Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, Missouri

The city of St. Louis, Missouri, hosts many interesting and unique attractions. Two of the most popular are the Gateway Arch and Forest Park, which was the location for the 1904 World’s Fair. There are definitely many venues that have yet to be discovered that are great for St. Louis Educational tours—particularly for a focus on contemporary or other art. One such location is Laumeier Sculpture Park where students and teachers can walk in the open-air while viewing modern, contemporary sculpture. Who knew there was such an interesting destination in the center of the Midwest?  

Laumeier Park is host to many contemporary and modern-style sculptures. The artwork is interactive, and students are free to touch and explore with all their senses. A list of the many different sculptures, their names, and the artists who created them can be found on the Laumeier Park website. The park features artists such as Charles Arnoldi, Fletcher Benton, and Cosimo Cavallaro. There are some pretty impressive artists, and I personally encourage any interested art connoisseur to check them out. There are at least 80 different pieces spread across the park. This is a great destination for group travel.  

The park also hosts an indoor gallery, which has many paintings, drawings, and ceramics among other works, for those rainy days. The exhibitions are able to draw many international artists to create, install, and talk about their projects. This provides a unique opportunity for students and teachers alike to hear firsthand from international artists—and all right in the heart of the country! The current exhibit is from Fletcher Benton’s collection, titled Donut No. 3. It is certainly something to see and experience. Some upcoming exhibits will feature artist Mark Newport and the Kranzberg Exhibition Series.  

Several tours are available at Laumeier Sculpture Park for those of you who are interested. First, the park offers a self-guided audio tour where visitors can rent ipods to listen in on important and uniquely impressive facts on several of the art pieces. They also offer group tours, which only cost 25 dollars for a group of 12 or under. The tours last about 45 minutes and are well worth the cost. For those of you who don’t have deep pockets, this place is still suited for you. They offer free docent-led tours on Sunday so that everyone can enjoy what this glorious park has to offer. 

By Christopher Graham