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Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis
DESCRIPTION: The Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis is a non-profit museum showcasing miniature dollhouses, rooms and other items. The Museum also sponsors two miniatures shows each year and conducts workshops on miniatures.
SLOGAN: Miniatures act as a window to history. We learn from the past to enhance the future.
ADDRESS: 4746 Gravois, St. Louis, MO 63116
LOCATION: South St. Louis
PHONE NUMBER: 314-832-7790
WEB SITE: www.miniaturemuseum.org
GETTING THERE: From Downtown St. Louis, take 12th Street south until it becomes Gravois. Continue on Gravois to 4746 Gravois at the corner of Gravois and Delor.
HOURS: Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Sunday, 1 - 4 p.m. Closed Monday, Tuesday and major holidays. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
HANDICAPPED ACCESS: The main floor of the Miniature Museum is handicap accessible.
ADMISSION: $5, adults; $4, seniors and students 13-18; $4, children 2-12 $2 under 12, members free.
HIGHLIGHTS: The Miniature Museum has a large collection of miniature rooms and homes including:
- A fully furnished Georgian house.
- The Long Branch Saloon complete with a doctor's office upstairs, a washroom with a man taking a bath in a tub, a barbershop and a woman's room upstairs.
- A miniature eight-store gallery mall designed for a St. Louis woman by Ken Schaefer a Kirkwood architect.
- A country home with a full front porch.
- Santa's summer home.
- A Victorian house party scene.
- Rooms depicting an 18th century parlor, a child's room, a 1930's living room, a floral shop, an 1800-35 library, an apothecary, a pet shop, a toy store, a corner bar, a music room and a colonial kitchen.
- A fully furnished apartment house
Also on display are Jackie's Kitchen and Jackie's Nursery, two miniature rooms which were described in Jacqueline Delber's books on how to design a miniature kitchen and a miniature nursery.
Unusual miniatures including Delft ware from the Netherlands, early tin furniture, miniatures from India, silver dinnerware and other items by Jack Kupjack, a nationally known designer of miniature silverware and pieces by Jack Chasteen, Leo Fallert and Strackman are also displayed.The Museum also has a library with information about the hobby of collecting and building miniatures. It is open to members only.
HISTORY: The Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis was formed in 1989 but had no formal facility until 1998 when some of the collection was displayed at the Miniature World Museum in St. Charles, a military miniatures museum. The board of the Miniature Museum of St. Louis purchased a building in south St. Louis and it became the group's museum, library and meeting place in June of 2001. Many of the exhibits in the museum have been donated by miniature enthusiasts or their families.
WHAT'S COMING UP: There are plans to add an elevator to the building so that more exhibits can be displayed on the second level.
WHERE TO GET LUNCH: For a taste of St. Louis' new immigrant cuisine, there are several Bosnian restaurants near the Miniature Museum and there are many restaurants in the Soulard neighborhood a couple of miles east.
GIFT SHOP: The Miniature Museum Gift Shop sells dollhouses, room kits and many miniature items for decorating them.
ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS: Children will enjoy the miniature displays, especially those of the toy shop and Santa's summer home. For young children, there is a toy dollhouse they can play with in the front of the museum.
WHAT'S NEARBY: Soulard Market, the oldest farmer's market west of the Mississippi, Historic Trinity Lutheran Church and Anheuser-Busch Brewery are nearby.
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONTACT: Fay Zerbolio, 314-261-7439, fzerb@aol.com or Joanne Martin, 314-822-7322, jem1030@core.com
Readers should call 1-800-916-0040 to request a free copy of the Official St. Louis Visitor Guide or point, click and explore St. Louis at www.explorestlouis.com
