Things to Do in Glen Carbon

In a modern world where historic buildings are demolished daily to make room for hip new watergun stores, museums are more important than ever. Today’s Groupon gets tenacious time-travelers and dedicated diorama builders a $3 admission to the historic Campbell House Museum, a $6 value. The first house in the elegant Lucas Place neighborhood, Campbell House was the home of influential fur trader and entrepreneur Robert Campbell. After a recent five-year-long restoration to the tune of $3 million Earth dollars, Campbell House is one of the most accurately restored 19th-century buildings in America and home to the period paintings, furniture, light fixtures, clothing, old-fashioned LaserDisc player, and the correspondence of its previous tenants. Residue: Haunted houses, especially those that have been neglected for a long time, tend to accumulate a powdery "ghost residue," which compounds in layers on shelves, the tops of books, furniture and pottery, and even floats freely in the air, illuminated by an afternoon sunbeam. While many write this off as dust, this explanation does not account for its preternatural taste.

The owners of Vino Vitae welcome newcomers and connoisseurs alike to the wide world of wine appreciation. They constantly research wines, sharing bottles not typically found in the aisles of grocery stores with groups during classes and tastings held indoors at their shop's bar or, in warm weather, on an outdoor patio. Guests may learn how to describe the scent of wine using an aroma wheel, how to judge quality, and other skills.

Shopping at a boutique is like coveting a fashion-savvy friend's wardrobe, except that you can take home a knockout pair of jeans without worrying that your bootylicious bud wore them better than you to an auto plant. Whereas department stores follow trends, boutiques create them with innovative looks from top designers that you won't find anywhere else in town. Byrd Style Lounge cultivates a collection of classic lines and edgy designs, perfect for those who want one-of-a-kind looks but don't want to sift through thrift or pay top dollar for something someone's grandma already wore.

Something new is always happening at Saint Louis Science Center, where hundreds of staff members and volunteers ignite visitors’ passion for science and technology with educational exhibitions and special events. The center houses a four-story Omnimax Theater, a hands-on life-science lab and atrium, and a variety of constantly changing exhibitions that draw 1.2 million visitors every year. More than 9,000 stars revolve around the 80-foot domed ceiling of the James S. McDonnell Planetarium, whose two levels of exhibits explore the future of space travel, life on the international space station, or Pluto’s bureaucratic search to regain planetary status.

Ornate chandeliers and a high-ceilinged auditorium are just two stunning features of Powell Hall, an opulent, Versailles-inspired concert venue built in 1925. Originally known as the Saint Louis Theatre, Powell Hall was bequeathed its new moniker after the Saint Louis Symphony Society won it during a heated card game with a band of ragtag vaudeville performers. With its marble-accented lobby and sprawling interior, Powell Hall continues to beckon visitors to take in its inimitable sights and classic sounds.