KIMMSWICK, Mo. — Visiting the town of Kimmswick is like stepping back in time, and that is really true with a stop at the Anheuser Estate and Museum.

Located not far from The Blue Owl restaurant, a great dining stop in Kimmswick, the home belonged to Fred and Mabel Ruth Anheuser. A portmanteau of their names resulted in the property being known to many as Fredmar Farms, and collectors who love horse memorabilia should add this museum to their to-do list.

The home was first purchased as a summer home for the family by William and Olga Straub Anheuser. The home was built in 1867 and sits at the south end of the town. William and Olga purchased the estate in 1916 and gave it to their son and his wife in 1943. Fred and Mabel Ruth registered it as their primary residence as Fredmar Farms in 1945.

Fred’s great-grandfather, Eberhard Anheuser, was the founder of E. Anheuser Brewing Co. He was a German-born soap manufacturer who in 1860, along with William D’Oench, a local pharmacist, purchased a brewery on the brink of bankruptcy. D’Oench stayed in the business until 1869.

The merger between Anheuser and Busch happened on both a business and personal level when Adolphus Busch, a wholesaler who had immigrated to St. Louis from Germany in 1857, married Eberhard’s daughter, Lillie, in 1861. After the Civil War, Busch began working as a salesman for the Anheuser brewery and bought out D’Oench’s share in 1869.

Fred Anheuser was born on March 17, 1903. He graduated from Cleveland High School and attended the University of Missouri at Columbia, where he met Mabel Ruth Band. After retiring from the family business in 1934 he happily settled into a retail tack company he called Saddles and Sickles.

The Anheusers loved horses and pursed their love of breeding and showing prize-winning animals. Mable Ruth rode her Palomino mare Buttercup Meyer to the national championship in 1954 and graced the cover of Horse World magazine.

Right outside the estate is the Buttercup Riding Arena, named for Mabel Ruth’s prize-winning horse. The arena is now used with permission from the estate and city of Kimmswick by the Ride on St. Louis, Inc., a nonprofit organization that impacts the lives of people with disabilities. The estate is also rented out for occasions including weddings and events.

After Mabel Ruth died in 2000 she left the river estate along with its 23-acre grounds to the city of Kimmswick. To ensure upkeep she also bequeathed a $1.5 million fund. A visit to the house offers a look at both family and brewery artifacts and other memorabilia.

Located at 6008 Windsor Harbor Road in Kimmswick, tours are available every Thursday in April-November from noon-4 p.m. The cost is $5 per person.

Reservations should be made for groups of 15 or more. To schedule a date and time, call Kimmswick City Hall at 636-464-7407.