Jewels of Saint Joseph Homes Tour

A SHOWCASE OF ARCHITECTURAL GEMS

3rd Sunday in September

Saint Joseph is home to some of the most stunning architecture you are going to find anywhere in the country. Each year, the Historic Saint Joseph Foundation hosts the Jewels of Saint Joseph Homes Tour featuring several of our most stunning buildings. The tour offers visitors a glimpse “behind the grand front door” into homes that are closed to the public for the other 364 days of the year.

The idea of seven historic locations being open for an up-close look on Sunday, September 17, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. is apparently so popular that tickets are being snapped up long before tour day! Regularly sold out in the past, this event, The Jewels of St. Joseph - A Showcase of Architectural Gems,” brings in many locals and visitors from around the region.

We are absolutely thrilled that people are so excited about this opportunity to view some of the finest architecture in the city, said Isobel McGowan, owner of the Shakespeare Chateau, which will act as headquarters for the event. We hate turning people away, so we’ve ordered 600 tickets this year. But when those are gone, people will have to wait a whole year until the next tour is held.”

Visitors can tour the seven locations in any order. The homes are in Hall Street, Museum Hill, Harris-Kemper, and Downtown Districts. “Some of the houses still have ongoing restoration projects, so visitors will have an opportunity to see preservation in action!” said Lisa Rock, co-organizer of the tour. “These buildings are living historic artifacts, each one with unique character and hand-crafted details.”

“People say, ‘if walls could talk,’ said Haley Lake, also a tour co-sponsor. “This tour will offer participants an opportunity to be inside these architectural treasures, talk to the owners, and really feel the history of the place. Who knows? Maybe those walls will inspire someone who comes on tour day to buy a treasure of his or her own!”

One of the tours is the Trail Theater, which was built in 1951. It has been closed for years but is now re-opening as a theater and an event space. (It first opened on May 4, 1951, with Spencer Tracy in “Father’s Little Dividend”.) Advance tickets online are $25 and tickets on tour day will be $30 at the door.

Jewels of St. Joseph Homes Tour, St. Joseph, Missouri

Date: Sunday, September 17, 2023 & Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Starting Location: Shakespeare Chateau, 809 Hall St., St. Joseph, MO 64501