Field House Museum

Immerse yourself in 19th century St. Louis at the Field House Museum. This row house was built in 1850 and was home to two great men of St. Louis: Roswell Field and his son Eugene Field.

Guided tours of historic home will regale you with stories of the Field family while you admire furnishing and items that belonged to Eugene Field, the “Children’s Poet”. Learn about his father, Roswell Field, and how his philosophical thinking took the Dred Scott case to the United States Supreme Court.

After your guided tour take your time in the museum where rotating exhibits further expand upon the many stories we have to tell.

Exhibits

Along with guided tours of the National Historic Landmark Field family home, the Field House Museum will also have the following exhibits:

BAGATELLE
JAN. 28, 2022 – JAN. 8, 2023
Before the ring of pinball machines echoed through arcades, Bagatelle was filling parlors and pockets across the world. Drawing from the private collection of Mr. Ed Nickels, Bagatelle will follow the journey of pinball’s predecessor from the court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to game rooms across the country. Featuring intricately decorated and brightly colored bagatelles from the 19th and early 20th centuries, this exhibit will surely catch your eye and get you yearning for a game night.

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF COLLECTING: DOLLS
JULY 29, 2022 – MARCH 12, 2023
From iconic collections and popular children’s playthings to dolls from around the world, The Wonderful World of Collecting: Dolls will capture the eye of any collector.

MOMENTOUS MILESTONES
SEMI-PERMANENT DURING WINDOW RESTORATION
As the Field House Museum celebrates the 175th anniversary of the construction of the historic Field family home, we will be looking back at how we have changed since 1845. Featured on the Museum’s third floor, Momentous Milestones will highlight everything from the penny drive that saved the house in 1934 to the interior and exterior restorations that helped to earn us our National Landmark Status. Stop by the oldest privately-owned residential home in St. Louis, and we’ll share our secret to aging.

A Tale of Two Brothers
August 10, 2022 – January 15, 2023
While they grew up together and both entered the writing field, Eugene Field, and his brother Roswell Field Jr., walked their own paths in life. Join us for A Tale of Two Brothers as we follow the personal and professional triumphs and tragedies that shaped the lives of two men who influenced journalism as we know it today.

Participation in Museum Day is open to any tax-exempt or governmental museum or cultural venue on a voluntary basis. Smithsonian magazine encourages museum visitation, but is not responsible for and does not endorse the content of the participating museums and cultural venues, and does not subsidize museums that participate.