St. Louis Guide

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12657 Olive St St Louis, MO 63141 Phone (314) 542-4262 Cross streets Whispering Pines Road

Comfy Chairs This place doesn't exactly ooze charm, nostalgia or history, and you're not likely to find an underground art film playing here, but when it comes to comfort, these stadium-style theaters are pretty hard to beat. The 16 movies featured are nearly always the prominent features Hollywood churns out, which can be hit-or-miss. You can sometimes find a sleeper or two lurking here. Your Own Private Screening Go during off-peak hours, and you're likely to have an entire row to yourself. Lift the movable armrests, and you can turn your movie seat into a plush sofa. The seats are wide, and there's plenty of legroom even when it's crowded. The theaters are also constructed with the aisles on the sides rather than in the middle, so there really isn't a bad seat in the house.

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6350 Delmar Blvd St Louis, MO 63130 Phone (314) 862-1100 Cross streets Westgate Avenue

The Skinny The Tivoli in the University City Loop is one of the few theaters in St. Louis that plays foreign and independent films on a regular basis. Since its renovation, the Tivoli has focused on higher-end narrative films, such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and Coen Brothers stuff. But you'll still find the cult classics you remember from the theater's less polished past at the midnight shows. While more mainstream than the Webster Film Series and perhaps even Frontenac, the Tivoli doesn't show lousy movies. The carefully chosen films here are sure to interest most anyone who isn't into predictable Hollywood fare.

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6706 Clayton Rd St Louis, MO 63117-1604 Phone (314) 542-4262 Cross streets Big Bend Boulevard

The Experience Even after extensive renovations changed the Esquire's look completely, the theater still manages to retain some of its old charm. Maybe it's the big neon marquee jutting onto Clayton Road, or maybe it's the outdoor box office, where plenty of fans have braved temperature extremes, rain and long lines for the chance to see the premiers of "Star Wars: Episode 1,""Ed Wood" and "Jurassic Park" in the Esquire's main theater. Still the Tops When a big movie is opening, you can be sure that the Esquire will be sold-out. One certain reason is the perfect sound system. Some might argue that the newer suburban multiplexes have better systems, but they'd be wrong. Also, the crowds here are the most fun and the most diverse.

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212 N Kingshighway Blvd St Louis, MO 63108 Phone (314) 367-0101 Cross streets Lindell Boulevard

The Scene When you walk in, the place doesn't look at all like a movie theater. In fact, it's a bit tricky to identify the ticket window unless there are others purchasing tickets. After you get your tickets, you wend your way through the hotel lobby, then enter a fantastically beautiful marbled hallway, complete with plants and plush seating areas. Back to Basics The viewing rooms themselves are no great shakes. They're small, and the seats aren't the most comfortable. But this theater gets some excellent movies that you're not likely to see playing at the local googolplex. Additionally, the Central West End location makes this an ideal place to catch dinner and a movie.

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1001 McCausland Ave St Louis, MO 63117 Phone (314) 781-0800 Cross streets McCausland Avenue and Clayton Avenue

What You'll See The Hi-Pointe (next to the bar of the same name) regularly shows English period pieces, art films, European rereleases and classier first-run films. Usually, everything gets a few weeks' run, too, unlike the rapid-fire turnover of mall theaters. In the Family The Hi-Pointe has long been owned and operated by the James family, who briefly leased the space out in the late '90s. The place has a real sense of history, from the familiar folks who sell you the tickets to the pocket-size concession stand to the framed photos on the wall. It's always a relaxed, friendly environment. Good, cheap snacks, too.

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1 Fine Arts Dr St Louis, MO 63110-1331 Phone (314) 721-0072

The Museum This museum in Forest Park is a sanctuary for anyone who believes in the importance of nourishing the soul. It's a comprehensive, world-class institution that features art from nearly every era of human history and every corner of the globe. The Collection Among the 30,000 works in the collection are paintings, sculpture, prints, photographs, glassware, furniture, textiles and a 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummy (an X-ray machine lets you peek inside the mummy case). There are also several period rooms, pre-Columbian figures, suits of armor, Renaissance masterpieces and impressionist paintings. The museum boasts particularly strong holdings of German expressionism, including 41 pieces by Max Beckmann. Another important, growing section is modern art. Works by contemporary artists like Chuck Close, Anselm Kiefer, Gerhard Richter, Kerry James Marshall, Charles Long and Jenny Holzer coexist with modern paintings by the likes of Gauguin, Degas, Matisse, Kandinsky and Cezanne.

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701 N 15th St St Louis, MO 63103-1925 Phone (314) 231-2489 Cross streets Washington Avenue

Hands and Knees If you have kids and don't bring them to the City Museum, it just isn't fair. Happy laughter echoes through all three levels of this warehouse-turned-museum. The endless nooks and crannies create a huge behemoth, so stick with your kids or you may never see them again. Kids and (thin) adults can crawl through tunnels, man-made caves and a 40-foot sycamore tree on the first floor. Hands On Upper levels feature Art City, where kids can paint, sculpt, weave, make paper and watch demonstrations in artists' studios; the St. Louis Architectural Museum; the Everyday Circus; Beatnik Bob's cafe; and several special exhibition spaces. Unlike any other museum, City Museum is created (present tense is correct as building here continues) out of recycled materials from demolished buildings in St. Louis, including aquariums, walls, and staircases. Part of the raw form is its function.

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12580 Rott Rd Saint Louis, MO 63127-1212 Phone (314) 821-1209 Cross streets Lindbergh Boulevard

Lay of the Land One of St. Louis' most prized possessions, this 116-acre outdoor sculpture park and museum contains more than 75 sculptures by internationally renowned artists, including Anthony Caro, Mark diSuvero, Alexander Liberman and Beverly Pepper. Laumeier is among the nation's leaders in site-specific and environmental sculpture. Extras Laumeier is also the site of art fairs and other outdoor events throughout the summer. A Blind Maquette Program is in place at the park: 13 sculptures have touchable scale models nearby with interpretive information in print and Braille.

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221 N Grand Blvd St Louis, MO 63103 Phone (314) 977-7170

The Museum The mission is not to convert but to challenge, to encourage a dialogue about religious and spiritual living and thought. This intriguing collection of contemporary religious art is housed in a former Jesuit chapel and includes works by local, regional, national and international artists. Special Exhibitions Since the museum opened, it has featured exhibitions such as "Consecrations: The Spiritual in Art in the Time of AIDS"; "Utopia Body Paint," featuring the work of the Aborigines of the Australian Central Desert; and, most recently, "Robert Farber: A Retrospective, 1985-1995."

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4344 Shaw Blvd Saint Louis, MO 63110-2226 Phone (314) 577-5100 Cross streets Tower Grove Avenue

The Scenery Nearly 80 acres showcase St. Louis' best botany. Start inside and work your way up through the double doors that extend out into Shangri-La. Rain or Shine In the spring, tulips bring to mind a Dutch landscape. Step inside the Climatron and enter a South American jungle (extreme humidity included). In the spring and summer, you'll also see wedding photographers and their subjects searching for the perfect backdrop. Japanese Garden The Seiwa-en will transport you over the oceans to Japan. In the Weeping Cherry garden, shapes raked in the gravel represent nature's water-and-land relationships. In the spirit of Shinto, imagine that every flower and tree embodies a personality from another lifetime.

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