The 9 Best St Louis Historic Home Tours

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Learning the history of a city is one of the best ways to quickly get to know it. St Louis is a city that takes pride in its past and perfectly preserves it for generations to come. These nine St Louis historic home tours are some of the best in the city and will quickly highlight some key events in St Louis’ past.

1. Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site

Officially designated a National Historic site and a member of our National Parks Service, the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site is located in the Crestwood suburb of St Louis, right next to Grant’s Farm. The House is painted a bright “Paris Green,” just like it was when Grant owned it.

As you’ll learn on the tour, the Grants only owned the house after Grant became president. They had intended to move back here after the presidency but never did. However, Grant and his wife Julia lived here for years when Julia’s parents owned this house.

One thing that really stands out about this tour is the dedication the National Park Service has to highlighting the stories of the enslaved people that lived on this property, too. They have their own exhibit in the house.

Address: 7400 Grant Road, Crestwood, MO 63123

Phone: (314) 842-1867

Hours: 9 am – 5 pm daily

Admission: Free admission to the museum, free tours

Want to learn more about the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site? Check out my post about the National Parks of St Louis to see more about this site and other places like it in St Louis.

2. Thomas Sappington House

The Thomas Sappington House is also in Crestwood, just down the road from the Grant House. There is a monthly event where you can bike down Grant’s trail from the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site to the Thomas Sappington House and learn about the connection between the two families.

The Thomas Sappington House is most notable because it is the oldest brick house in all of St Louis and it has been standing strong since the early 1800s. Even more impressive, the 2nd floor of the house is almost entirely preserved the way it was when the Sappington’s lived there (the first floor has been reconstructed because at one point livestock lived on the first floor of the house and that did some damage.)

Address: 1015 S. Sappington Road, Crestwood, MO 63126

Phone: (314) 822-8171

Hours: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and the third Saturdays (except in January) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m

Admission: Visit the grounds for free, tour the house for $3

3. Daniel Boone Home National Historic Site

This one is a bit of a drive out of St Louis but it will be well worth taking the trip. The Daniel Boone Historic Site is not only a historic home, but an entire historic village! Tours take you through each of the buildings in the village and explains how the frontier families lived. The tour ultimately ends with a tour of the house Daniel Boone built and is full of entertaining stories along the way.

This historic home tour is worth a visit all on its own, but if you’re looking for extra incentive to drive out this way, it isn’t far from the wineries in Missouri Wine Country.

Address: 1868 Highway F, Defiance, MO 63341

Phone: (636) 949-7535

Hours: Tours begin every hour between 9 am and 5 pm Monday through Saturday, and 12pm to 5 pm on Sundays. During the winter season (December 16th – March 1st) tours are only offered on Saturdays & Sundays, but the grounds are still open 8:30 am – 5 pm on those days.

Admission: Free admission to walk the grounds of the frontier village, $8 admission for guided tours that will take you inside the homes.

4. The Laborers House at Jefferson Barracks

Jefferson Barracks is not often thought of as a St Louis Historic Home which is a shame. There are many historic buildings located on the property, now maintained by St Louis County Parks, but the Laborers House is one of the best.

After touring the home and any of the museums at Jefferson Barracks, there are also plenty of hiking trails to explore.

Address: Jefferson Barracks Historic Site, 345 North Road, Saint Louis, MO 63125

Phone: (314) 615-8800

Hours: Park grounds open at 8 am and close every day 30 minutes past sunset; the Visitor’s Center and all other buildings are open Wednesday through Sunday 12 pm – 4 pm

Admission: Free admission ($3 donation suggested)

5. Tappmeyer House

The Tappmeyer House is located in the middle of Millennium Park in Creve Couer, but it wasn’t always in the place it stands now. The Tappmeyer House was moved to the park in 2003.

We visited the Tappmeyer House during one of their open house events and they had a member of the Tappmeyer family there talking about her time living in the house and sharing memories of her childhood home with us.

Address: Located inside Millennium Park at 2 Barnes West Dr., Creve Couer, MO 63141

Phone: (314) 569-8999

Hours: Park grounds open dawn to dusk

Admission: Tours of the house are available year-round by appointment only for groups of five or more. If you visit on one of their open house days, you can see the inside of the home without an appointment. Visit an open house even in June, July, or August on the 2nd and 4th Sundays from noon until 4 pm

6. Scott Joplin House

Scott Joplin wrote some of his most well known pieces while living in St Louis, and his home is now meant to be a monument to his contributions to music and to Missouri history.

This home is also significant because it is the only remaining building that Scott Joplin lived in.

Address: 2658 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63103

Phone: (314) 340-5790

Hours: March through October, 10 am to 4 pm, Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday; February, 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday; the house is closed November through January.

Admission: Guided tours cost $6 and happen at the top of every hour during operating hours.

7. Tower Grove House

The Tower Grove House in the Missouri Botanical Gardens was built by the Garden’s founder, Henry Shaw. The Tower Grove House is a recreation of what it would have looked like when he lived there, and the home is magnificent.

Admission to the Tower Grove House is included with the Garden’s entry fee. There will be a volunteer on-site to answer questions or tell stories about Henry Shaw.

Address: Missouri Botanical Gardens, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110

Phone: (314) 577-5100

Hours: Wednesday through Sunday 10 am – 4 pm, April through December

Admission: Admission to the Missouri Botanical Gardens is $14 (or $6 for residents of St Louis City & St Louis County.) Entrance to the Tower Grove House is included with admission.

8. First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site

Much like Jefferson Barracks, this one is often isn’t thought of as a St Louis Historic Home because it is first and foremost the site of the First State Capitol in Saint Charles, Missouri. On this site there are multiple residences that give you a look at how people would have lived at this time. Most surprising is a recreation of a one-room home that would have been found in the area.

This stop gives an in-depth look at what lives were like for many people living in Saint Charles in the early 1800s.

Address: 200 S Main St, St Charles, MO 63301

Phone: (636) 940-3322

Hours: Open 10 am – 4 pm Tuesday through Saturday year-round. Sunday and Monday hours vary by season. Check their website for more information.

Admission: Tours are $4.50

9. Lemp Mansion

The Lemp Mansion is well known in St Louis as being one of the most haunted places in the area. But more than its haunted past, a tour of the Lemp Mansion also offers a look at the history of the Lemp family, and more importantly the history of brewing in St Louis.

This St Louis Historic Home is one part history lesson, and one part ghost tour. The tour guide is very respectful of the Lemp family. She points out that they were people, and their spirits in the house are not meant to be taunted or disrespected. Their story is tragic, and she will guide you through their story every step of the way.

Address: 3322 DeMenil Place, St. Louis, Missouri 63118

Phone: Call Betsy for reservations for the Ghost Tour (314) 644-1814

Hours: Tours offered at 7pm on most Monday evenings. Call for Resrevations.

Admission: $25 per person, plus tax. Must be paid in cash on-site.

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