Clayton: Art, History and Hotels

Clayton brings together several themes that can play different roles when planning a stay: history, public art, a park with mature oak trees, swimming, and an annual art fair. If you’re looking for a hotel in Clayton, you can first decide whether a specific event date or cultural and recreational interests will shape your stay.

History at Hanley House

Martin Franklin Hanley had the Historic Hanley House built in 1855. The restored house is a historic house museum featuring original family furnishings, artifacts, and letters that illustrate life in 19th-century Missouri. Its construction date and museum exhibits offer two different perspectives: the year is part of the house’s history, while the collection focuses on life at the time. The Historic Hanley House is closed until further notice. Keep this restriction in mind if the house museum is an important part of your trip.

Public Art, Map, and Walking Tour

Clayton’s public art collection includes works by Botero, Milles, Ben Tre, and Trova. For guidance, there is also a public art map and an audio walking tour through the OtoCast app. The map helps you find public artworks in Clayton. The audio walking tour covers local art, historic sites, and parks. The two offerings therefore have different focuses: the map helps you locate specific artworks, while the tour also takes in history and parks. If you’d like to use the audio tour, check the app’s availability in advance.

Plan Your Trip Around the Saint Louis Art Fair

The Saint Louis Art Fair takes place every year in downtown Clayton. It is a free, three-day event. Both its duration and admission price are clear details to consider when planning. If you’d like to travel to Clayton for the fair, check the specific event dates for your travel year in advance. That way, you can plan your stay around the actual fair dates rather than relying only on its annual schedule.

Park and Swimming

Oak Knoll Park is home to a native stand of 150-year-old post oaks. This gives the park a distinct landscape feature alongside Clayton’s cultural attractions. The Shaw Park Aquatic Center offers a different highlight: a 50-meter competition pool. These details point to two different interests to consider when planning your trip: a notable stand of trees and a pool of specified competition length. If you’re considering the park and swimming, you can treat them as separate parts of your stay.

Consider MetroLink When Planning Your Arrival

Clayton is served by two MetroLink stations. If MetroLink is part of your journey, you can use the two MetroLink stations serving Clayton as a reference point when planning.

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