Unseen STL Vibes April 2025
Positive STL news, events and historical tidbits
Unseen STL Vibes
Welcome to Unseen STL Vibes, your monthly dose of sunshine from Unseen St. Louis. As the days grow longer and the city bursts into bloom, we're here to celebrate all the things that make St. Louis come alive. Each month, I gather stories to help people find things to love about our city, from inspiring neighborhood projects to delightful local tidbits. I hope you’ll enjoy this springtime stroll through the brighter side of STL.
Upbeat STL news
Here are some positive stories about St. Louis worth sharing.
The City of St. Louis General Election is on April 8!
We’re electing the mayor, comptroller, several members of the Board of Aldermen, and the St. Louis Public School Board.
Have you voted yet? What are you waiting for? Early (aka no excuse absentee) voting continues through April 7th, and election day is April 8. Find out where to vote and make your voice heard!
Volunteers Making St. Louis Cleaner and Greener
St. Louis is looking a little brighter these days, thanks to the dedicated efforts of local volunteers who are making it their mission to clean up neighborhoods and add more greenery to the landscape. Two grassroots efforts — Trash for Trees and the St. Louis Cleanup Crew — are leading the charge, turning trash into trees and building a network of civic-minded residents ready to roll up their sleeves.
Trash for Trees is an environmental and beautification project focused on St. Louis City. Their creative model puts a literal price on trash: for every piece of trash picked up, funds go toward planting native trees in city neighborhoods. With help from local sponsors and their partner nursery, Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, this project is transforming blight into beauty, one block at a time. Learn more or join in through their Facebook group.
Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cleanup Crew is building a movement to beautify the area through its Reddit community and organizing tools. Focused on both the city and county, they offer resources for residents who want to organize their own cleanups, share sustainability tips, and work together to beautify the region. Their volunteer-friendly vibe makes it easy to get involved however you can. Visit their website, email them at info@stlcleanupcrew.org, or hop into their Discord server to connect with others taking action.
These groups prove that small efforts — like picking up a piece of litter — can grow into something much bigger.
Tourism Leader Sees Bright Future for St. Louis
St. Louis could see a full post-pandemic tourism rebound by the end of 2025, according to Brad Dean, the new president and CEO of Explore St. Louis. Dean, who recently relocated from Puerto Rico, told St. Louis Public Radio that spring visitor numbers look promising and that outside forecasts suggest the region may soon meet or exceed pre-2020 levels. Last year, nearly 24 million visitors generated $5.7 billion in economic impact, supporting 87,000 local jobs. Dean emphasized not only the importance of tourism to the economy but also its potential to improve the quality of life in the region. Acknowledging lingering concerns about crime and perception, he urged residents to speak more positively about the city’s strengths—its culture, architecture, music, and hospitality. “Getting paid to tell the St. Louis story,” he said, “is a dream come true.”
Raise a glass, St. Louis!
Our city was just named the second-best beer city in the country in USA Today's 2025 Readers' Choice Awards! With deep brewing roots that date back to the pre-Prohibition era (such as Uhrig Brewing, above) and a thriving craft beer scene today, it’s no surprise we landed near the top. Featuring longtime favorites like Anheuser-Busch and Schlafly as well as creative craft standouts such as Side Project, 4 Hands, and Alpha Brewing Co., St. Louis continues to build on its beer legacy with bold flavors and community-driven festivals like St. Louis Beer Fest and the annual St. Louis Microfest. Whether you're a hop-head or a casual sipper, our city’s taprooms and beer gardens offer something to celebrate.
Rediscovering Wonder with Flora Fauna STL
Flora Fauna STL is a passion project by Tyler Hicks, a lifelong nature enthusiast who grew up exploring St. Louis's wild corners — from Dogtown alleyways to Powder Valley trails. Through close-up photography and thoughtful reflections, Tyler documents local plants, insects, and ecosystems, inviting readers to reconnect with the natural world around them. Visit florafaunastl.com to see the city through a lens inspired by curiosity and adventure.
Bite-Sized History with a Big Impact
During the early days of the pandemic, St. Louis resident Erica Threnn found herself wandering her neighborhood, snapping photos of overlooked buildings and diving into their histories. What started as a personal curiosity quickly turned into a popular social media project under the handle @found.stlouis. As St. Louis Public Radio reported, her posts have inspired a growing audience to see their surroundings with fresh eyes. By combining eye-catching visuals with bite-sized historical facts, Threnn has carved out a space for St. Louis history that’s accessible and engaging—especially for those with what she affectionately calls “short attention spans.” Her work not only highlights the city’s architectural gems but also encourages others to slow down and look closer at the stories behind familiar streets.
