I was in St. Louis this weekend to meet my most favorite people in the entire world. It was so good to see them, and I was sad we had such a short time to be together. Leaving them was hard! But all I have to do is look at my bruised arm and knees and I will have fond memories of them. Why?
Because they took me to the most amazing place ever, the City Museum in St. Louis. Now, you might be thinking "A museum? Yawn." Oh no, my friends. This is no museum. It's a giant, giant playground for adults. An artist purchased an old shoe factory and using reclaimed industrial parts like airplanes, fire engines, rebar, engine parts, etc. created a monstrous structure to play in. Sure, it has lots for children, and they love it, but it's totally designed for adults, too. The former shoe factory is filled with tiny tunnels and holes that you crawl through. You have no idea where they are leading you, and you have no idea if you'll ever find your way back.
They turned the former shoe chutes into slides that will lead you all over the 10+ story building.
Everything in the area, including the rope swings, tree houses and skate park, is made of industrial leftovers. The bathroom walls are made out of restaurant baking pans.
There are caves throughout the building. They smell damp, and are dark and scary. Perfect for spelunkers.
I found myself crawling on my hands and knees, scooting on my butt, climbing, and seriously wondering if I was ever going to make it out. At one point, my friend was trying to wedge himself through a tiny hole and yelled back that my other friend and I were not going to fit - it wasn't boob friendly. And then he had to seriously work to get back out of the hole.
It also has a ten story tall slide. You can get there in more than one way, but I preferred the stairs.
It was when I was walking through this wet grate, very high in the air, in the dark that I remembered that I currently have NO health insurance and...um...was this a very good idea? Also, Non-Mommy, do NOT look down.
It is open until 1 a.m. After 10 p.m. they turn off the lights and you can explore the entire factory using flashlights and glow sticks. They also have a bar for those interested.
Despite my bruised knees, very sore muscles, and sweat soaked clothing, I had a great time. This is really an incredible place to visit. You could be there all day long and never see anything. It's truly huge. It is well, well worth a visit - even if you have to drive a day to do it. It is extremely child friendly, extremely adult friendly, and a great work out. Don't believe me? Go read reviews online.
If you go, I strongly recommend that you wear pants that you don't mind getting dirty in. You will literally be pulling yourself up, climbing, shimmying, scooting, etc. You need good shoes with good traction. Be prepared to sweat a lot. Knee pads are a great idea. But I promise, you will love this place if you are active!
City Museum of St. Louis
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