 - The Emerson Center at the Missouri History Museum
The Emerson Center
The Emerson Center opened on February 12, 2000. The new addition to the
Missouri History Museum is organized around the MacDermott Grand Hall,
which serves as the connecting axis of the renovated and expanded portions
of the museum. In addition to serving as an orientation area and a wonderful
space for events,
formal receptions, and dinners, the Emerson Center also offers:
- A 346-seat auditorium for theatrical performances, lectures, symposiums,
and concerts
- Three classrooms and a resource center where St. Louis citizens can
gather to examine issues of inclusiveness, community identity, individual
stories, and legacies
-
Space to host major traveling exhibitions on historical themes
-
A restaurant overlooking the spectacular beauty of Forest Park
-
A greatly expanded Museum Shop featuring informative and decorative items that
relate to local history and the themes explored in the exhibitions
Grand Symbols of St. Louis
Visitors entering the newly expanded Missouri History Museum will encounter
grand symbols of St. Louis' rich history:
- The River Mosaic. This intricate floor mosaic,
flowing from one side of the Grand Hall to the other, was designed and
installed by local St. Louis artists and craftsmen Courtney Obata and
glass artist Lea Koesterer, with the assistance of mosaic artisan Don
Fuller. It reminds visitors of the powerful role of the rivers in shaping
St. Louis' history.
- The Homer G. Phillips Hospital Monument. This
etched glass monument of the Homer G. Phillips Hospital, in operation
from 1937 to 1979, evokes the rich architectural detail of the historic
St. Louis landmark. Thousands of African American medical professionals
who subsequently served their communities nationwide were trained at
the hospital.
- The Spirit of St. Louis Replica. The 1927, a St.
Louis airmail pilot named Charles Lindbergh became known around the
world as the first person to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean.
A replica, acquired by the Missouri Historical Society in 1962, has
been fully restored and now hangs in the center of the Grand Hall. Built
in 1928 by the Ryan Airlines Corporation, the company which built the
original plane, the replica was used in the movie The Spirit of
St. Louis starring Jimmy Stewart.
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