Archive for March, 2010

Step right in to Beatnik Bob’s and the Museum of Mirth, Mystery, and Mayhem at the City Museum! Play vintage pinball games! Witness Corn Dogs Through the Ages! See an alien! View an atomic fish!

Site: The City Museum
Location: 701 North 15th Street, St Louis, MO
Cost: General Admission (ages 3 years and up) – $12.00. Additional charges for roof-access and World Aquarium.
Hours: Winter Schedule: Sun 11am-5pm, Mon – Tues Closed, Wed – Thurs 9am-5pm, Fri – Sat 9am-1am; Summer Schedule (Starting March 15): Sun 11am-5pm, Mon – Thurs 9am-5pm, Fri – Sat 9am-1am
Date: March 20, 2010

Running through the center of the City Museum is a series of elaborate caves and shoe shafts the wind up the 10-stories inside of the building, from the very top to the very bottom. And at most every turn there is another creature coming out of the foundation .

The spirals are built within the original structure of the shoe factory. Shoes would be places within the spirals so they could easily travel from the top to the loading dock below.

One was turned into a giant ten-story slide. That I didn’t go down. Because I am a chicken. But hopefully someday I will make it…

Site: The City Museum
Location: 701 North 15th Street, St Louis, MO
Cost: General Admission (ages 3 years and up) – $12.00. Additional charges for roof-access and World Aquarium.
Hours: Winter Schedule: Sun 11am-5pm, Mon – Tues Closed, Wed – Thurs 9am-5pm, Fri – Sat 9am-1am; Summer Schedule (Starting March 15): Sun 11am-5pm, Mon – Thurs 9am-5pm, Fri – Sat 9am-1am
Date: March 20, 2010

Confession: I am afraid of heights. Actually, I am afraid of falling from heights. I did OK at the top of the Eiffel Tower, for instance. Because I was caged in just so that I was fine. But I am not going anywhere near the glass floored projection on top of the Sears Tower anytime soon.

So, let me tell you, I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into when I went to the City Museum in St. Louis. I knew it was a crazy world in itself museum with crazy and wacky and weird things abounding at every corner. I didn’t quite know just what an emphasis the place placed on climbing up to tall heights.

Within minutes of being there I had a breakdown and a little girl’s father had to help me down. True story. I was probably about 10 feet in the air at that point…

I’m not saying the City Museum wasn’t awesome. Because it was incredibly so. And, luckily, whoever was in charge of building it was kind and built escape plans into every turn. So if you don’t want to climb up to the top of the building in a slinky you can take the stairs.

The word museum doesn’t quite encapsulate what the City Museum is. It’s really more a giant playground than a museum and every inch is meant to be touched, climbed on, crawled through, and explored.

The entire place is constructed of mainly repurposed architectural and industrial artifacts from St. Louis. Opened to visitors in 1997 it was conceived by artist Bob Cassilly and created in a 600,000 square-foot former International Shoe Company.

The outside area is one of the main climbing destinations of the museum: Twisting turning metal cages, two Saber 40 aircraft fuselages high above everything, a castle turret, and even an adult-sized ball pit filled with large rubber dodge balls (which, sadly, I did not get to try out as it was rainy that night so they closed the outdoor area early).

Site: The City Museum
Location: 701 North 15th Street, St Louis, MO
Cost: General Admission (ages 3 years and up) – $12.00. Additional charges for roof-access and World Aquarium.
Hours: Winter Schedule: Sun 11am-5pm, Mon – Tues Closed, Wed – Thurs 9am-5pm, Fri – Sat 9am-1am; Summer Schedule (Starting March 15): Sun 11am-5pm, Mon – Thurs 9am-5pm, Fri – Sat 9am-1am
Date: March 20, 2010