Went for the first time today. At $5, I found it to be very reasonably priced, and tours on the hour are so convenient. Our tour was supposed to run about forty minutes, but we asked a lot of questions and it lasted over an hour- oops. Lots of furniture that was original to the family (not the case with the nearby Lemp Mansion). Ask if you can go on the balcony- they let us and it has a great view of the yard and surrounding buildings. The guide was so knowledgable- she was able to answer every question about the house that our group of four asked. The gift shop is nice-sized and rather inexpensive- a mixture of antiques, books, and other items. I was disappointed that the Cafe is closed while they look for a new tenant, but went to Gus's Pretzels nearby instead. read more

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I went to the Chatillon-DeMenil House for Bastille Day 2019, as it looked like the best celebration of french culture in Saint Louis. I was quite charmed by the house and especially the tour guide. On Bastille Day, the ticket price was a little higher than typical, at $12, but it included french dancing, storming the Bastille, plus the mock decapitation of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI. The House Tour was excellent, and interesting, not to mention historical and educational. It was well worth the money mostly due to the humorous delivery and knowledge of the tour guide. The restrooms are nice, and located in the new carriage house; street parking is easy to find and free. I missed the gift shop and world's fair collection but will be sure to catch that next time. Not sure this trip has enough kid-friendly activities to keep kids interested. This is certainly a worthy destination for those looking to deepen their french roots on Bastille Day. As a bonus, the food truck "Holy Crepe" shows up on Bastille Day too. read more

The Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion - Let them eat cake! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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I love going into these old homes and seeing how the people of the past lead their lives. This tour was very informative, the guide knew everything of the place. Seemed as a private tour since it was just my husband and I there. The guide lead us throughout the house pointing out all the updates with the house. The tour took about an hour, with the heat-the air conditioned tour was wonderful. We walked the grounds too, he pointed out were building were from the past. Was cool to learn the city actually moved the highway route to save the house. The tour was really kicked back, guide was funny and joked around with us. Very unique tour since he took time to tell use things in more detail. No need to call ahead for the tour, just show up on the hour to catch the tour. Was only $8 for the tour, I donated a little extra. read more

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This mansion is a perfect example of how you don't have to go to some famous person's house to get a whole dose of local history. This lovely home oozes with stories in almost every room, and for a simple $5 note, you can take an hour long tour and learn more about the house and a whole lot about Saint Louis. Start with breakfast at Benton Park Cafe, not far away, and see this and the Lemp Mansion on the same day. One of the floors holds a ton of 1904 World's Fair stuff...more than anywhere else in Saint Louis. read more

My first visit to The Chatillion-DeMenil Mansion was last night! Metropolis Wine Club always picks cool spots for their monthly event and this is right down the street from my apt, so it was sort of mandatory in my book. It's a little difficult to find on its own, but if you are familiar with the Lemp Mansion, it's right next door. We were lucky enough to have free reign of the Mansion - there were a few volunteers who provided some background information on the family and the history of the house, so that was an added bonus! A few cool things about the Chatillion-DeMenil Mansion: - They house the largest collection of 1904 World's Fair memorabilia. That sounds pretty dumb, but it's not! We're talking glassware, postcards, stamps, plates and miniature monument souvenirs. My favorite was the map of St. Louis City from 1904...fun to hunt around for where you live and see how the streets have changed over the years. - Much of the furniture in the house is original, donated by the Chatillon and DeMenil families. And from what I was told, many other prominent St. Louis families have donated their antique furniture to the site. - The Mansion actually used to be two houses, one for the Chatillon and another for the DeMenil's - they combined them into one big house, which is what you see today. - They host events througout the year, including a Mourning Celebration the day after Halloween. They have hair art on display (sounds interesting) as well as Tarot card readers. Spooky! It was wonderful to have the opportunity to enjoy a few glasses of vino and explore this historical landmark. I look forward to going back soon, perhaps around the holidays? I'm sure the Christmas decorations are worth the visit! read more

The Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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After visiting many old plantation homes in Louisiana as a child, I know a good informational tour and this is one of them. Our tour was led by the former director. He told us fascinating stories about the home and the people that lived there. He knew the history of the building and every piece inside of it. We asked a lot of questions and he always had a knowledgeable answer. The items in the house were pristine and took you back in time. We also loved all of the World's Fair memorabilia on the third floor. Don't miss this place. It's a gem of history. read more

