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Eugene Field House

Museum
In St. Louis, Missouri
0.6 mi from Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

Now run as the Field House Museum, the Eugene Field House in St. Louis, MO, was built in 1845 in the Federal style. Lawyer Roswell Field, who represented Dred Scott in his fight for freedom, lived here, and his son Eugene grew up in its rooms before becoming a writer of poems and stories for children. The house is a National Historic Landmark, a short walk from the Gateway Arch.

What is Eugene Field House?

The house is a Federal-style home from the 1840s, built in the plain, balanced manner of that era. Today it operates as a museum under the name Field House Museum. For years it went by the Eugene Field House and St. Louis Toy Museum, a hint at the childhood theme that runs through its story.

The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and carries the higher rank of National Historic Landmark.

History of Eugene Field House

The house went up in 1845. Its owner, Roswell Field, was an attorney, and he took on the case of Dred Scott, an enslaved man who sued for his freedom. That suit became Dred Scott v. Sandford, a landmark case in American history.

Roswell's son Eugene Field spent his boyhood here. He later became well known as an author of verse and tales for young readers, which is why the house is often linked to his name rather than his father's.

Visiting Eugene Field House: tips

The museum sits downtown, so it pairs easily with the riverfront. Gateway Arch National Park and the Gateway Arch itself are each about half a mile away, and the National Blues Museum is about 0.8 miles off. Allow about an hour for the house.

The museum reports wheelchair access. With three stops this close together, it can be simplest to park once and walk between them. The house carries two stories at once, one about law and freedom and one about childhood books, which gives it more range than its size suggests.

Practical info

Address: 634 South Broadway, Saint Louis, MO 63102
Phone: +1 314-421-4689
Website: fieldhousemuseum.org
Hours: Wed–Sat 10–4 · Sun 12–4
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat near Eugene Field House

All diners →

Diner & restaurant
Crown Candy Kitchen
St. Louis, MO · 2.2 mi from Eugene Field House
An old-fashioned soda fountain and candy shop in Old North St. Louis, known for handmade malts.
Diner & restaurant
Ted Drewes
St. Louis, MO · 6.6 mi from Eugene Field House
A family-run St. Louis frozen custard stand from 1929, known for concretes served upside down.