Get away with your sweetheart to an elegant dinner within an art museum. Stay at one of the many historic house B&Bs close by to round out the romance. The five-course dinner includes a short art talk from the museum director on couples’ art.

The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art in St. Joseph offers an elegant fine-dining experience for Valentine’s Day on Friday, February 9. 

Luna’s Fine Dining will be serving a gourmet meal, starting off with a glass of prosecco and an appetizer upon arrival, and continuing with the remaining four courses seated at dinner, with a choice of seating in the dining room ($75 per ticket) or the gallery ($85). You will choose sirloin with a cognac demi-glace or grilled lime coriander tuna steak or a vegetarian option upon request. The head chef moved to St. Joseph from New York City. “We love it when he caters,” says Dansare Lawrence, the marketing and communications manager for the museum. “He creates  beautiful, flavorful dinners.” 

An art talk by Museum Executive Director Eric Fuson, during dinner will focus on pieces by couples in the museum’s permanent collection, with insight into how the couples influenced each other’s art. 

You’ll be able to stroll through two temporary exhibitions that have recently opened and the permanent collection as well, before or after dinner. One temporary exhibition is the 50th Annual Membership Exhibition, which showcased the work of 140 member artists. The other temporary exhibit which has just opened is Still and Life in Colored Pencil: Wanda Taylor. 

A new salon wall will display on a rotating basis pieces from the permanent collection that don’t always get the attention they deserve, Dansare says. She also suggests guests not miss a couple of famous  pieces acquired by the museum by Wayne Thibaud and Mary Cassatt.

To order tickets, visit the museum website calendar page here

To round out the romantic experience, several historic bed-and-breakfasts in historic homes offer charming rooms. Click here for a directory. And read more about St. Joseph here

For more events, visit Missouri Life’s Event Calendar.