Written by Valerie Schremp Hahn and Liz Miller
Visuals by Ella Manthey
The greater St. Louis region is home to more than 660 arts and culture nonprofit organizations — and you’ll find more than 60 of them in the Grand Center Arts District.
Legacy institutions like the Fabulous Fox Theatre and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, which now calls Powell Hall at The Jack C. Taylor Music Center home, sit near fine art galleries such as the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, as well as mixed-use organizations like The Kranzberg Arts Foundation and The Sheldon.
The area is frequently home to vibrant cultural events and festivals, as well, including flagships such as Music at the Intersection, a music festival that got its start in 2021, and First Fridays, an event where the district’s galleries and museums remain open and free until 9 p.m.
From dining and drinks to art, theater, music, and more, explore all that this expansive arts and entertainment district offers.
Coffee and a pastry at High Low. Photo by Ella Manthey.
Coffee, Dining, & Drinks:
There’s something for every taste in Grand Center. Start your day with coffee and pastries at High Low or SweetArt Bakeshop & Cafe or a boba drink at BoCo Boba. If you’re looking for a more casual lunch or dinner, stop in The Best Steak House, The Dark Room at The Grandel, Grand Mediterranean, Jazz St. Louis, The Key Burger Bar & Boogie, Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.’s Midtown Biergarten, or Vito’s Sicilian Pizzeria & Ristorante.
Dinner-only spots for small plates and quick bites include Stage Left Grille and ART Bar on the rooftop of the Angad Arts Hotel, which both offer excellent cocktails as well. Keep drinks flowing at the Curtain Call Lounge and Sophie’s Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club. And for a fine-dining meal in a beautiful setting, make a dinner reservation at Commonwealth.
Photos of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Jack C. Taylor Music Center by Michael Thomas. Photo of the Fabulous Fox Theatre by Once Films.
Theater, Dance and Music:
From musical theater and Broadway hits to concerts by the world’s biggest bands and musicians, each season of the Fabulous Fox Theatre brings a mix of theater, dance, and music to the stage.
Theater of all stripes also finds a home across Grand Center, including at Albion Theatre, The Grandel Theatre, Metro Theater Company, New Line Theatre, Prison Performing Arts, and Upstream Theatre.
If you’re a fan of dance — as either the audience, participant or both — there’s plenty to enjoy in the Grand Center Arts District. The Ballroom Dance Academy offers unique intergenerational ballroom dance programs, while world-class performances debut throughout the year at Dance STL, Karlovsky & Company Dance, and Saint Louis Dance Theatre.
And from showtunes to jazz to classical music and rock concerts, Grand Center is constantly buzzing with live music. Musicals and touring bands frequent the stage at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, while The Sheldon hosts a range of local, national, and international acts. Some of the best jazz music in the region unspools at Jazz St. Louis, and the metro’s premier symphony orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, offers a resplendent lineup year-round at Powell Hall at The Jack C. Taylor Music Center.
The Kranzberg Arts Foundation, meanwhile, features a blend of art, music, and theater across its various stages and venues.
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. Photo by Ella Manthey.
Museums and Galleries:
For more than two decades, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM) has promoted art and growth in the Grand Center Arts District. Since opening in the district in 2003, CAM has become an anchor of the arts district, an integral part of the St. Louis cultural landscape, and a nationally respected contemporary art museum.
CAM sits next door to the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, and the museums have a great working relationship. From the beginning, the institutions were meant to complement one another.
The Pulitzer building had opened just two years before CAM, anchoring a spot within view of mainstays Powell Hall, home of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Fabulous Fox Theatre and The Sheldon.
The Kranzberg Arts Foundation, across its multiple galleries, including the gallery space at High Low, presents works from a diverse range of artists in the St. Louis community.
For a one-of-a-kind experience, visit The Moto Museum, which showcases rare and vintage motorcycles from around the world.
And a hop, skip, and a jump from the heart of Grand Center, on the Saint Louis University (SLU) campus, three galleries and museums offer a view of the past, present, and future.
The Historic Samuel Cupples House and Gallery features the university’s collection of fine and decorative art dating from before 1919, while the Saint Louis University Museum of Art‘s permanent collection includes artists such as Chuck Close, Robert Motherwell, Jasper Johns, Kiki Smith, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein. And SLU’s Museum of Contemporary Religious Art is the first museum to explore the spiritual and religious dimensions in contemporary art.