City Museum

An iconic St. Louis destination

We thought we had waited out spring break, but the museum was still a bustling place when we visited on March 23rd. This is a place that defies definitions. It exists because of two local artists, Bob Cassilly and his wife, Gail. He was looking to find a home for his oversized sculptures when the former International Shoe Warehouse became available. It opened in 1997 and the collection has only grown.

But it is more than the art. Kids can climb through the enchanted caves. There is a toddler town, an aquarium, a collection of preserved insects and mammals. There are spiral staircases and so much more.

What you find there, is the most eclectic collection of art, artifacts, salvaged architectural pieces (with no real size limits), a bus on top of the building and more. When we visited Meow Wolf in Denver, it hit me that this Museum was the original. It is the real deal, but it grew from much more organic origins.

Please check out this amazing Substack. Jackie Dana has a lot more on the Museum. My wife and I attended the talk where Max (son of founders Bob and Gail Cassilly) and Maria (Max’s wife and a longtime museum staffer) offered a personal history of how this amazing space came to be.

City Museum on Unseen St. Louis

If you are one of my St. Louis readers, I highly recommend Jackie’s Substack. Even if you aren’t from here, you will find regional history and just amazing stories every month.