The City Museum in St. Louis

When we were in St. Louis Nate and I went to one of the most interesting places I've ever seen, The City Museum. The museum is located downtown in the 8-story former International Shoe Company. The museum is really difficult to describe. When I told people about it I said that it was a mixture between a playground and a museum. I think the City Museum website's description is even more accurate: "an eclectic mixture of children's playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel made out of unique, found objects." The museum is the brainchild of internationally acclaimed artist Bob Cassilly, a classically trained sculptor and serial entrepreneur. He has collected objects (including two abandoned planes, salvaged bridges, old chimneys and bank vault doors) and architectural features from old buildings in St. Louis and assembled them in a truly remarkable way.

The whole time we were at the museum I wished I was a kid. It was so interesting, but it would have been a blast if I were younger. So, Nate and I had a great time climbing around and checking out all the elements of the museum but we mostly used our trip to the museum to take photos. Here they are:

A Collection of Vintage Ties

Nate as a monkey

Bartending

Captured by a Gargoyle

These slides were constructed from the chutes used to get the shoes and shoe boxes from the top floors of the building to the ground floor so they could be shipped and sold. Now the chutes resemble an enormous cavern complete with a dragon.

Sliding down the chutes.

All over the museum are crazy spirals that create alternate routes to the upper floors.

Nate tries to close the door of the vault.

Emerging from the mouth of a fish

The City Museum also has an aquarium in it. The best part about this aquarium is that it is a touching aquarium.

Touching a shark

Climbing through the tunnel beneath the shark tank

Touching the stingrays

The museum also boasts the world's only living, two-headed, albino snake. We posted this picture just for Blake Edwards. Kristen and Cory, as you can see below, the snake is for sale.