Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis

4746 Gravois Avenue
St. Louis 63116
(314) 832-7790

Admission fees $4-$7; free street parking

http://miniaturemuseum.org/

Opened in 2001.

This old two-story furniture store in South St. Louis was purchased in 2000, rehabbed, and then opened in 2001 as the miniature museum. 

Both floors are filled with glass cases housing doll houses and other miniature displays. 

Most of the displays are wired and these buttons in the display cases allow you to turn on the lights in the houses and buildings. 

Below are just a few of the many houses on display.  They are behind glass which unfortunately means glare when taking pictures! 

On the back side of the houses it is open allowing you to see the beautiful rooms inside. 

This Georgian house is one of two donated when the creator passed away. 

 These four rooms are seen on one side of the house. 

In this room are pieces of Kupjack silver purchased from the Art Institute in Chicago.

  These four rooms are open on the other side of the house. 

 Speaking of bathrooms... here are a few more examples.

 And a couple of other fancy rooms...

The rugs in another house were homemade and fantastic. 

 A number of the houses had beautiful yards. 

This large house and yard is called Magnolia House and has a swimming pool on the other end. 

We saw two shopping areas. This shopping center was built by local architect Kenneth Schaefer, and designed and completed by a local miniaturist. 

The next three rooms are part of a one-level shopping center that opens on the top. 

Reisen Street is a 1930's street scene of Philadelphia but was made in Dallas.         

Below are 12 miniature displays that represent different professions. This first one is an eye doctor. 

 This is a pet-grooming trailer. 

 This appears to be a craftsman's sale booth. 

This Ceramic Studio - "The Hairy Potter" - contains about 140 pieces of pottery. 

 A barbershop 

This French Armorer's Shop was purchased at auction at Sotheby's and donated to this museum. 

 Bon March' - a hat shop

 Bugsy's Place - a place for a drink

 A different Old Tyme Bar

 A Sweet Shop

 Cape Cod Captain's Room: 1750-1800

 1890's Classroom

 Two miniatures for children - Little Critter

 Sesame Street

There are also a number of displays representing different historical periods and cultures.  This below is Egyptian Tomb, Ante Chamber, and Funeral Chamber. 

 Southwestern Scene

Queen Victoria

 Gypsy Wagon

 A whimsical one. 

 Southern Plantation Bedroom: 1850-1860

This large replica of the St. Louis IX Basilica, known as the "The Old Cathedral" was built in 1975. 

This replica was constructed entirely by hand taking approximately 3,800 hours to build.  Among items incorporated were golf tees, hypodermic needles, tongue depressors, wooden applicators, dental burs, antique buttons, pill bottles, Christmas decorations and other everyday items. The chandeliers all light up.  

This miniature of the Bevo Mill on loan from the Carondolet Historical Society was built in 1995.  

There are a few seasonal items such as this 16th Century Haunted castle. 

 More seasonable items. 

There are a number of unusual displays such as this one under glass. 

 This purple house! 

 This partially-built house. 

This wedding chapel.  

This large San Andreas fault(y) monastery has a bell that rings. 

There are many cases just filled with miniature items. 

 Close-up miniatures. 

 Oriental Collection of miniatures

 New Orleans Funeral in miniature. 

This display demonstrates how to make some doll house furniture and other miniatures. 

These miniature desserts, some made by museum members, are on sale in the gift shop.

 More gift shop pictures. 

 And finally even the bathrooms have miniatures on display! 

Across the street from the museum is the Bevo Mill, a St. Louis landmark! 

 We had lunch one mile away at Taco Circus! 

 It serves Austin, Texas, Style Mexican food. 

 And has great signs! 

 The freebies to start the meal! 

Three street (small) beef tacos with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. 

Two of these street tacos are breakfast tacos - eggs, bacon and cheese.  The middle taco is a veggie taco - avocado and rice. 

Larger tacos - Broadway and Jackie O.  Yes, that's pineapple. 

A burrito bowl with lots of chicken! 

Comments:  This really was a fun museum to visit!  We expected to be through it in 30 minutes but stayed an hour and could have stayed longer. There is a "ton of things" to look at and not much at all to read.  

We learned that the museum has received a number of donations from miniature museums that have closed.  In fact they have so many items that they rotate some of the displays. Their collection includes many items that were not on display today when we were there. 

The volunteer workers were very friendly and informative.

There is no elevator for the second floor.  For anyone unable to climb the stairs they offer a DVD of seven dollhouses to watch in the first floor library. 

The taco restaurant was fun!  The inside seating is quite limited but they do have outside tables for use when the weather is nicer.  The staff was friendly.  The last two years they won Sauce Magazine's Readers' Choice Award for Favorite Taco.  Their food was excellent. It apparently is not prepared terribly spicy but there is a refrigerator full of sauces customers are welcome to use.  We thought the place was great.  Their breakfast taco menu is available all day. They do catering.