This Halloween, a new tradition is taking root in St. Louis: Trick or Tree™. In addition to preparing a riddle or joke, kids will collect donations with custom Trick or Tree™ boxes to do their part to help contribute directly to replanting trees in neighborhoods devastated by an EF3 tornado that tore through the St. Louis area on May 16, 2025.
Chemistry: Spooky Fun, Smart Science
Chemical reactions create scary Halloween fun, but chemistry is not scary! It’s problem-solving!
Houdini in St. Louis
Harry Houdini was struggling to stand out in the overcrowded vaudeville scene until one night in St. Louis changed how he approached his act.
Troy Taylor’s American Oddities Museum
Troy Taylor’s American Oddities Museum houses everything from skeletons and side show souvenirs to Ouija Boards and haunted dolls.
Writing with a Ghost: The Pearl Curran Story
It’s a ghostly tale that happened right here in St. Louis in 1912. Pearl Curran channeled spirit Patience Worth but not everyone believed in this tale.
The Great Clock Debate
Daylight saving time ends Nov. 2. Learn why we change the clocks, how it affects our health, and why many want to make the switch permanent.
Watch Spotlight every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Channel 11
This week on Spotlight STL: How one unforgettable night in St. Louis propelled Houdini’s career to new heights. Step inside an oddities museum in Alton, Illinois—one of America’s most haunted cities. Experience the problem-solving magic of chemistry. Hear why ten thousand St. Louisans once gathered to glimpse a phantom horse and buggy. Uncover the ghostly story of a woman who co-authored books with a spirit in 1912. And find out why Halloween in St. Louis is… kind of a joke.
St. Louis’ four time winner of the Station Excellence Emmy Award and the world's foremost creator of distance learning, HEC Media is the metropolitan area's leading producer of education, arts, and cultural programming. HEC can be seen on Spectrum 989, AT&T U-verse channel 99, over-the-air digital channel 2.2, and anytime on www.hecmedia.org.
HEC Media's mission is to "Strengthen and promote the education, arts, and cultural communities in theSt. Louis metropolitan area."
