Best Museum Ever!!!!
Warning: This will probably be the longest blog entry you have ever read, so if you are in a hurry, come back later. :)
The reasoning behind this exceptionally long blog entry is the exceptionally unique City Museum in St. Louis. It is beyond description, so lots of pictures are necessary to relay a glimpse of how cool this place is. If you are ever near St. Louis, it is a MUST do! Heck, I would even go out on a limb and say it is a reason to GO to St. Louis - it is really that great a place. (Caveat - I'm not sure I would have been as thrilled with it if it were just David and I - it is fun with the kids.)
To set the stage, this museum is as much a playground as it is museum, in an old shoe warehouse. The basic concept was to rescue architectural and historical artifacts from Chicago area buildings and use them to make this museum. Unfortunately, the man who's imagination spawned this project was killed not long ago in a bulldozer accident as he was creating a second masterpiece.
Everywhere you look there is a surprise! This is a place you could go back to again and again because each time you would see something you hadn't noticed before.
For the kids, old or young, there is an unending choice of holes to disappear into, nooks and crannies to explore, and things to climb.
It was hard to keep track of the girls. I definitely wouldn't want to take young children in here as they could disappear for days!
I cannot imagine that many people pay any attention to this sign indicating that those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. We were all UP for a 10 story slide!!!
But, at the top of the climb to the slide we got distracted. This next series of pictures is a story of personal achievement!
Up on the roof of the museum is a whole new world of things to do, beginning with climbing up the inside of the doomed roof. Maggie went right for it, Bella decided to sit it out, and I was the photographer, so David decided he was going to go it with Mags. And so they start...
Maggie is going up with no problem....David is...ummmmm...waiting for that other person to come down so she has plenty of room. Yeah, right - that's the story!
There he is!! But - he is going! I sat there watching in amazement, knowing what kind of will power he must exert to do this. Heights are not his cup of tea, to say the least. I think it was at this point that Connor called the first time. Obviously David was not about to answer his phone.
Maggie climbs back onto the roof part and cheers David on - look at him go!
He made it!!! I was so proud of him! He couldn't bring himself to lay down flat on that cage bottom, though. LOL.
They crawl out on the roof and Connor calls a second time with the beginning of the travel drama (with Erin's apartment being in a gas leak quarantined zone and she might not make it because she isn't allowed into the apartment to get her luggage. But she made it after sneaking into it and driving out with her important boyfriend. ;)
Outside on the roof is even more fun! This slide was so cool! Rough landing at the bottom though.
This rickety old ferris wheel was so cool! I noticed though that it was held together with what amounted to large safety pins, like you would wear on a wrap around skirt/kilt. Oh well....it was fun to ride.
The surprises know no end! Here - a school bus to climb in!
That step off the bus is a doozy though - the picture below shows the bus hanging out over the roof. By the way - this picture is taken from a second, lower, roof area, not the ground.
As if having a school bus on the roof wasn't enough, there is also a plane!
Maggie was happy in the cockpit.
We ventured inside to look at the collection of pieces salvaged from buildings. I am not sure what this was, but it was like walking through a kaleidescope.
David has fond memories of Bob's Big Boy.
My crew under this sign seemed appropriate!
There were some really beautiful things....
And once, again, Maggie in the continuing series of Life Imitating Art...
There were so many more wonderful things about the City Museum, but two final pictures...
First - my favorite slide which was really like being in a kaleidescope (I love kaleidescopes!),
...and finally, the huge ball pit.
posted by Kimberly @ 6:32 PM
1 Comments:
Chuck has been out there over twenty years and this was the first I have heard of this museum. I guess on one of our future trips we will have to explore. I know by all the stories we heard after the adventure, a good time was had by all. I am so glad the girls and David had a good time. I know you did also.
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