City Museum, Saint Louis (must see)

City Museum is an interactive museum that transforms reclaimed architectural and industrial materials into a large-scale environment for exploration, play, and art. It opened in 1997 inside the former International Shoe Company factory, a ten-story warehouse built in the early 1900s.

Created by artist Bob Cassilly and his team of craftspeople, the museum was designed as an ever-evolving space where visitors can climb, crawl, slide, and discover hundreds of interconnected passages and installations built from salvaged materials. Rather than following the format of a traditional museum, it encourages visitors to experience its collections through movement, exploration, and hands-on interaction. The museum combines architecture, sculpture, and engineering in ways that blur the boundaries between exhibition space and playground. Indoor and outdoor areas feature tunnels, suspended bridges, spiral staircases, slides, caves, castles, and repurposed objects ranging from mosaic-covered columns to industrial machinery, aircraft parts, and vintage vehicles. One of its best-known features is the rooftop, where visitors can explore climbing structures, a Ferris wheel, and other large-scale installations while enjoying views across the surrounding skyline. Many of the museum's structures are connected through hidden passages, encouraging visitors to discover new routes and unexpected spaces.

Alongside its interactive environments, City Museum preserves thousands of architectural fragments, historic artifacts, and unusual objects recovered from demolished buildings and industrial sites. Collections include stained-glass windows, carved stonework, sculptures, decorative ironwork, mechanical devices, and other pieces of regional architectural history integrated into the museum's design. Seasonal events, live performances, educational programs, and temporary exhibitions complement the permanent installations, making the museum a place where art, history, architecture, and imaginative play come together for visitors of all ages.