This historic home gets overshadowed by the Lemp house next door, which is a shame because it is an amazing piece of St. Louis history. The home is beautiful and the volunteers really are able to provide you with some wonderful info about the house and the families that lived there. The host events throughout the year that are entertaining and fun. It's definitely a must-see in my book! read more

I just had my wedding here. The place is magical and the staff is friendly and accommodating. I could not have asked for a better venue for our wedding and reception. I highly recommend checking them out for any special occasion! read more

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Great Saturday afternoon treat if you are interested/curious about the historic mansions in St. Louis. Admission was just $8 per adult and they do tours at each hour. Our tour guide was excellent. He had the answers and history on the stuff we pointed out and asked him about that was not even included in his spiel. He showed us every inch of the house. They even do weddings there. Gorgeous revenue for that too. So glad that this mansion got saved from demolition. We need more of theses historic homes in Stl. Would definitely recommend if you want to know more history about your city. read more

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The Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion is a pretty neat place to go if you are interested in Greek Revival architecture and history. The Chatillon-DeMenil mansion is an awesome sight to see. Build by one of St. Louis' earliest and one of the most prominent residents, the Chatillons and the DeMenils, the home was built to the grandeur that it is now. Inside you can see many of the old classic furniture that the family had from the 1800s. The Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion also houses one of the coolest things that I think this place has, the largest collection of artifacts from the 1904 World's Fair. You can see many of the things that would have been present at the World's Fair that people would have picket up while visiting it. There are things from crystal ware to sheet music and fan's that people would have used. The exhibit is very interesting. The Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion is very interesting and if you have an interest in St. Louis history then it is something that is defiantly worth checking out. read more

I highly recommend this place for your special event. It's a beautiful location and the staff is incredibly friendly and accommodating. My sister had her wedding here and we were able to do the ceremony, pictures and reception all on site, which makes it so much more convenient than traveling between locations. The bridal suite included a kitchen and bathroom for all the girls to get ready. There was a gazebo to do the ceremony in and we rented the carriage house and patio for the reception. There was staff on hand for any questions or needs and they continously checked on us to make sure everything was going smoothly. Beautiful location, amazing staff and the making of a dream wedding. read more

The Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion was built in 1848 by Henri Chatillon as a two story farm house that overlooked the Mississippi River. Chatillon was well known at the time as a trapper and fur trader who pioneered the Oregon trail. He owned about 5 acres of land surrounding the house, which had belonged to his wife Odie Delor Lux, who was the granddaughter of the founder of Carondelet, Clement Delor Treget. He eventually sold off the land to the prominent Doctor Nicholas N. DeMenil in 1855, and the house was sold in 1856. DeMenil had married into the Chouteau family, who were one of the founding families of St. Louis, and initially had purchased the property as a summer home and co-owned it with another family. By 1861, the DeMenil family had purchased the entire house and moved in full time. Once moved in, they hired Henry Pitcher, a British contractor, to expand the home into the Greek Revival style. By 1863, the addition was completed. In the mid 1860s, 13th Street (now DeMenil Place) was laid out behind the house, and the Lemp Brewery was constructed to the south, obstructing the view of the river and making the back of the house face the street. To address this, the back of the house was given an upgraded entrance in 1879, only a short time before the death of Nicholas. His son Alexander inherited the house, and lived there for the remainder of his life. Alexander was well educated, especially for someone of the late 19th century, having degrees in both literature and law. During the 1904 World's Fair, Alexander served on the board for the fair. In 1928, after Alexander passed away, the third generation of the family occupied the house. However, due to the urbanization of the neighborhood, they moved in 1940. The house was then bought by Lee Hess, who had little interest in the historic home, but was very interested in the caves below. He proceeded to convert the mansion into a rooming house and subdivided the house into apartments, saving one for himself and his wife as a base of operations for their Cherokee Cave attraction. In the 1940s, a prehistoric peccary of the genus Platygonus was discovered in the cave, so paleontologist George Gaylord Simpson rented out a room in the mansion where he conducted research on the new fossil. During the 1950s, the mansion was under threat of demolition, along with the Lemp Mansion and the other historic homes on the street, but the Landmarks Association of St. Louis was able to get the highway to be rerouted, saving the mansion. It was then restored with money that was donated by Union Electric, and opened as a museum. The mansion is one of only a few surviving mid 19th century Greek Revival mansions in St. Louis and provides an excellent look into what life was like when the house was built. If you're into house museums, this one is among the best, offering a hour and a half long tour with a well preserved history and a great look into what St. Louis was like for wealthy families in the 1860s. read more

The Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion is gorgeous, and it only costs $4 to get in to see it. The house is decorated beautifully, and there are a ton of items from the 1904 World Fair to see. This is a great place for art lovers, history buffs, decorators and the like to come and visit. The walls literally drip with elegance and money, and it is a lot of fun to stroll through the rooms. The mansion has been kept decorated just how it was when the DeMenil family lived in it. read more

This beautiful historic building is an amazing attraction... lots of antique items that are true to the period in which the home was occupied, lovely decor arrangements, tons of St. Louis local history tied into it all, and excellent tours that are very in-depth. The house is well-kept and absolutely exquisite on the inside... and the 1904 World's Fair exhibit on the third floor is a must see!!! read more

Beautiful museum, our tour guide answered every single one of our questions and more! The best part of the house is the grounds, in my opinion, perfect for weddings, family reunions, etc. I don't understand why they don't host more events! I also wish they had pseudo-ghost tours like the Lemp Mansion next door. Para-history tours can be fun for everyone and could really showcase the beauty and splendor of the house in a new light. read more

I haven't eaten here yet but I've heard the lunch menu is pretty good. I'm reviewing solely on the house and the house tour which is very interesting and a great thing to take out of towners too. It's funny because the house looks super creepy and haunted...but it's actually the hosue next door, the Lemp, that's haunted. I had fun exploring in the little gift shop as well. Look out for the weirdo hair sculptures on the wall. read more

Visiting this venue gives one a real sense in what it was living in the 1860's. Great information about its history in regards to the civil war and the living styles of that era.Tour guide was showing his 2nd tour and still had lots of learning , but still was very informative. Nice place to take an hour or so to learn more of ST. Louis history. read more

We recently used the DeMenil Carriage House and grounds for our wedding reception. Andrew was extremely helpful and attentive throughout the process of planning our wedding and he helped to ensure the evening's plans were as seamless as possible. We choose this venue because it did not need to be dressed a lot to be a great looking space--the grounds themselves had so much natural beauty and we wanted to take full advantage of that. We knew when we reserved the space that all of the décor had to set up by either the caterer or by ourselves which was an easy trade off for us to make--we did however, provide additional lighting which ended up being a good decision. Although truly beautiful, the grounds themselves can get quite dark at night and there is not much in the way of ambient lighting outside of the Carriage House. We luckily had a perfect night for an outdoor reception and the venue looked amazing. We would definitely recommend DeMenil for anyone looking for a unique space does not require a lot of extra work to be a great reception venue. read more

If you are a history buff this is a place you will want to visit. The tour is amazing and there are so many good stories describing the former residents and the many objects within the house. The tour guide takes you beyond the velvet barricade so you actually get to stand in the room and look around. On Saturday morning, Oct 18th at 11 a.m. we had an A+ guide who was very knowledgeable about the house and the history surrounding the time the house was built. He was full of great stories and seemed to enjoy questions. We loved it. Beautiful setting in the carriage house where a lovely event could be hosted. read more

My wife, parents and I stopped by the Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion on our way to the AB Brewery. The tour guide was incredibly friendly and knowledgable and the house itself has a lot of great history and interesting pieces within it. It's definitely worth going a little off the beaten path to see such an interesting piece of history. read more

This might be a nice place to tour, but not a nice place for a wedding. Most of the staff was incredibly rude and made a huge deal about accomodating the wishes of the bride. I have been to numerous weddings and this was the only one were myself and others actually felt uncomfortable. The staff actually accused someone who was standing in line of the restroom of stealing from the gift table. Ridiculous. Go elsewhere for a wedding. Please. read more