Magic Chef Mansion

3400 Russell Boulevard
St. Louis 63104
314-805-3433

Admission price varies but generally $20-$25.  Free street parking. 

http://magicchefmansion.com/   

Opened for tours in 2014.

The Magic Chef mansion was built in 1907-1908 for the family of the co-owner of Quick Meal Stove Company, later renamed Magic Chef, the largest stove maker in the world at one time. In 1990 when the last family member died, the house was cleaned out and then purchased by Shelley Donaho who has restored it. When possible she has repurchased items that had belonged to the house and were then sold in 1990. Otherwise she has restored the house with period items and different collections she owns. 

The house is 12,000 square feet and sits on two acres in the heart of St. Louis city in a neighborhood adjacent to Compton Heights. The 30+ room mansion took a year to build at a cost of $49,500. 

One enters the house through the Ante Hall and immediately notices that the house is definitely on a Halloween tour!  This beautiful bench is up against the tapestries that are original to the house. 

The first room on the left is the Receiving Room.  The gold leaf seating (under skeletons) and the painted ceiling are both original to the house. 

The wall sconces behind this corner piece are original.

The Music Room is next to the Receiving Room.

There are glass sliding doors that go from the Music Room to the Main Parlor and the grand piano. 

The two settees in the Main Parlor are c. 1860. The wall sconces and the chandelier are original. The five oval paintings are reproductions of the originals and represent the five senses. 

The light colors give this room a French feel. 

One of many interesting lamps. 

And another interesting piece and lamp in the Main Parlor. 

The Main Hall is paneled in quartersawn oak extending over eight feet high.  This grandfather clock sits in the hall. 

The Main Hall stairs go up to the second floor where there are six bedrooms and numerous bathrooms.  The second floor was not open to visitors on this tour. 

Off the Main Hall is a smaller hall that still contains the original phone booth.  A back stairwell can be seen past it. 

The library is at the front of the house on the left side. The oak paneling, beamed ceiling, and massive wood burning fireplace give the room a Germanic feel. The caribou is from 1909.

The art glass bookcases are original. 

The chandelier which was sold in 1990 was repurchased and reinstalled. The eight chairs and the wall sconces are also original. 

Some of the mounted animals are original but most are not. 

The bear is not original but part of the owner's collection!

The Dining Room has curved cabinets with leaded glass doors with a restored hand painted ceiling.  

The chandelier was recovered after being sold at auction in 1990. 

The Dining Room furniture is not original to the house but is from the correct period.  The chairs feature winged griffins. 

There is also a Breakfast Room. This chair in that room is one of many chairs that the homeowner has purchased for the house. 

The Conservatory has the original but restored cypress plant bench with drain holes.  The concrete floor with drains has been repainted. 

A beer keg light hangs in the Conservatory. 

Wonderful pantry cabinets.  

And a Magic Chef stove in the kitchen!

Here are three more of the interesting lamps that the owner has collected and put on display. 

A restored ceiling!

A radiator in the Library

A clock in the Breakfast Room. 

A safe.  

A call station in the kitchen for calling for the staff

This interesting musical item hanging in the Main Hall.

For the Halloween tour there were guides in each room with a script explaining the items in the room.  There were also a few signs that allowed you to expand your knowledge by using a QR code. 

We were allowed to tour the basement.  The highlight was the well-restored bowling alley.  

There was also a beautiful wooden bar. 

The basement was full of objects that the owner has collected such as these piano rolls for a player piano. 

This was an interesting period cash register.

One room was outfitted with medical and forensic items. 

A small stove.

This old picture of the house is on display in the basement. 

We also went into the Carriage House where we saw the laundry room of old.  This stove created steam. 

The clothes would be dried in this white box!

The outside of the house has its own personality and beauty. 

Even the outside lighting is unique. 

The back of the house. 

The day we toured workers were working on copper rods that had been removed from the roof to be restored. 

We had lunch not far away in Soulard at John D. McGurks Irish Pub and Garden. 

The patio with outside bars was delightful.

Bacon-wrapped shrimp and a small salad. 

The Grilled Three Cheese Sandwich with homemade chips. 

Comments: Magic Chef Mansion is a fairly well-known historical house in St. Louis.  The owner resides in the house so consequently it is only open about 12 times a year for scheduled tours, although private tours and private events can be arranged.  We chose to go on the Halloween tour which means it was decorated for Halloween which to me was a distraction.  If I were to go again I would visit when the house is not seasonally decorated.  Also we were not able to tour the upstairs which was disappointing.  The upstairs is apparently open for some tours, something I wish I had known to research before we made plans to go on this tour.  

It is an interesting old house with many nice period pieces (perhaps too many).  Probably the best way to tour this house is to get a group of 15+ and share the cost of $300 for a private group tour.  

The weak lighting made it difficult to photograph. 

We had a fun and delicious lunch at John D. McGurks.  It is not surprising how popular this pub is.