Event photos, candid moments, old albums, group shots, travel weekends, and community snapshots.
SMB History Project
For 31 years, the Show Me Bears and HiBearNation have created friendships, chosen family, community service, laughter, love, and unforgettable memories.
Our history belongs in the room.
Our oral history project is being created to preserve those voices before they fade, honoring the people, events, photos, stories, and moments that shaped our community. These collected memories will be donated to the archives of the Missouri Historical Society so future generations can understand and celebrate our place in St. Louis LGBTQ+ history.
You can be part of this living archive by sharing your photos, stories, flyers, memories, and reflections from 31 years of the Show Me Bears and/or HiBearNation.
1996
Early memories First gatherings, old flyers, founding photos, friendships, and the people who shaped the beginning.
31 years
Community in motion Service, parties, brunches, dances, road trips, chosen family, and the rituals that kept people coming back.
2027
Return to the Den HiBearNation 30 becomes a moment to gather the archive and carry the next chapter forward.
What to share
Every piece matters. The polished photos, the blurry dance-floor snapshots, the program ads, the badges, the inside jokes, the quiet stories, and the big community moments all help complete the record.
Memories of friendships, first weekends, chosen family, funny moments, and people who made an impact.
Posters, event programs, ads, schedules, badges, buttons, shirts, and printed ephemera.
What the Show Me Bears, HiBearNation, and the St. Louis bear community have meant to you.
Missouri Historical Society
Add Your Memory Built for future generations.
The goal is to donate collected memories to the archives of the Missouri Historical Society so our place in St. Louis LGBTQ+ history is visible, searchable, and celebrated.