Founded in 1958, it includes 14.5 acres of land[1] that host one of the largest native stands of post oak trees.

Voters approved a $350,000 bond issue a few months later,[3] and the land was ultimately purchased for $400,000.

The museum, which was free to enter,[9] was immediately popular with the public, but within a few years, the academy was struggling to fund its maintenance.

When voters approved the levy in 1971, control of the museum and its collection passed to a Board of Commissioners.

The museum was eventually closed and part of the collection was transferred to the new St. Louis Science Center, which opened in 1992.