Spotlight St. Louis: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition!

This year’s Black Friday found me spending it in a way that was most uncharacteristic than those of my past. Given that I’ve basically worked retail my entire life, I’d usually spend half the day working and then the other half shopping for hoards of new colognes to add to my already expansive palate or more Polo Ralph Lauren to keep me looking cute all year long. Not this year though, rather than charging up my Macy’s American Express, I found myself downtown St. Louis at the America’s Center at The Dome for a truly one-of-a-kind experience.

I was the privileged guest of my new friend, Braden, for Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition touring art gallery. As you may recall from my Spotlight St. Louis: The National Blues Museum and SugarFire Smoke House post, Braden was the friend I made over Instagram (seriously, give him a follow if you haven’t already! @BradENstl). Well, Explore St. Louis hooked him up with a pair of tickets to this not-to-be-missed exhibition and together we checked it out in all its wonder this past week.

Despite the fact that Michelangelo was never my favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (I was always a Raphael fan, but don’t get me wrong, I of course love all four) I’d been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to tour this exhibition. I’ve always dreamed of going to Vatican City and getting the opportunity to see the Sistine Chapel in all its artistic glory, so the chance to see it in a unique and alternate sense in the best city on Earth, St. Louis, Missouri, was truly a dream come true.

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition runs November 6, 2020 through January 10, 2021 at the America’s Center Ballroom downtown St. Louis at The Dome. It’s open Thursday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.. The latest time tickets can be purchased will be 7:00 p.m. each day of operation and can be purchased at www.chapelsistine.com.

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition recreates the awe and wonder of what is arguably one of humankind’s greatest artistic achievements (obviously outside of Britney Spears complete discography of course) while allowing its visitors to experience this incredible art from a whole new perspective.

With unique and special expertise and care, the ceiling paintings from the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel have all been reproduced using state of the art technology. In order for the audience to fully engage with and comprehend the artwork, the paintings have all been reproduced in their original sizes, so the scale of the art remains precise. The overwhelming impression for the observer will be the dimensions of the art, their proximity to the picture, and the overall modern style of the exhibition. As a result, visitors can explore the artwork up close and personal at a distance impossible to achieve in the Sistine Chapel.

Before Braden and I entered the exhibition hall, I had looked at all the pictures online promoting this experience and it gave me a real sense of that moment in Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame after Esméralda has claimed sanctuary inside Notre Dame cathedral and she walks around singing “God Help The Outcasts.” Once we entered the exhibition hall, thankfully for Braden, I didn’t get that feeling any longer. Rather than neatly, yet tightly lined corridors of art, the hall is open and expansive. In my case, this was probably for the best, otherwise my second time hanging out with Braden could very well have been my last had he not been okay with me slow walking around the gallery singing that iconic masterpiece from Disney’s second best animated feature.

The exhibition was perfectly set up for social distancing, which was honestly very much appreciated. Everyone must wear a mask as they tour the exhibit and because of the way in which it’s laid out and the sheer expanse of the room, social distancing was never once a concern. They also help ensure safety of space by selling only a limited number of tickets during each purchasable time frame. Roughly two-thirds of the recreated paintings are lined against the wall and each is numbered one through a hundred, the remaining third hangs overhead and runs through the center of the exhibit offering yet another unique perspective of the artwork. Next to each painting is a descriptive text informing the viewer of exactly what they’re seeing and the exact location that each particular piece lies on the original Sistine Chapel domed painting. Headpieces with a voice guide are available for rent, but unfortunately due to the time constraints I had placed on us because I had to work later that day, we were unable to utilize this surely awesome and informative feature.

I recognize that we are very much still in a global pandemic and the very idea of venturing out to an exhibit like this might very well be frightening for many, however, let me assure you, the staff at the America’s Center was nothing but helpful, hopeful, and attentive to the delicate needs of our current global climate. Each individual we interacted with (of which there were several due to some slight confusion with our tickets) was welcoming and wonderful, which only elevated our already enjoyable experience. Each individual who enters the America’s Center has their temperature taken and is asked a series of questions -individually I might add – regarding COVID precautions. There were also staff members who were cleaning various surfaces and areas after customer interactions. I personally felt really good about the precautions being taken to ensure the safety of all those visiting The Dome and like I said, the number of visitors was so limited that it helped the environment remain much more controllable.

Naturally, there is PLENTY of parking downtown, so finding a spot will never be a problem. I paid $5 and parked at the US Bank garage directly across Washington Avenue from the America’s Center. This couldn’t have been more convenient, but there were several metered streetside spots available as well at the time of our visit. Also, I was unaware of this until our visit, but the America’s Center at The Dome is about to undergo a $175 million dollar renovation and expansion to help enhance St. Louis’s convention and tourism offerings. Very nice! This should help ensure the rest of the world discovers what so many of us already know, St. Louis is THE BEST city on the planet! I cannot preach enough about how much I love it here!

This exhibition is only in St. Louis through January 10, so if you’re hoping for a chance to go, don’t waste time planning accordingly! This is definitely something one shouldn’t skip out on if at all interested!

As always, thank you all for reading and if you end up going PLEASE share your photos and experience with me! I would love to see and hear how much you loved it! Feel free to leave me any comments or questions below you might have about this truly special and limited offering! The overall experience definitely elevated my yearning to visit the real life Sistine Chapel where you can bet I’m not going to skip out on the opportunity to slowly walk around and pensively sing that ridiculously underrated jam, “God Help The Outcasts.”

I’ll be back again soon with another all new blogpost, but until then, I hope each of you is having THE BEST holiday season ever! Stay safe, stay warm, and stay hopeful! 2021 is almost here!

DISCLAIMER: THE ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED IN THIS POST ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE.