Note: This video is from February 2020.

ST. LOUIS – Gaslight Square once stood as a bustling entertainment district in the heart of St. Louis in the mid-20th century. It now exists only in pictures, storytelling, and the memories of those who frequented the attraction.

Located in what is now known as the Central West End, Gaslight Square brought the community together under a center of 120 gaslit street lamps throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s.

“Gaslight Square helped construct and support an important alternative American lifestyle of nonconformity and free thinking,” a documentary from HEC Media said.

Crowd listening to a Dixieland band at Your Father’s Mustache night club in Gaslight Square on April 23, 1966. (Photo courtesy of the Missouri History Museum)

What made the three-block span so special was that it wasn’t a planned district, it just grew organically, according to a post from David Farquhar.

Vertical, black and white photograph showing an African American band performing at an unidentified location in Gaslight Square. (Photo courtesy of Missouri History Museum)

According to the Missouri History Museum, the vast variety of entertainment options drew in the large crowds. Whether it was local or nationally known artists and hosts, from The Smothers Brothers, Barbara Streisand, and more; those looking for a fun way to spend a weekend went to the corner of Olive and Boyle.

Pictures from the area during its liveliest years look like it could have come from a movie set with the Crystal Palace decor, crowds waiting to start their night out, and lighting that feels familiar to a hustling, thriving city.

According to Streisand’s website, she wrote to a friend while performing, saying, “You would love the Crystal Palace — stained glass windows, antique chandeliers, red velvet. I’m mad for it. They gave me an apartment above, all done in old washed down woods, marble sinks, enamel fire place, sliding doors — really great!”

However, crime slowly began to take over the area. According to our partners at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a renter in Gaslight Square was fatally shot in 1964, which was deemed the beginning of the end. Other visitors were robbed, had their vehicles stolen, and more.

“It is unfortunate that the square is in the middle of a blighted area that is marked by a high crime rate,” Capt. Thomas J. Moran told the Post-Dispatch on Nov. 1, 1965.

And when the crowds started to diminish, so did the popular spots. Soon enough, the gas-lit lamps fizzled, one by one. The noise that once filled the street became quieter everyday until its eventual full demolition in the early 2000s.

Today, a cement memorial sits along a wall commemorating the 10 years of Gaslight Square’s existence. From the owners, the places, legendary performers, and more, it highlights those who made its existence known and kept it as one of St. Louis’ biggest attractions. And for all those lamps? They can be seen all over Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka.

  • FILE – Gas lamps illuminate St. Louis’ Gaslight Square on April 2, 1962. “Gaslighting” — mind manipulating, grossly misleading, downright deceitful — is Merriam-Webster’s word of 2022. (AP Photo/JMH, File)
  • Crowd waiting in line to enter Your Father’s Mustache night club at 456 North Boyle in Gaslight Square.
    (Photo courtesy of Missouri History Museum)
  • View of Gaslight Square taken for Laclede Gas.
    (Photo courtesy of Missouri HIstory Museum)
  • Vertical, black and white photograph showing the Dick and Tommy Smothers, the Smothers Brothers, performing at an unidentified location in Gaslight Square. (Photo courtesy of Missouri History Museum)
  • View of The Crystal Palace exterior in Gaslight Square on Sept. 1, 1963. (Photo courtesy of Missouri History Museum)