Missouri Historical Society Launches "We Are St. Louis" Campaign with a Goal of Raising $36 million. The campaign will introduce the public to a St. Louis they have never met and serve as a roadmap for the decade ahead.

Photos compliments of The Missouri Historical Society

On February 14, 2025, the 261st birthday of St. Louis, the Missouri Historical Society (MHS) unveiled its "We Are St. Louis" capital campaign, a bold initiative designed to introduce people to a St. Louis they've never met. The campaign seeks to tell St. Louis' story in innovative ways to a wider audience with the goal of building a stronger St. Louis.

Since 1866, the Missouri Historical Society has been preserving the rich history of St. Louis, making it available for everyone through exhibits, programming, storytelling and more. The campaign, which has already raised $30 million, has a goal of $36 million.

“I am St. Louis”…

The campaign will fund various projects through 2027. Many projects, such as "The 1904 World's Fair" exhibit, have already been launched, with future projects launching as soon as this spring.

"Collected," a 6,000-square-foot long-term exhibit, will open in early 2025. The exhibit will showcase St. Louis' rich history through a diverse array of artifacts and memorabilia. From baseball cleats to an original 1875 map of Forest Park, "Collected" will use objects to narrate fascinating stories about the community's history and the people and events that have shaped it.

The inaugural St. Louis Birthday Bash will launch in 2026. The new event will explore St. Louis' rich history and celebrate its bright future through live performances, popular food and drink offerings, and activities as part of MHS's work to share the St. Louis story. It's sure to be an event for all of St. Louis.

The campaign will culminate in 2027 with the launch of its most ambitious project: “Gallery STL”. This groundbreaking 12,000-square-foot exhibition promises to revolutionize the visitor experience, replacing exhibits on the museum’s second floor that have been in place since 2000. “Gallery STL” will offer a fresh and dynamic perspective on the city’s heritage through an immersive, decade-by-decade journey from its origins as a fur-trapping outpost to its modern identity.

More than just an update, this transformative installation reimagines how the museum presents local history. By employing cutting-edge exhibition techniques, the gallery will bring St. Louis's story to life like never before. Visitors will delve into pivotal moments, meet influential people, and explore key places that shaped the city. They will also gain insight into the daily lives of past St. Louisans, discovering their clothing, activities, and cuisine.

A "Future Lab" will further engage visitors by encouraging discussions on contemporary issues facing St. Louis.

As the centerpiece of the museum’s capital campaign, “Gallery STL” underscores the institution’s commitment to providing an unparalleled educational experience. By dedicating such a vast space to this exhibition, the museum highlights St. Louis's unique role in shaping regional and national narratives and emphasizes its mission to preserve and share the city’s history for generations to come. These initiatives and others actualize the organization’s mission of connecting the past with the present and fostering understanding and appreciation for St. Louis' unique role in American history.

"This campaign is about more than just preserving history; it's about connecting St. Louisans to their roots and inspiring them to shape our city's future," said Jody Sowell, president and CEO of the Missouri Historical Society. "St. Louis is one of the most fascinating places in America. Understanding what St. Louis has been is a key part of helping us shape what it could be, and it all starts with an introduction – an introduction to a St. Louis most people have never met."

As part of the campaign, Missouri Historical Society has already implemented several successful initiatives:

The 1904 World’s Fair Exhibit

More than 160,000 guests have flocked to the new World’s Fair exhibit that encourages visitors to relive the wonder of the Fair but also to re-examine its complexity as they explore a groundbreaking scale model of the fairgrounds, larger than life media experiences, and a regularly changing exhibit within the gallery.

Thursday Nights at the Museum

Since launching in 2023, the Missouri History Museum has hosted over 10,000 guests at the weekly program series that committed to making Thursday Nights at the Museum the most interesting nights of your week. Each Thursday Night kicks off with happy hour and features a mainstage concert, speaker, panel discussion, and even live wrestling or foosball tournaments. These weekly events frame St. Louis’s story within the context of what’s happening nationally and globally, from music to politics, architecture, immigration, fashion, and so much more.

Sold on St. Louis

More than a museum shop, it’s where you shop St. Louis! This innovative store opened on February 14, 2024 (St. Louis’s 260th birthday) and is built to be a one-stop-shop celebrating the products, makers, and brands that make St. Louis special.

New to St. Louis

This half-day program is designed for businesses recruiting new employees to St. Louis, and it gets new neighbors in the know and up to speed on where St. Louis has been, what’s happening now, and where it’s going in the years ahead. Since launching in 2024, New to St. Louis has introduced more than 200 St. Louis transplants to their new hometown.

Expanded Collecting Capacity

The organization is on a mission to share more of its one-of-a-kind collections than ever before—from photographs to fascinating artifacts and fi lm. It does this through digital projects like its Curated Collections site, spotlighting fascinating, fun, and thought-provoking artifacts and the stories they can tell. They will also launch an online Collections Hub alongside the “Collected” exhibit, allowing St. Louisans to delve into the organization's extensive collections beyond what is physically on display. By 2030, MHS aims to have digitized more than 400 archival collections, 13,000 hours of media, over 80,000 objects, and 100,000 photographs, all of which will be accessible at the touch of a button. The organization's physical space refl ects innovation as well: In 2023, it expanded its photographs and prints storage space by 50% and will continue these efforts through the 2020s, ensuring it can collect and preserve the St. Louis story for years to come.

St. Louis is one of the most fascinating places in America and these initiatives, amongst others, tell St. Louis' story in a compelling way that is both extraordinary and unique: St. Louis is the place that argued it should be the U.S. capital, where women could have gotten the vote 50 years earlier, boasting the oldest bridge on the Mississippi River, stealing America’s first Olympics from Chicago, where one of the country’s first Black female millionaires made her riches and the place that rewrote the soundtrack to America—countless times.

"The 'We Are St. Louis' campaign is The Missouri Historical Society’s commitment to showcasing the diverse tapestry of stories that make St. Louis unique. “By understanding our past, we can better shape our future," said Sandra Moore, “We Are St. Louis” campaign co-chair and immediate past board chair. The more people understand this region's rich history, the more deeply they'll become invested in its future. The Missouri Historical Society invites everyone to become an active participant in "We Are St. Louis". To learn more and become part of the movement visit wearestlouis.com.

More Colorful Facts that tell the story of St. Louis

About the Missouri Historical Society

The Missouri Historical Society (MHS) has been active in the St. Louis community since 1866. Today it serves as the confl uence of historical perspectives and contemporary issues. MHS operates the Missouri History Museum, Library & Research Center, and Soldiers Memorial Military Museum. MHS is funded by the St. Louis City and County taxpayers through the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District (ZMD) and by private donations. To fi nd out more, visit mohistory.org/society