Other Museums, Saint Louis

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Bob Cassilly, artist & visionary, & his merry cohorts continue to create something extraordinary. Every time you visit, more has been added. How does one describe this wonderland of caves, sculptures & controlled mayhem in mere words? There's only one City Museum. Don't miss it!
Watch a circus performed by children & adults. Sit in Beatnik Bob's for a snack or live band, play a vintage pinball machine with cigarette dangling out of your mouth, paint a hat or tie-dye t-shirt, slide down many long, handcrafted slides, defy heights in MonstroCity(outside!), explore caves & tunnels, see changing exhibits ( a real small part of this museum are the exhibits. Most of it is a very, very participatory place), view architectural treasures saved from buildings torn down (many are incorporated into the surfaces of the museum, huge space, indoors and out), see live fish & sea creatures up close (some are part of aquarium, $6 extra, with reg. admission)...just some of what you can do here. Allow hours to experience it all & "bring out the kid in you." Children love it, of course.
Explore their web site & you'll see what I mean.

There's a sandwich & coffee type place, right in the center of the action! Watch them put your pizza in big oven! Very casual place & the food's pretty good. You might enjoy the colorful gift shop, also. One-of-a-kind items & toys are featured.

Entrance fee: $12, or $10 after 5 p.m. on Friday & Saturday, when they're open till one in the morning!! This makes it great for teenagers etc. Sometimes they close early for a private party, so plan ahead. Also, if you have a nonprofit group of 15 or more, I think you can get in for $6 each, with advance reservations.

UPDATE - the log house bar isn't there any more.

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It’s, for sure, the craziest museum I ever saw, but it rivals with Science Museum, in London, as the liveliest.

Imagination and freedom merge in the use of recycled materials, to compose a place that, more than a museum, is a meeting place and a Luna park. Adults playing like kids, kids playing like adults, and some learning opportunities discreetly available here and there...

Funny for all ages!

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This is a very nice museum, especially if you served in the military. It is mostly made up of donated items form soldiers themselves who served without guilt and selflessly. The items bring back times that seem so long ago, but the families remember. The medals on display are a recognition to those who sacrificed it all.
The building is form early 1900's, and of great art deco inside and elegant limestone facing.

A great place to go is the International Bowling Museum. Anyone who is a an avid bowler would appreciate this monument.
I didn't even know this place exisited until my last visit. There's an exhibit that shows people setting up pins from the 1930's. Becareful not to touch anything or you might possibly break it. My nephew played with one of the mannequins until it fell over and broke its arm off.

Called 'The Pulitzer' by locals is a modern art foundation with an extensive private art collection. The foundation is privately run by Emily Ruah Pulitzer but a rotating and permanent collection of art is displayed at the foundation every Wednesday and Saturday free to the public. The Foundation's collection reads like a who's who of modern art including the names Picasso, Rothko, Serra, etc.

In addition to the art, the building itself was built in 2000 by famed japanese minimalist architect Tadao Ando.

The building and the collection of art on display are smaller than your typical museum, but their quality more than makes up for the size. A first class institution that St. Louis is lucky to have.

Art and architecture buffs will want to pair a visit here with the Contemporary Art Museum which is right next door (the two share a courtyard).

The Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis is not a stuffy museum with a permanent collection, but instead focuses on temporary, traveling, and local exhibits in contemporary multimedia artwork.

In addition to the galleries, there is a funky gift shop, a cafe, and an interactive arts center / library that is great for kids. Keep an eye out on their website for special events such as 'Select Nights' where the museum is open late with drinks and live music.

The building itself (designed by Brad Cloepfil out of concrete, glass, and stainless steel mesh to complement the adjacent Pulitzer Foundation) is fairly small as are the usual exhibits here.

Unless the exhibit here is something special, it may not be worth a trip on its own; however, it is worth a look when visiting other nearby destinations such as the Pulitzer, Fox Theater, Powell Symphony Hall, or Moolah Theater.

Wow....this place is unlike anyplace I've ever seen! I've lived near the St. Louis area my whole life, but the first time I visited this place was just a few months ago! I guess I thought it was like a boring, stuffy museum. Boy was I wrong! The St. Louis City Museum is part art museum, part playground, and part....other stuff! Located in the historic (and thriving) Loft District, there are all kinds of things to crawl on, through, over, under, and in. Plus, there are several slides (one of which starts on the 3rd floor and ends on the 1st), an aquarium, eating places, a gift shop, conference rooms, and a "Skateless park", which is like a skateboard park, only there are no skateboards. There is also the 'Enchanted Caves', which utilizes the shoe chutes that were used when the building housed the 'International Shoe Company'. And, later this spring, they are opening up a waterpark on the roof of the building. If you're planning on visiting St. Louis, or if you live here and have never been, you must check this place out!