Leave all expectations at the door and let yourself be swept along by the weird, wacky and wildly exciting at this singular museum experience.
There is nowhere quite like the St. Louis City Museum. A giant playground packed with fun-filled exhibits and awesome rides, this is a real day out with a difference!
When classical sculptor Bill Cassidy bought the former International Shoe Company, he had a unique vision for its 54,500 square metres of floorspace. He gathered together reclaimed objects from throughout the city and set about to create a space where people of all ages could relax, play and enjoy themselves.
Cassidy used old car parts, donated industrial cast-offs and discarded items to create an amazing series of slides, rides and installations. Amongst the outlandish exhibits, you’ll find such singular attractions as ‘The World’s Largest Underpants’, a 10 storey spiral slide that was previously used to move shoes around the building and a ‘puking pig’ made out of a boiler tank.
Make your way up to the roof past an enormous aquarium on the first floor, a working shoelace factory on the second floor and a live circus on the third floor. Up here, you’ll find a bouncing school bus and a giant model of a praying mantis as well as gorgeous views across central St. Louis. In the summer months there is also a working 9-metre tall Ferris wheel from 1940 and a splash pool for fun in the sun.
Other exhibits not to be missed include an elaborate series of caves, treehouses and even a life-sized whale which you can explore from the inside. For those interested in art history, there is a fascinating display of opera posters stretching back across the decades. Kids will love MonstroCity – a giant soft play area just by the entrance. Parents will get a kick out of the original working pinball machines at 50s-themed ‘Beatnik Bob’s’.
The City Museum is located in downtown St. Louis and is easy to get to by public transport. Parking is available, but there are only a few spaces so driving isn’t recommended. The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday. Opening times can vary, so check the website in advance to avoid disappointment.
