Ragtime in Saint Louis and other Saint Louis, MO Things to Do Tips

Saint Louis is blessed with several top-flight ragtime piano players. There is enough interest in ragtime here for the rag enthusiast. In addition to the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, which has its own article on VT, the Friends of Scott Joplin sponsor two monthly events. The Ragtime Rendezvous is held at Dressel's Pub on the first Sunday of every month (except Superbowl Sunday) from 5:30 to 8:30. You will hear many different styles, compositions and young and old playing this strictly American art form. And this is a Cheers type environment. Also the Friends of Scott Joplin sponsor the Rosebud Rendezvous on the third Sunday of every month, and this is located at the Scott Joplin House in the Rosebud Café there.

Leave a Comment

Phone: 314-340-5790
Address: See above.
Directions: Dressel's is at 419 N. Euclid in the Central West End, and the Joplin House is at 2658A Delmar between Grand and Jefferson on the south side of the street.

If you are in St. Louis in July with a free Sunday or Monday evening, be SURE to go to hear the Compton Heights Band concert in Tower Grove Park (Monday) or Francis Park (Sunday). This is a treat for many good reasons. First of all, here you are doing what your ancestors from the late 19th Century did on a hot July night, listening to a volunteer concert band play John Philip Sousa and American Classics. Sure, there is a rare bad note, but this band really does excel at Sousa marches. Also, there is a featured band or artist, including occasionally the amazing basso profundo of Robert Ellison! Second, there you are in Tower Grove Park (not even listed as a category in VT, unfortunately). This is the largest Victorian walking park in North America, with many gezebos. The actual site of the Tower Grove concert is surrounded by restored busts of various 19th Century composers. Third, there is popcorn and ice cream. Fourth, you are surrounded by native ST. Louisans and their families. Once a year the band plays all the theme songs for the various branches of the armed services, and many, many men who have defended our country stand. Fifth, as the lady announcer says, it is 15 degrees cooler than anywhere else outside in St. Louis. Bring your own folding chairs, pick up some fried fish or chicken and a cool beverage, and be prepared to see the lightning bugs rise as the evening progresses. And at least once, you'll get to see a full moon. It just doesn't get any better than this!!

Leave a Comment

Phone: (314) 776-2227
Directions: Tower Grove Park (Monday) or Francis Park (Sunday)
Website: http://stlouis.missouri.org/501c/chband/

For pure architectural beauty, nothing in St. Louis surpasses a walk around the major loop of Compton Heights formed by Longfellow and Hawthorn. These gracefully curved streets were designed by Julius Pitzman in 1889. He also designed several other private places in St. Louis. This neighborhood was originally settled by successful German immigrants, who found it more difficult to build in the older established private places. The Compton gates on Grand were designed by Ernst Janssen, who also designed a dozen of the houses in Compton Heights, as well as the townhouses at Accomac and Nebraska where I now live. I have built a website where you can view pictures of many of the Janssen houses.

Leave a Comment

Address: Compton Heights neighborhood
Directions: Bordered by Grand on the west, Jefferson on the East, Shenandoah on the South and Russell on the North.
Website: http://www.chnba.org/

People don't usually think of going to "Shaw's Gardens"—the Missouri Botanical Gardens—in the wintertime. The Gardens maintains an extensive display of camillias in the Linnaean House, which is located quite close to the main building, The Ridgeway Center. In the summertime, just outside the Linnaean House are planted water lilies. But camillias bloom in the wintertime, mostly in late January and through February. In the deep south, of course, they bloom outdoors. But here in St. Louis, you can see them at the Linnaean house. These large shrubs or small trees bear beautiful flowers that range from red and deep pink through light pink and white. All have a center of small yellow anthers. The Gardens have gone out of their way to make the Linnaean House a beautiful excursion. A long brick walk runs through the modest greenhouse-type building. While camillias don't have a fragrance to speak of, there are jasmine and Russian olive trees in the building which give off a faint but wonderful scent. Also planted under the trees are interesting plants, such as colorful cyclamen and exotic angel wing begonias. There is even a rare yellow Chinese camillia there that blooms late in the season. You owe it to yourself sometime this cold season to stop over to see the camillias and then possibly have lunch in the small restaurant in the Ridgeway Center which in fact has a terrace that overlooks the Linnaean house, which by the way was built in 1882 and is the oldest continuously operated greenhouse conservatory in the U.S.A.

Leave a Comment

Phone: 1-800-642-8842
Address: 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110
Directions: On the near south side, just off of I-44 between Kingshighway and Grand.
Website: http://www.mobot.org/

While this event is only held once a year in late winter, it is well worth the effort to get there! This year it was held the 2nd weekend in March. The program says, "During Art in Bloom weekend, stroll through the Museum's gallaries or take a free, docent-led tour of the floral arrangements and the art that inspired them. Enjoy flower-arranging demonstrations and fabulous music by talented performers . . . " I have been attending this festival for years now, and I must say that it has caused me to really look at the art in the gallery, rather than just browse it. You also get to see casual art lovers in the most unusual and fun poses as they try to decipher what the floral arranger had in mind. And while there, the Saint Louis Art Museum has some very fine art on display at all times.

Leave a Comment

Phone: (314)721-0072
Address: Forest Park - One Fine Arts Drive
Website: http://www.slam.org

When it warms up just a bit in late winter, Steve and I often head to the Zoo for a winter picnic. We pack sandwiches, chips, fruit and cookies in a paper bag, and either a thermos of hot coffee or buy some at Panera. The Zoo is free, and if you're willing to walk a bit to get there, you can park free, too along the side roads in Forest Park. We usually enter through the entrance near the Art Museum. There are tables on the outside of the Zoo Administration Building which also contains the Children's Zoo. We either turn left to see the bears or go across the railroad tracks and find a park bench in front of the lake with all the water birds. The seals are right there too. This time we just focused on going to the Bird House which is a great way to warm up if it is a little chilly. Also, the Zoo keeps a fantastic display of large and small birds in this house.

Leave a Comment

Phone: (314)781-0900
Address: One Government Drive
Directions: Southwestern part of Forest Park.
Website: http://www.stlzoo.org/