STL History and Related Events
Check out upcoming events in the St. Louis area.
Genealogy Workshop
Join Associate Archivist Dennis Northcott to learn about the Missouri Historical Society’s genealogy collections and how best to access them. Reservations are required.
April 12, 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Missouri Historical Society Reading Room
$10 per person, $5 for MHS members
Register online or call (314) 361-9017
The Great Big STL Architecture Tour
Are you a fan of flounder houses? A maniac for mansard roofs? An ardent arch admirer? Or maybe you just want to learn more about the buildings around you. Either way, this super-size See STL tour is the place to discover St. Louis architecture across history—and maybe even take a glimpse at what the future holds.
Attendees will meet and learn from local architecture experts and enjoy exclusive behind-the-scenes access to some of our city’s most stunning landmarks. This 5-hour bus tour includes a 1-hour lunch break at City Foundry (lunch purchased separately).
April 12, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
$45, $40 for MHS members
Register
A Trip to the Pike
The Pike was one of the major features of the 1904 World’s Fair, especially coming alive after the exhibit palaces closed in the evenings. The mile-long Pike featured more than 50 attractions that included exhibits about science, travel, animals, and other cultures. Join the 1904 World’s Fair Society’s Mike Truax for “A Trip to the Pike,” shared through the eyes of a family of visitors to the Fair in 1904.
April 15, 11:00 AM
Missouri History Museum, Lee Auditorium
Free
Unseen STL History Talks:
Mayor Raymond Tucker's Gift of Stability to St. Louis
This month’s Unseen STL History Talk dives into the legacy of Mayor Raymond Tucker, who led St. Louis from 1953 to 1965 through a transformative era of civil rights, urban renewal, and postwar growth. Author Andrew Theising and Tucker’s grandson, Tim Tucker, will explore how Mayor Tucker brought stability and professionalism to a city on the edge of major change.
April 17th, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (doors 6:00 PM)
Leviathan Bookstore, 3211 S. Grand
$5 cover
More details at Unseen St. Louis
“The Ghost Army of World War II” Presentation and Book Signing with Rick Beyer
Rick Beyer, award-winning writer and director of the PBS documentary The Ghost Army and author of The Ghost Army of World War II, returns to Soldiers Memorial to present the history of the Ghost Army and sign copies of his classic book, which Tom Brokaw “enjoyed enormously” and described as “a riveting tale told through personal accounts and sketches along the way.”
April 27, 2:00 PM
Soldier’s Memorial, 1315 Chestnut St.
Free
May Day Festival
Come and celebrate the Workers of the World! Mother Jones Historical reenactor Loretta Williams, the May Day Orchestra, a presentation about the history of mining in St. Louis and Illinois, and The Casting Runes.
May 1, 5:30-8:30 PM
Riley’s Pub, 3458 Arsenal St.
Free
Reopening of The Old Courthouse
Through a longstanding partnership with the National Park Service and the generous support of Gateway Arch Park Foundation's philanthropic donors, the Old Courthouse has undergone extensive renovations to introduce brand-new exhibits, update criticalstructural elements, and enhance overall accessibility, ensuring this historic building will remain vibrant for future generations.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Old Courthouse, 11 N 4th Street, St. Louis, MO 63102
Free
More information, including a list of events, at the Gateway Arch Foundation
History Tidbits
This month is the mayoral election and the Unseen STL History talks featuring mid-20th-century mayor Raymond Tucker. Therefore, it seems only fitting that we look back at the history of St. Louis City Hall, including the story behind the unusual architecture and how Tucker took action that forever changed the building’s appearance. You’ll even find out which mayor thought neon signage over the doors was the way to go!
Behind the grand façade: The rich history of St. Louis City Hall
Welcome to another Unseen St. Louis, where I share stories about lesser-known aspects of St. Louis history. In this article, I’m going to discuss the history of St. Louis City Hall—a highly visible and well-known building with a rich and complex past that many people may not realize.
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If you have events, news, historical tidbits, or other things you think Unseen STL readers would appreciate, email me at jackie@jackiedana.com and include “Unseen STL Vibes” in the subject line.
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