Entry No. 23 — the St. Louis file — filed under: architecture

National Building Arts Center

Located on a 12.7-acre historic steel foundry site just across the river, this sprawling archive houses the nation's largest collection of salvaged architectural artifacts. It preserves thousands of gargoyles, terra cotta reliefs, historic cast-iron storefronts, and massive neon signs rescued from demolished buildings.

The move: Join one of their monthly public tours to wander through rows of wooden crates and open-air fields of stone carvings, spotting pieces of lost St. Louis history.

• 📍 Sauget
• 💸 $
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Indoors

Where: 2300 Falling Springs Road, Sauget, IL 62206

Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Further reading: Official site · Atlas Obscura · pulitzerarts.org

last checked: 2026-07-21