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City Museum

DESCRIPTION: City Museum has been called a warehouse of adventure for people of all ages and a museum unlike any other. With an enchanted forest, secret caves and passageways, a giant aquarium, a small circus, an architectural museum, a museum of oddities and plenty of slides, City Museum is a delight for people of all ages. Housed on three floors of the former International Shoe Company building in a space equal to two and a half football fields, the Museum was born of the vision of several creative artists. It’s a wacky place where a school bus hangs off the roof and airplane parts appear to fly over the parking lot in the ever-expanding playground called MonstroCity. City Museum is a recycler’s paradise with many of the exhibits constructed from products that were made for other uses. It is constantly changing and expanding so that any two visits are rarely the same.

SLOGAN: Explore the Unexpected

ADDRESS: 701 North 15th Street St. Louis, MO 63103

LOCATION: Downtown in the heart of St. Louis’ Loft District

PHONE NUMBER: 314-231-2489

WEB SITE: www.citymuseum.org

GETTING THERE: From Downtown St. Louis, take Washington Avenue west to 16th Street. The parking lot is located on 16th Street and is surrounded by a serpentine sculpture fence. A complimentary shuttle bus service is available from downtown hotels and other downtown locales. Visitors can call 314-504-1971 to arrange pick up.

HOURS: Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. – 1 a.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 1 a.m.; Closed Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day

HANDICAPPED ACCESS: The City Museum is handicapped accessible.

ADMISSION: $12.00 for people ages 3 and up; Children UNDER 3 are free. After 5pm on Friday and Saturday nights, admission is $10.00. Group discounts of 15 or more $8.00; non-profit groups of 15 or more with reservations $6.00. World Aquarium is an additional $6.00 per person.

ANNUAL ATTENDANCE: 638,000

WHAT’S NEW: City Museum is constantly changing and expanding its exhibits so something new is always happening there. In addition, the Museum hosts a number of traveling exhibitions each year. There are more multi-level caves to explore, expanded climbing options in the MonstroCity outdoor playground and the distinction of being named as one of the World’s Best Public Spaces.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Painted in mystery and textured with intrigue, the newest caves of the City Museum offer explorers of all ages an opportunity to walk, climb and crawl through the mind of a master artist. Built within a historic shoe factory’s spiral conveyor tunnel system, the caves emanate from deep within the heart of City Museum.
  • What happens when you mix two Saber 40 aircraft fuselages, a fire engine, a castle turret, a 25' tall cupola and several 4' wide wrought-iron slinkies, and the creativity of City Museum Creative Director Bob Cassilly and his crew? The result is MonstroCity, the most monumental, monolithic, monstrous montage of monkey bars in the world.
  • If City Museum is so magical in the daytime, you can’t imagine the world that’s unlocked when the sun sets. Candlelight, enchanting music, inspiration and laughter penetrate the city night. Cherished memories are frequently made on City Museum nights. During the summer months, join City Museum at their outdoor movie theatre for your viewing pleasure.
  • “Brontosaurus Staircase,” a three-story staircase which soars to all three floors of the Museum. In a former life, the staircase graced St. Louis’ old City Hospital. Its spindles came from conveyer belts of the old International Shoe Building and were painted by elementary school students in colorful designs and installed as part of the staircase’s handrail.
  • The “World’s Largest Windmill,” a contraption that moves a 24,000-pound block of granite up and down two stories. Visitors can watch the hoist, powered by the salvaged generator of what was once the world’s largest windmill, in action.
  • A walk-through sculpture of a life-sized Bowhead whale that wraps itself around a giant fish tank containing Mississippi River fish.
  • The front of St. Louis Title Company, built in 1897, which now serves as the ticket area for the Museum. The Title Company Building was torn down for construction of the Gateway Mall in the 1980’s and held in storage for 11 years before the Museum recycled parts of it.
  • Art City, an area featuring an ever-changing array of artists, potters, glass blowers and sculptors at work. Visitors can try their hand at the crafts being demonstrated.
  • A working shoelace factory which makes shoelaces to order before your eyes.
  • Beatnik Bob’s, a bohemian hangout with The Museum of Mirth, Mystery and Mayhem where artist Bill Christman conveys the innocence, tawdry charms and cheesiness of the carnival midway and eccentric roadside attractions. Don’t miss the Elvis Channeler, the Corn Dogs Through the Ages exhibit and the world’s largest pair of men’s briefs. Lots of “antique” video and pinball machines as well.
  • A model railroad set-up and a miniature electric train.
  • St. Louis Architectural Museum, a treasure trove of architectural heritage including a huge variety of salvaged ornaments and facades from historic buildings in St. Louis and other cities.
  • City Museum’s gargoyle and grotesque collection includes a variety of architectural relics from around the globe. See the spouting gargoyles in the two-story waterfall and tide pool.
  • Everydaycircus, a program of interactive, circus-oriented shows where magicians, clowns, acrobats and YOU are the performers.
  • The Glass Studio where working artists turn molten glass into unique sculpture forms and a variety of techniques, including glassblowing, hot glass sand-casting, etching, cutting, blasting and polishing, are demonstrated.
  • Toddler Town, a place for toddlers to have their own brand of fun with a mini-fort, a mini-maze, mini-roller slides, pint size ball pit and several hippos and whales to climb on and a variety of art activities. Designated for ages 6 and under.

HISTORY: City Museum opened in October 1997. Bob Cassilly, City Museum creative director, said its mission is to “awaken the childlike imagination, joy and sense of wonder in all ages and transform the way people look at the world.”

City Museum is a work-in-progress with additions being made on a regular basis. Those additions are often spontaneous, depending on what “junk” Museum officials receive. For example, when Bob Cassilly discovered that concrete trucks regularly dump their leftover mixes each day, he asked to have the trucks deliver their leftovers to the Museum. The trucks arrive without much advance notice and dump their leftovers to be made into creations of Cassilly’s imagination. The concrete could end up as a sphinx head, a flying buttress, a dinosaur tail or even the walls and ceilings of “caves” and passageways in the Museum.

ANNUAL SPECIAL EVENTS: During October, the old Shoe Shaft caves become haunted and spook visitors for the entire month. On Halloween, the Museum hosts the “Get Out of the Suburbs and Into the City” party with indoor trick or treating, costume contests, palm reading and scary movies. During the month of December, the Museum is festively decorated for the holidays, including one huge tree.

WHERE TO GET LUNCH: Take a break from the fun for lunch or snacks at “Samwiches in the City,” a restaurant in the City Museum and enjoy your food in The Lizard Lounge among mosaics fashioned from floor sweepings taken from the local Boeing Company, pens, watchbands and other items.

GIFT SHOP: City Store, the Museum’s gift shop, carries unusual gift items, toys and kits for papermaking, weaving and other crafts. Recently opened Store 4 carries items ranging from City Museum t-shirts, to loft furniture to vespa scooters.

WHAT’S NEARBY: City Museum is just a few blocks north of Union Station, St. Louis’ festival marketplace and near many restaurants and unusual shops along Washington Avenue.

PUBLIC RELATIONS CONTACT: Richard Callow, Public Relations Director, (314) 421-6700, mpr@citymuseum.org.

 

Readers should call 1-800-916-0040 to request a free copy of the Official St. Louis Visitor Guide or point, click and explore St. Louis at www.explorestlouis.com