World Chess Hall of Fame, Chess heritage museum in Central West End, St. Louis, United States
The World Chess Hall of Fame is a museum in St. Louis dedicated to the history and culture of chess. It features rotating exhibitions with historical games, chess pieces from different periods, and collections that trace the evolution of the game across centuries.
The museum was founded in 1984 in New Windsor, New York, and relocated to St. Louis in 2011 to expand its collections and educational reach. The move allowed the institution to grow significantly and serve a broader audience interested in chess heritage.
The hall presents chess as a subject worthy of artistic celebration, and you can see how the game has been valued across different cultures and centuries. Personal belongings and photographs of world champions like Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov help illustrate the human stories behind the competition.
The museum is located in the Central West End neighborhood and is typically open from 10 AM to 5 PM, with extended hours until 9 PM on Wednesdays and Fridays. It is easily accessible by public transportation, and parking is available nearby.
The museum houses one of the oldest known game pieces, an approximately 500-year-old Egyptian gaming token from an ancient game. This reveals how far back the tradition of strategic games stretches in human history.
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