The National Building Arts Center (NBAC)

The National Building Arts Center (NBAC) fosters understanding of America’s built environment—past and future—by promoting creative public engagement with our unparalleled collection of architectural artifacts and archives.

From our home base at the former Sterling Steel Casting plant in Sauget, IL, just five minutes from St. Louis's Gateway Arch, we maintain the nation's largest collection of architectural elements--more than 150,000 examples of craftsmanship, design, and technology in Building Machinery, Clay Products, Ecclesiastical Art, Glass, Hardware, Lighting, Metals, Signage, Stone, and Woodwork. 

NBAC's collections include elements of some of St. Louis's (and other cities') best-known landmarks--as well as Little Liberty, the 34-foot-tall pressed-metal replica of the Statue of Liberty that stood atop a New York warehouse for a century and is now being restored for its rededication in 2025.  

Public tours of the NBAC campus are available, with advance reservation, on the second Saturday of each month.

NBAC's library and archival collections include more than 100,000 items related to architecture, industry, and the allied arts, including original source material from numerous building-materials manufacturers, various corporate archives, and an estimated 20,000 photographs and prints. Access to the research library is offered by appointment, Tuesday-Saturday weekly.

NBAC programs--including lectures, art exhibitions, and concerts--take place throughout the year. 

Press the Mightycause "Donate" button or click here to learn how you can support NBAC as we celebrate the legacy of generations of American architectural craftsmanship--and as we spread the cause of thoughtful preservation and creative planning for the city of tomorrow.