photograph by Siobhan Lestina
The Saint Louis Art Museum is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the Nation, and it is entirely free to visit (sans some of the special exhibits), making it a tremendous cultural asset for the city.
The Museum itself is a Beaux Arts-style structure (designed by Cass Gilbert) and sits atop Art Hill; a position of grandeur that it has held ever since its construction as the Palace of Fine Arts for the World’s Fair of 1904. If you happen to approach from the Grand Basin, it is easy to understand why many St. Louisans refer to SLAM as the “crown-jewel of Forest Park”.
photograph by Dan Henrichs Photography, St. Louis

