The Heart of the City Raises the Roof

The City Museum, where the imagination runs wild. A place that is always growing, always expanding, most recently to the roof.

The giant building – located in the heart of downtown St. Louis, off of 16th and Washington – is easily recognizable to passersby because of several distinctive attractions. The colossal mass of metal artfully constructed into a creative and original obstacle course, known as MonstroCity. The giant prayingmantis, veered up and ready to strike. The school bus, now a decade old, seemingly dangerously teetering off the edge of the 11 story building.

“I think the bus is a good indicationof the crazy things you’ll find inside,” Kara Wall, head of public relations, said.

The City Museum first opened its doors in October, 1997. Since then, it has been providing adventuresfor the kid in everyone, both young and old. Within its walls is everything from giant slides, caves, an aquarium, a circus, and even the world’s largest pair of underwear.

“The City Museum offers an experience that you can’t find anywhere else,” Wall said. “It’s a good place for families to realize what [they’re capable of.] It provides an authentic kind of fun.”

Bob Cassilly, the mastermind behind the wonders found inside the City Museum, is also responsiblefor the newest edition to the museum – the roof.

“This has been a dream of Bob’s for a while now,” director of engineering
Rick Erwin said. “On the first day, I think we had 1500 [visitors
to the roof.] It’s been fantastic. People have really been responding well. We’re very happy with it.”

The roof – complete with another giant slide, a pond with fountains, a ferris wheel, among other things – recently opened in late June, 2009. After a construction process of about two years, the roof finally opened on a whim.

“We just decided to open it up in the middle of the afternoon,” Erwin said. “So Bob just came up, ripped off the ‘under construction’ sign, and started cutting down the barriers. We were doing all the prep work as kids were starting to play.”

Admission to the roof costs an extra $5, and is open to people of all ages, as long as visitors under the age of 16 are accompanied by an adult 18 years or older.

“My kids love the slides,” Balby Cardenas, a tourist from Michigan, said. “We love it. My husband is in the military, so he’s in meetings all day. This gives us something to do while he’s busy.”

Because of the water in the pond and the ferris wheel, the roof will begin closing at the end of October for the winter. However, during its off season, the roof will not just be abandoned. Plans to expand on the roof will most likely begin this winter, to continue the growth and improvement on the City Museum.

“Bob is always thinking,” Wall said. “Eventually he wants to connect
everything together, with the MonstroCity outside.”

The City Museum is often described as “like nothing you’ve ever seen before.” Always stretching the boundaries of what can and cannot be done, the possibilities of where the City Museum may go next seem to be endless.

“It’s just whatever Bob thinks up,” Erwin said. “He’s the only one who knows what’s next.”