Grace's Place

Express Scripts Hall

University of Missouri-St. Louis
1 University Boulevard
St. Louis, MO 63121-4400

There is no museum phone but questions can be addressed to: is@umsl.edu

Parking is free in university parking but it is recommended that you get a parking pass from the campus Parking and Transportation Office. The pass is $1.00 and entitles you to park for the day at any lot on campus.

https://www.umsl.edu/divisions/business/mis/about/graces-place/index.html

Grace's Place is on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis and was created by members of the Information Systems and Technology Department. The museum is on the second floor of the Express Scripts Hall where the department is housed. 

The museum is "an exhibit about computers and information technology - what they are, and how they have changed over time." 

A large sign explains why this museum is called Grace's place. 

Who knew that computers date back to the first half of the 19th century! This display told us all about it.  

Ada Lovelace who lived from 1815-1852 was the first computer programmer. 

This is one of the older computer devices in the museum dating to the 1950's-1960's.  

There is an entire wall of early microcomputers. 

This 1982 Compaq was the first computer advertised as a portable machine - the first "laptop". 

This account machine control panel directed the operation of early IBM computers in the late 1940's. 

When many of us think of early computers we think of punched cards. The use of punched cards actually goes back to the 1800's.

 This keypunch is from the 1980's. 

The first commercial digital disk storage device was the IBM 350 which shipped in 1956. Disk drives became an important part of computers. 

Early Home Computers became available in 1977 and were popular in the 1980's. 

CD Rom Players date from the 1980's and 1990's. 

This VERY LARGE tag and bus cable connected printers and other peripherals to the mainframe at UMSL until 1991. 

Personal Information Managers

The first Palm Pilot was introduced in 1996.

This Mainframe Disk Platter is from about 2003. 

This Four Platter Hard Drive is from about 2005. 

Silicon Wafers are a necessary part of the computer world. 

The were several cases that are dedicated to general parts of computers. This one contains various computer components. 

And these motherboards. 

There is also a display of old typewriters.

This typewriter is from about 1896. 

And there is a section on calculators. 

The abacus is from ancient times. 

This electro-mechanical Calculator dates from the 1950's and 1960's. 

There is a shelf of computer-related toys.

And a children's book from long ago.  

And who knew that there is a computer programming board game!

What is a museum without pieces of art!  This true piece of art has the Artist's Statement posted by it. 

This is the largest artwork at Grace's Place - a "gingerbread house" made completely out of computer parts by students. 

This is what a computer-part Christmas tree looks like!

This poster about Ada Lovelace shows the another artistic use of computer parts.  

These many differently hung motherboards create an artistic border along this long wall. 

There is much information about the fascinating Grace Hopper also posted including these two partial posters.

And of course there is a poster about how she coined the term "bug" when something goes wrong with a computer. 

Time Magazines with computer-related covers are also on display. 

And finally there are several posters promoting Women in Computing.  

Comments:  This was a hidden gem we discovered that was great for walking down memory lane as well as learning new information. All of us could think of someone who would really enjoy this museum. 

This museum was founded in 2004 by Professor Vicki Sauter and colleagues.  It is open to the public and is also used as a teaching tool for UMSL students studying in the computer field.  The museum is filled with donations and they have two other rooms of donations that they have yet to display in the exhibits. 

When I emailed the museum to ask about the availability of visiting between terms (and yes, you can), it was highly recommended that we schedule a tour with Vicki.  Vicki retired in May from the teaching staff at UMSL where she has been for over 40 years and is now devoting her time to being the curator of the museum.  This was excellent advice and we had a great tour. Her tour lasts about 60 minutes.  You are welcome to come and not do a tour but I would highly recommend that you contact them to schedule Vicki to tour you. 

Because the majority of displays were in glass cases, taking photographs was very challenging - lots of glare!  Also the lighting was very poor in parts of the room.  

Before going, be sure to familiarize yourself with the campus, knowing where the Parking and Transportation office is and where Express Scripts Hall is located. We failed to do this and spent 30 minutes trying to find both.  It was a real plus for us that we went when the students weren't on campus as there were plenty of parking spots available.  The Mercantile Library and Art Museum is in the same quadrangle as Grace's Place.  

After touring Grace's Place we had lunch at Las Palmas on Page where they had very generous and yummy servings of Mexican food.  They offered a luncheon special that was great.