Thursday Nights at the Museum is a weekly series where the museum exhibits are open late and you can enjoy pop-up activities, a cash bar, food and more.

How St. Louis Shaped Early America | Thursday, January 22 | 5–8pm
Explore the story of westward expansion, the Louisiana Purchase, and St. Louis’s unique position in the early days of the United States with Military & Firearms Curator Mike Venso. After the presentation, Mike will be joined by Public Historian Amanda Clark, Curator of Indigenous Collections Brady Wolf, and MICDS Upper School History Teacher Changa Bey for a conversation that explores the lives of women and Black communities in this era, as well as the impact of the Louisiana Purchase on Native nations.

How St. Louis Shaped American Cities | Thursday, March 19 | 5–8pm
From architecture and design to city planning and parks, dive into St. Louis’s impact on the development of American cities. Public Historians Amanda Clark and Andrew Wanko will share stories of the people and places that changed how Americans thought about the built environment.

How St. Louis Shaped American Civil Rights | Thursday, July 9 | 5–8pm
In a 1964 article in the St. Louis American, Judge Nathan B. Young argued that St. Louis—more than any other city in the US—was pre-eminent in the country’s struggle for civil rights, based on the number of Supreme Court cases that originated here and the city’s long history of protest that led to significant change. Join Curator of Urban Landscape and Community Identity Gwen Moore for this look back the key Supreme Court cases that started in St. Louis and dramatically impacted American civil rights.

How St. Louis Shaped the Soundtrack of America | Thursday, August 27 | 5–8pm
Celebrate St. Louis’s musical innovators and icons that built—and rebuilt—the soundtrack of American throughout the 20th century, from ragtime to jazz to rock ‘n’ roll. Explore this history with Public Historian Andrew Wanko in an evening accompanied by live music illustrating the many ways in which St. Louisans helped construct the sonic architecture of our country.