HISTORY: Jody Newman and Barbie Freund, two St. Louis women, created the museum in 1975. They devoted several years of their time to raise funds from 60 donors including foundations, corporations and individuals to renovate the building, which had been a private home. The house was built in 1901 for George Lane Edwards, first president of his family brokerage firm, A. G. Edwards and Sons. He was also a director of the 1904 World’s Fair.
The Museum was designed to handle 30,000 visitors a year when it opened in 1979 but some 165,000 visitors toured the museum during its first year. The Magic House’s popularity made it a favorite with local families and a “must-visit” attraction for visitors to St. Louis. In the years that followed, the museum’s popularity led to several expansions. In 1985, The Magic House opened a new 4,000-square-foot addition, which included an exhibit called “A Little Bit of Magic” designed to refine gross motor skills and build self-esteem in children aged 1 to 7.
Four years later, another addition enlarged The Magic House and added a wrap-around porch and an expanded lobby and reception area. An elevator was also added to make the Museum handicap accessible to all visitors.
Another expansion in 1997 more than doubled the size of The Magic House. The addition included a Children’s Village, Math Path, a Fitness Center and an area for children under two and their parents.
In 2001, The Magic House garden grew with Backyard Magic, an outdoor expansion project that features an open-air Education Pavilion, Children's Sculpture Garden and Exhibit Patio, for emerging outdoor installations ranging from a gigantic sandcastle to a miniature safety town.
Edward’s Attic, a third floor exhibit, recreates what life was like for the Edwards Family, the home’s original occupants who lived in the house from 1903 to 1919. Children can dress up in period clothing, have a tea party, “study” at an old school desk and play with kitchen items from that time period.
~ from Explore St. Louis website (
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