St. Louis Birthday Bash at the Missouri History Museum
The Missouri History Museum is celebrating St. Louis’ birthday all weekend long! It’s going to be loud, proud and all about the Lou.
This new annual festival honors everything that makes our city special. Enjoy live performances from local musicians, savor iconic flavors from beloved eateries, hear stories that showcase our rich history and shop one-of-a-kind goods from area makers.
Explore a new exhibit about all things Made in St. Louis, then kick back with film screenings and play our city’s favorite backyard games. Bring the kids—many activities are family friendly! Whether you’re a lifelong St. Louisan or just moved here last week, the Birthday Bash is your chance to experience the creativity, resilience and pride that define our region.
Plus, don’t forget the Great Big T-Rav Remix on Friday, February 13!
Saturday, February 14, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
10–11:30 a.m. | Red & Black Brass Band Performance (Main Level, Grand Hall)
10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Backyard Games (Lower Level, AT&T Room)
Play classic St. Louis neighborhood games like washers and cornhole. While you’re playing, watch vintage commercials and other films from our media collections. Plus, don’t miss the Symbols of St. Louis sensory table where you can touch artifacts that represent the city’s most recognizable symbols and smell some of the aromas that define the city’s unique character.
10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Make-and-Takes (Lower Level, Atrium and Classroom)
Get festive by decorating a birthday hat, design a flag for your own St. Louis neighborhood, and write love letters to the city.
10:30 a.m. | Cuentos en el Museo/Storytelling in the Museum (Main Level, History Clubhouse)
!Feliz cumpleaños STL! Mientras festejamos el cumpleaños de St. Louis y compartimos nuestro cariño por la ciudad!
Happy Birthday, STL! We’ll celebrate St. Louis’s birthday and our love for the city!
11:25 a.m. | The Biggest Birthday Sing-Along (Main Level, Grand Hall)
Gather in the Grand Hall to sing “Happy Birthday” to our city with the Red & Black Brass Band!
11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. | I Am STL Pop-Up Talks (Main Level, Grand Hall)
Join MHS Historians for 10-minute talks reintroducing you to St. Louis through flashpoints that changed this community in an instant and St. Louisans who changed this place—and the world—across the course of a lifetime.
11:30 a.m.–5 p.m. | Shop St. Louis Makers (Upper Level, Overlook)
11:30 a.m.–5 p.m. | Local Food Vendors (Upper Level, Dining Room)
Enjoy food for purchase from Salt + Smoke and Amighetti’s. It’s not a birthday party without cake! Hank’s Cheesecakes will offer gooey butter cake, cheesecake, and a special birthday cake.
11:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. | Pop-Up Trivia with STL Stylehouse (Main Level, Grand Hall)
1 p.m. | Love that St. Louis Sound! A Narrated Concert (Lower Level, Lee Auditorium)
Join hosts Amanda E. Doyle and Steve Pick on a musical multimedia journey through the stories of our city’s musical icons, from blues and jazz and beyond, with the Barrelhouse Sinners performing music by St. Louis artists live on-stage.
3 p.m. | I Am St. Louis Presentation with MHS President Jody Sowell (Lower Level, Lee Auditorium)
Sit down with MHS President Jody Sowell for a fast-paced walk through St. Louis history as he introduces you to a St. Louis you’ve never met. Hear about an author who argued the US capital should be moved to St. Louis, a building that taught the country what a skyscraper should look like, a moment when St. Louis literally blacked out the sun, and so much more.
Sunday, February 15, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Backyard Games (Lower Level, AT&T Room)
Play classic St. Louis neighborhood games like washers and cornhole. While you’re playing, watch vintage commercials and other films from our media collections. Plus, don’t miss the Symbols of St. Louis sensory table where you can touch artifacts that represent the city’s most recognizable symbols and smell some of the aromas that define the city’s unique character.
10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Make-and-Takes (Lower Level, Atrium and Classroom)
Get festive by decorating a birthday hat, design a flag for your own St. Louis neighborhood, and write love letters to the city.
11:30 a.m.–5 p.m. | Shop St. Louis Makers (Upper Level, Overlook)
11:30 a.m.–5 p.m. | Local Food Vendors (Upper Level, Dining Room)
Enjoy food for purchase from Salt + Smoke and Amighetti’s. It’s not a birthday party without cake! Hank’s Cheesecake will offer gooey butter cake, cheesecake, and a special birthday cake.
11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. | I Am STL Pop-Up Talks (Main Level, Grand Hall)
Join MHS Public historians for 10-minute talks reintroducing you to St. Louis through flashpoints that changed this community in an instant and people who changed this place—and the world—across the course of lifetimes.
12–2:30 p.m. | Dennis Stroughmatt Trio Performance (Main Level, Grand Hall)
1 p.m. | Miles and Chuck: 100 Years of Shaping of American Music (Lower Level, Lee Auditorium)
This year marks the 100th birthdays of two St. Louis legends—Miles Davis and Chuck Berry. Join Prince Wells, acclaimed musician and music scholar, to explore their groundbreaking influence and lasting legacies. Experience live instrumental demos that bring the unmistakable sounds of these musical masterminds to life.
2 p.m. | Things You Never Knew about the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair (Main Level, World’s Fair Gallery)
Take a 25-minute “all-inclusive tour” of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, exploring all of its wonder and complexity.
2:25 p.m. | The Biggest Birthday Sing-Along (Main Level, Grand Hall)
Gather in the Grand Hall to sing “Happy Birthday” to our city with the Dennis Stroughmatt Trio as well as our favorite St. Louis mascots—Fredbird and Louie!
3 p.m. | Film Screening: Crossroads of a Nation, Part II: Missouri’s Rifts, Roads, and Civil Rights (Lower Level, Lee Auditorium)
Presented in collaboration with Missouri Humanities Council
Join us for a screening of the latest documentary in the Crossroads of a Nation series, which traces Missouri’s indelible—and undeniable—mark on American history. In the heart of a divided nation, Missouri stood at the crossroads, where the scares of civil war, the rise of highways, and the struggle for civil rights shaped the soul of America. After the one-hour film screening, stay for a special talkback with producer and St. Louis media mainstay Cat Neville and MHS Curator Gwen Moore.