Best-Kept Secrets of the St. Louis Arts-and-Culture Scene

For the 2025 Visitors Guide, Explore St. Louis spoke with four leaders at the helm of the St. Louis arts-and-culture scene. Here, Leah Merriman, owner of Green Door Art Gallery, shares her favorite ways to experience the arts in the Gateway City. See all the content in the official Visitors Guide here.

As the new owner, I have to recommend Green Door Art Gallery in Webster Groves. The gallery features work by 36 resident artists, making it a great place to experience local art. If you’re visiting in September, don’t miss the Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival, which soulful bluesman Marquise Knox has headlined for the last few years. It’s possibly the most family-friendly music festival on the planet, and not surprisingly, it’s free!

If you want to see international old masters, the Saint Louis Art Museum is your best bet. The museum’s expansive collection is always free, and its special exhibitions are free on Fridays. For contemporary art, I encourage everyone to check out the rotating exhibitions at 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis and Angad Arts Hotel. You don’t have to stay at the hotels to enjoy the artwork – although, the rooms are sensational. At Angad Arts Hotel, you can even choose the color of your room!

I also have to give a shout-out to Third Degree Glass Factory, which hosted my first significant solo exhibition. Whether you want to shop for handmade glass art or take a glassblowing class, it’s worth a stop.

It might seem like an unlikely suggestion, but the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is another great spot for art lovers. It houses the largest collection of mosaics in the world outside Russia, and in the basement, the Mosaic Museum uses depictions of the design and installation to explain how they were created.

Outside the Cathedral Basilica, St. Louis architecture is fascinating. When you drive through other cities, they’re so beige, both literally and figuratively. St. Louis pops with various shades of red and brown brick. If you love bricks as much as I do – my favorite documentary, Brick By Chance and Fortune, tells the story of brick in St. Louis – walk around neighborhoods such as Laclede’s Landing, Soulard and The Hill.

I’ve spent a lot of hours at Arkadin Cinema & Bar, and if you’re a film fanatic like me, you’ll want to visit St. Louis during one of our film festivals. The St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase as well as the St. Louis International Film Festival are highlights of our yearly event calendar.

For live music, I’m drawn to more intimate venues such as Delmar Hall and The Pageant, while Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis and Chesterfield Amphitheater are tremendous outdoor venues. Lawn seats are pretty affordable, and it’s fun to watch the sun set as the show starts.