Created in the former International Shoe Company, City Museum in St. Louis is a "giant, constantly morphing interactive sculpture," spokeswoman Paige Rudd says.
The museum was created and founded by Bob Cassilly, who was a classically trained sculptor and entrepreneur, in 1997, and it is described as "an eclectic mixture of children's playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion and architectural marvel made out of unique found objects," according to the website, citymuseum.org. Rudd says it caters to all ages, and there is something for everyone.
FAQ
City Museum
HOURS — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to midnight Friday & Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
WHERE — 750 N. 16th St. in St. Louis
COST — General admission is $12 plus tax for ages 3 and older, $10 after 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; free for children ages 2 and younger
INFO — 314-231-2489 or citymuseum.org
FYI
St. Louis
Museums
St. Louis Art Museum — Features everything from Ancient American art to decorative arts and design to modern art, 1 Fine Arts Drive in St. Louis. 314-721-0072. Free.
St. Louis Science Center — Build a replica of the Gateway Arch, which is one of the more than 700 hands-on exhibits in this science center, 5050 Oakland Ave. in St. Louis. 314-289-4400. Free.
Laumeier Sculpture Park — Check out the sculpture “Eye” by Tony Tasset, which is an eyeball with a 452-inch circumference, 12580 Rott Road in St. Louis. 314-615-5278. Free.
Rudd says there are pieces from the original factory that are still part of the museum, such as the rollers from the conveyor belts. The organization also saves a lot of architecture from demolitions around the city to reuse for the museum, she says, noting it could be anything from architectural elements to highway mesh to airplanes.
The museum has multiple floors. MonstroCity is an outdoor area that is five stories and counting, and Enchanted Caves is 10 stories and features a 10-story slide.
"The 10-story slide is made out of the shoe chutes that would have brought shoes from one floor down to the loading dock," Rudd says.
Some of the attractions kids can enjoy include the 10-story slide and various other slides, a ball pit, a "skateless park" with ramps and climbers and an art area called Art City, she says, but the museum was built for adults as well as children. Rudd says it is one of the few places where adults can slide down a slide and "nobody looks at you weird." A few other attractions are an architecture museum, sculptures and an area called Beatnik Bob's, which is "a tribute to the carnival midway," according to the website. There is also a rooftop featuring a Ferris wheel, but the roof is closed at this time.
The museum is a city within a city, Rudd says, and is constantly being expanded and changed. She adds that there are no maps within the museum.
"You're left to explore the place and left to give it your own interpretation."
NAN What's Up on 03/21/2014