The museum’s stone exterior and plaster and marble interior walls were in remarkably good condition, but it lacked a fire suppression system, HVAC system, and updated electrical wiring. Mackey Mitchell Architects led work by BSI Contractors that included adding these elements, as well as cleaning the stone exterior, restoring the original Art Deco light fixtures, removing asbestos, and cleaning the marble walls, which had been discolored by decades of cigarette smoke. The museum’s original mahogany-lined elevator, complete with stainless steel bas-relief images of servicemen on the doors, was upgraded while preserving its historic components. New landscape work improved the open space between the museum and the Court of Honor, a memorial that honors St. Louis’ participation in World War II as well as the Korean and Vietnam wars.

One of the most significant tasks was the restoration of the red-and-gold Gold Star Mothers mosaic, found on the ceiling of the loggia. Glass pieces had fallen out over time, so the stained-glass company Emil Frei & Associates conserved the mosaic and replaced several hundred missing pieces.