St Louis City Museum, Missouri
Posted On March 9, 2011
Housed in what was once called as the International Shoe Company on the Washington Avenue, the St Louis City Museum is the home of the industrial as well as architectural artifacts objects. With its description on the Web site being an assorted blend of funhouse, children’s playground, architectural wonder, and surrealistic pavilion; the museum has never failed to pull both the locals as well as tourists from across the world. Further, it has won many local as well as global awards and is regarded as among the ‘great public places’. So, in this hands-on St Louis City Museum, get ready to easily touch, play, and climb the different displays.
On the 1st floor that is the original section in mosaics and columns, you will come across a life-size Bowhead Whale where you can walk, a big fish tank, the famous ‘Puking Pig’, and a myriad of tunnels via the ceiling fiberglass as icicles. As expected, you can excitedly reach here via climbing a feline old cooling tank or choose the way of the tree house that takes into a big hollowed tree as well as cabin on the floor’s other side. Spot for a tunnel in one of the areas called the ‘Underground Whaleway’ that takes one below floor for exploring the ‘Original Caves’. At the Mezzanine, there are several food courts and zones linked to the first floor: go via a tree house or amble on the whale’s belly.
On the 2nd floor, you will come across some new and old attractions such as the Vault Room, Shoelace Factory, World Aquarium, and Enchanted Caves. The Vault Room holding a 19th century vault is a gateway to the outdoor MonstroCity – the perfect blend of two Saber aircraft fuselages, castle turret, fire engine, wrought-iron slinkies, 19th century Cabin Inn, ball pits, dodge balls, and tall cupola. Just to the opposite side of the Vault Room is the St. George’s Chamber taking one into the Enchanted Caves. Within the chamber, you can see the several vintage opera posters along with the St. George’s statue from the Catholic Church of same name in Chicago.
Enchanted Caves and Shoe Shaft is among the most popular highlights in the St Louis City Museum that stretch via the building’s center for reaching the 10th floor. Wonder at the detailed cave system also holding the Wurlitzer Pipe Organ of the New York’s Rivoli Theater, which is the innovation of the museum’s creative director Cassilly and his crew. Wherever you look, a different creature seems to stare at you. On the other hand, the Shoe Shafts already existed before where the staff placed on the spiral shafts the shoes to reach the loading dock. Today, there are two spiral shoe slides of which one is three stories tall and the other is 10storey tall beginning at the roof and ending at the doorway of the caves.
At the Shoelace Factory, there are many archaic shoelace machines that date back to the 1890s. If you are about the stay here, do request a design! Next, the enchanting World Aquarium offers a shark tank within a tunnel of glass runs in such a way that one can crawl through. However, do not expect walking. And yes, stingray petting and feeding for a fee is allowed here.
On the 3rd floor, you can enjoy in the Skateless Park that boasts empty skateboard ramps. However, do not try to run here as you might injure yourself by breaking your wrist. Instead, sit and slide is the trick to explore them. Next, in the Everyday Circus, be in a circus school to see the daily performances. Now, look for the Art City where you can learn with hands many art techniques, a Toddler Town for those under 6, Beatnik Bob’s housing the vintage video/pinball games, model of an Alco Train for riding around the tracks, concessions stand, Past Architectural Hall or the Architectural Museum as the largest rental space offering the sight of antique door knobs and the Elmslie and Sullivan exhibit, Natural History Section off the Hall housing insects as well as taxidermy items, and a three-storey slide to go on the first floor. On the 4th floor, you will explore The Bail Out – the newest and largest classic clothing store of the city.
And yes, in 2010, a new section called the Ocean Oddities was set up where you can listen to the crashing water in the Wave Cave and can explore the woods, renovated treehouse, first floor sky tunnels, aquarium vista, newest tunnels, and a slide.
Timings
9 am to 5 pm from Monday to Thursday.
9 to 1 am on Friday and Saturday.
11 am to 5 pm on Sunday.
Admission
$12, but $17 for a tour of its new rooftop and $10 after 5 pm on Friday and Saturday.
