the area. Lunch in Victorian style at the Mother-in-Law House Restaurant in St. Charles is included.
All tours are led by Linda Koenig. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Washington University, Ms. Koenig has taught university psychology and served as a city manager and federal government administrator. Currently, she owns her own tour company and conducts historical group tours around the country. In her spare time Linda is a Master Gardner at the Missouri Botanical Garden and docent at the Holocaust Museum.
The Discovery Tours begin and end at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park with a starting time of 9:00 a.m. and return at 3:00 p.m. It is requested that all participants meet at the Visitor Service desk in the Emerson Center of the Museum at 8:45a.m. The guided tours are $70 for members and $80 for non-members and include deluxe motor coach transportation, all admission and donation charges, water, snack, and lunch.
Reserve your place on all or any of our Discovery Tours at 314-361-9017.
REUNIONS
Ashland School staff (past and present) will hold a reunion luncheon at Piccadilly’s Cafeteria (10906 St. Charles Rock Rd./Adie Rd., St. Ann, MO) for lunch on Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 1-3:30 pm. For more information, contact Cecilia at 314-344-2466 or email cece3543@att.net.
East St. Louis Lincoln Class of 1970 will hold its 40 year reunion September 3, 4, 5, 2010. Cost for the entire weekend is $85 per classmate, $75 per guest, due August 15, 2010. Contact Monica Lewis at mlewis1936@sbcglobal.net or mail payments to Valarie Nash, 4232 Tudor Ave. Centerville, IL 62207.
Farragut-Beaumont Playground Neighborhood Reunion will be held September 11, 2010 from 10 am-8 pm at the Farragut School playground. We are looking for “boys” and “girls” who grew up in the neighborhood between 1953 and 1973 to reunite in fellowship and friendship. Contact ElbertWalton@elbertwaltonlaw.com or call 314-388-3400 for details.
Normandy Class of 1990 will hold its 20 year reunion August 6-8, 2010. The cost for the reunion is $75 per person. For more information, visit Normandyclass_1990@yahoogroups.com, or you may contact Tim Pope at 314-303-0777. Look us up on Facebook.
Northwest High School Class of 1980 is planning its 30 year reunion August 6-8, 2010. The cost of the reunion is $100 per person and payments can be mailed to: Northwest High School Reunion-Class of 1980, P.O. Box 1295, Florissant, MO 63031. For more information, please contact: Cheryl (Richardson) Benford at 314-877-9770, Henry Williams at 314-575-3600 or Delphine Wilson at 314-504-2107.
Soldan High School Class of 1970 will celebrate its 40 year reunion August 6-8, 2010 at the Crowne Plaza in Clayton. The cost is $80 per person. Contact Charlotte Wright at 314-599-7520 or Barbara Burt at 314-853-0303. See Soldan website for more details. Mail payments to P O Box 2427, Florissant, MO 63032-2427.
Soldan High School Class of 1980 is celebrating its 30th class reunion on the weekend of July 16-18, 2010. The cost is $75 a person. For questions, contact Cecilia Woods at (314) 363-6246 or Darryl Taylor (314) 524-4981.
Soldan High School Class of 1982 is preparing for its 30 year reunion in 2012. We are seeking all classmates’ contact information to complete our class directory. Please email information to Rahmina Stewart Benford and Bridgette West at soldanclassof82alumni@yahoo.com.
Sumner Class of 1976 35 year (2011) reunion planning committee meetings are Tuesday, July 13, 2010 and Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 6-8 pm sharply at St. Louis County Library (NB) Auditorium, 7606 Natural Bridge. For more information, please contact Betty Louis at 385-9843, Silvester Johnson at 807-3652, Donald Mitchell at 306-2301 or you may email: sumnerclassof76@yahoo.com for additional information.