St. Louis at the Movies

Class & Event Types:

Evenings & Weekends, History & Culture, Virtual

Age Group:

Teens (Grades 7-12), Adults, Ages 18+, Ages 21+, Ages 55+
  • Registration is required for this event.
  • Registration will open on April 23, 2026 @ 6:30pm.
  • A library card is not required.

Event Details

Airdome, Cinerama, Movie Palace, Nickelodeon, Drive-In, 3-D, and 4-D.

This talk will show the various ways that St. Louisans have gone to the movies, starting from the day Fred Wehrenberg saw his first movie – at the 1904 World’s Fair. Some theaters have been demolished, some theaters have been transformed, and some theaters have survived to the present day. 

Doug Schneider will take you on an armchair journey through St. Louis movie theater history.

image of movie theater

Recommended reading from the Library: St. Louis Movies

The presenter is Doug Schneider, author, St. Louis walking tour guide, Scottish country dancer, fan of architecture, Route 66 enthusiast, who graduated from Brown University, one of the eight Ivy League universities, with a Bachelor's in History; and from the University of London with a Master's in Linguistics.