The Soldiers Memorial Military Museum operates as a part of the Missouri History Museum and is located in Downtown West St. Louis. Although the memorial has been open since 1938, it was recently renovated, restored, and expanded.

The memorial sits within a larger park area, providing some nice green space within the city, along with some peaceful water features. The memorial itself is an imposing but simple Classical-style building with lots of straight lines. Statues flank the entrances on both sides. Within the memorial there are several exhibits, most of which discuss St. Louis’s role in each of the wars fought by the United States. Over the course of several rooms, visitors can follow a chronological history of St. Louis and American wars, along with individual stories of St. Louisans in these wars. The basement includes another exhibit that focuses on St. Louis and World War I, especially how the war impacted St. Louis and the stories of St. Louisans fighting in Europe.

A visit to the Soldiers Memorial Military Museum is free, but provides visitors with a history of St. Louis from the perspective of its roles in American wars. We found the Soldiers Memorial to be interesting and informative. In addition, a visit can easily be paired with another area attraction, such as the Gateway Arch, the St. Louis Aquarium, Union Station, a St. Louis Cardinals game, or a St. Louis Blues game.