What Is the Missouri Athletic Club?
This exclusive club and hotel was built to accommodate St. Louis visitors during the 1904 Summer Olympics and World’s Fair!
What Makes It Historical?
After opening successful clubs in New York and New Orleans, Charles Henry Genslinger set his sights on St. Louis in 1903 as the city was preparing to host two major world events! Opening its doors on Sept. 13, 1903, the MAC provided elegant lodging for international dignitaries at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and training facilities for the elite athletes competing in the III Olympiad! Membership was originally limited to white men, like Harry Truman, Charles Lindbergh, and Alan Shepard, but it integrated in the late 1960s and allowed women to join in 1988!
Sadly, the original Missouri Athletic Club burned down in March of 1914, but a special committee designed, fundraised, and constructed this 10-story club, designed by William B. Ittner, by March 1, 1916! The American Legion was organized in this new building on May 10, 1919, and since 1987, the MAC has handed out college soccer’s biggest award: the Hermann Trophy! Since 2000, the MAC has been one of only 150 clubs in America to reach the level of Platinum!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Become a member of the Missouri Athletic Club!
- Donate to the MAC Sports Foundation!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
405 Washington Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63102
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Whenever the mood strikes you!