Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City, Missouri, Interior

The interior of the Nelson-Atkins is spectacular; I like how the interior has its original decorative scheme, particularly the marble walls in many of the galleries.

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri

I like the Nelson Atkins building a lot; it's from that period where Neoclassical architecture in America became much more serious, severe and more modern.

Anchored by the standard four colonnades on each front, it recently saw a massive expansion project that we will look at later.

Bas-relief panels illustrate what is presumably the history of Kansas City.

The original smokestack and shuttlecock make an interesting pair of opposites.

Valhalla Cemetery

Valhalla Cemetery and its mausoleum are further down St. Charles Rock Road, and feature beautiful architecture as well.This giant portico in the Doric style presents a sense of sturdiness and agelessness towards visitors.I love the figure of the sleeping woman above the front door.Valhalla, of course, was the ancient land in Norse mythology where fallen warriors went after being allowed to die in battle by Valkyries.

Lake Charles Cemetery

Across the road from Oak Grove Cemetery is Lake Charles Cemetery, which could almost be seen as a foil to its long suffering neighbor to the south.Punctuated with a stunning entrance from the 1920's, the entire grounds are well maintained.They even have their own website that talks about the history of the cemetery.It's a little hard to get an idea of scale, but the gatehouse is three stories tall, and the cemetery's offices are carefully tucked into the central pier as well as above the two gateways.
In many ways, the gate reminds me vaguely of the old Vandeventer Place Gates which you can see in Forest Park.
The setting is idyllic, with swans swimming in the lake and rolling hills stretching out from the entrance.The flowers are beautiful as well; does anyone know what these flowers at the entrance are called?

Oak Grove Cemetery Entrance

The entrance to the cemetery is guarded by a tall Doric column and a Spanish Revival guardhouse.

Oak Grove Cemetery Mausoleum

One of the more unique buildings I have ever photographed is the Oak Grove Mausoleum on St. Charles Rock Road.It's been in the news recently, mostly for the wrong reasons. Watch the Channel 4 piece on the cemetery's woes here.Described as Byzantine Revival in the Landmarks Association's 2011 Most Endangered List, I would call it more of a Renaissance/Neoclassical Eclectic Revival, a term I just created.The lion above is a great example of the sculpture at the mausoleum; it is not strictly Neoclassical, but perhaps showing a little influence of Disney.The front portal is clearly influenced by Michelangelo's New Sacristy, which you can see here.The entrance was locked, in response to vandalism and theft from the mausoleum. The interior can be viewed here.The windows are beautiful, but are best viewed from the interior where the sunlight would stream through them.The porte cochere is under the front steps, and would have provided a dry entrance during the rain.
The back is ornamented as well, but is largely hidden from view by tall weeds and a stone wall.The care of a mausoleum and cemetery is one of the most sensitive jobs in the country, and I can only imagine the expense of maintaining this mausoleum and cemetery.

Beaux-Arts Bank Building, Main Street, St. Charles

House of the Temple, Washington, DC

The center of most Masons in the United States is housed in an incredible building on 16th St NW, modeled off the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.

Battle Monument, Downtown Baltimore

This monument is notable for commemorating not a victorious general, but rather soldiers who died in the defense of Baltimore in 1814.

War Memorial, Baltimore

Masonic Temple, Grand Center