Kick off your weekend at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park! Each Thursday Night at the Museum will be the most fun, engaging, uplifting, thought-provoking, perspective-shaping night of your week. And there are drinks. Join us starting at 5:30pm for happy hour and pop-up activities, such as brief tours, games, and performances. The main stage comes to life at 6:30pm, light appetizers and drinks are available for purchase until 7:00pm, and the Museum’s exhibits are open until 8:00pm for you to explore!
Black people throughout the St. Louis area have always contributed to the built landscape with their ingenuity, resources, and vision. Join us for an evening of dialogue that uncovers the legacy and impact of African Americans within the built environment, from the architecture of slavery to the story of 1820s bricklayer Joseph Blake to the contractors, engineers, and designers who are actively working in the St. Louis community today to build a new vision for our region. Moderated by Cheeraz Gormon, the panel includes Elise Preston Mallory, Melisa Betts Sanders, Angela da Silva, Anthony Thompson, and DeAna Carter. The conversation will center on the work of Black St. Louisans who are impacting the city’s built, unbuilt, and rebuilt environments while creating family legacies, helping communities, and establishing pipelines for underrepresented groups.
Join us for happy hour with food and drinks available for purchase from Salt + Smoke. Explore Coloring STL, the Museum’s newest exhibit, where you can see more than 50 artifacts from St. Louis buildings and color illustrations right on the walls. Enjoy displays of artwork and visit resource tables to learn more about community organizations and labor unions.
SCHEDULE
5:00–8:00pm | Explore the Museum’s exhibits, including Coloring STL, where you can interact with St. Louis structures in a way that you never have before—by coloring them right on the walls!
5:00–7:00pm | Enjoy food and drinks available for purchase from Salt + Smoke.
5:30–6:30pm | View pop-up exhibits featuring the artwork of Joseph Preston Sr. and student photography from the Lewis Place Summer Photography Project. Visit resource tables to learn about the Missouri Historical Society’s African American History Initiative, the Preston Family Community Garden in partnership with Earthways, Lewis Place Historical Preservation Inc., labor unions, and other resources.
6:30–8:00pm | Head to the Lee Auditorium for the featured presentation and panel discussion: Black Builders of St. Louis.
For more information, click HERE!