Anheuser-Busch Opens Old Schoolhouse Museum In St. Louis
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MyBeer Buzz
From Anheuser-Busch:
Proudly home to one of the top-rated brewery tours in the country, we’re always looking for new ways to showcase our rich brewing heritage and visitor experiences, especially at our flagship brewery in St. Louis.
Beginning March 9, Anheuser-Busch will invite the public to tour the historic Old Schoolhouse building on our St. Louis campus, recently transformed into a modern museum housing nearly 400 never-before-seen historical items from the vast Anheuser-Busch archives.
“This new experience takes a deep look at more than 160 years of brewing history, in St. Louis and beyond,” said Tracy Lauer, manager of archives at Anheuser Busch. “We’re sharing some favorite archival pieces from our collections that will bring to life key periods in brewing history such as the birth of brewing in St. Louis, Prohibition, and modern day developments in brewing technology and marketing – all in the setting of a national landmark.”
Among Tracy’s favorites of the 400+ artifacts on display:
- An original time clock that employees used to “punch-in” from roughly the 1910s to the 1980s.
- A beautiful reverse painting on a glass sign featuring a Prohibition era-product, “Grape Bouquet”.
- A neon–lit registered trademark symbol that was recently removed from the top of the Bevo bottling plant.
- The original speech August A. Busch Jr. made on April 7, 1933 – the Repeal of Prohibition – to the large crowd gathered outside the Bevo bottling building.
Originally constructed in 1868, the Old Schoolhouse is one of three national historic landmark buildings on the brewery campus, along with the historic Clydesdale Stables and iconic Brewhouse. When it was first opened, the Old Schoolhouse served the entire far southern and western portions of St. Louis as the Lyon School, named in honor of General Nathaniel Lyon, who was a commander of Union forces in Missouri during the early days of the Civil War. Adolphus Busch sent each of his children to this school, including August A. Busch Sr.
By 1907, the city no longer needed the Lyon School and sold it to Anheuser-Busch, which converted it into the brewery’s central office. It served as the brewery’s main administrative building, housing each succeeding president of Anheuser-Busch until 1982, including August A. Busch Sr. who occupied an office in the same room where he once attended class.
Guests interested in exploring the Schoolhouse Museum can enjoy a new “Historic Schoolhouse Museum” tour option for $25, which includes stops at all three of the National Historic Landmark buildings on the campus, a commemorative glass and complimentary beer sample for those 21+. Guests enjoying the Complimentary or Day Fresh tours are also welcome to visit the Schoolhouse Museum at the conclusion of their tours for $5.
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