43rd Annual Soulard Holiday Parlour Tour

Residents of St Louis’ oldest neighborhood open their homes for the holidays, Dec 1-2, 2018

It’s time again for one of St. Louis’s most beloved and longstanding holiday traditions. The 43rd annual Soulard Holiday Parlour Tour invites guests to take a historic walk through time, exploring neighborhood homes decked in their holiday best. The annual event will be held on Saturday, December 1 from 10am - 4pm and Sunday, December 2 from 10am - 3pm. 

Nestled between the Anheuser-Busch brewery to the south, and the Farmers Market to the north, Soulard is the oldest surviving, active and walkable neighborhood west of the Mississippi River. Soulard’s diversity in architecture reflects its living history. This Federal Historic District is full of beautifully restored 19th Century red brick Victorian homes, Federal-style townhouses dating from the mid to late 1800s, alley houses, and unique half-flounder houses. 

During the Parlour Tour, guests will travel between featured homes on heated shuttles as local guides regale attendees with facts and stories about Soulard’s architecture, history and tight knit resident community. Guests will also get to meet with homeowners and hear first-hand accounts of rehab and restoration efforts, as well as what it’s like to live in historic Soulard today.  

The 43rd annual Soulard Holiday Parlour Tour kicks off with festivities at the tour center (Gene Slay's Girls & Boy's Club of St. Louis, at 2524 South 11th St.), including a holiday bazaar, food and music. Individual tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the event. Advance reservations are encouraged for a preferred tour time slot. Beginning November 1, tickets will be available for purchase at www.soulard.org. All proceeds will be used to fund future projects in the Soulard neighborhood.  

The Soulard Restoration Group is a non-for-profit resident organization that strives to promote, preserve and enhance the historic character of the Soulard neighborhood.  SRG works to improve the quality of life for all members of the community.  The Holiday Parlour Tour is one of SRG’s biggest fundraisers, and donations help beautify and maintain the historic nature of the area. Visit www.soulard.org for more info, events and neighborhood happenings – and follow Soulard on social media: www.facebook.com/stlsoulard, www.twitter.com/stlsoulard and www.instagram.com/stlsoulard.  

A Destination

The Soulard neighborhood is an economically- and culturally-diverse community located less than two miles south of downtown Saint Louis. The area is named for Antoine Pierre Soulard, a pioneer Frenchman who first came to the area in the late 1790s as a surveyor for the King of Spain.

Soulard is one of the oldest parts of the city with original housing stock dating from the mid- to late-1800s and exhibiting a range of architectural styles that include Second Empire, most identifible by the characterisic Mansard roof The neighborhood applied for and was granted its historic designation on December 26, 1972.