“Parents will worry, kids will love it,” a headline from 2002 by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reads as displayed in the St. Louis City Museum’s history exhibit.
The City Museum, a former shoe factory turned educational experience, was founded in October 1997 by Robert (Bob) Cassilly in the heart of downtown St. Louis. The 600,000-square-foot building contains four floors of exhibits, slides and concessions.
Among attractions like a 76-foot-long pencil and aquariums are educational opportunities, such as a history of the museum and a display of various species of insects and other unique animals. While these traditional exhibits may be common in many museums, the thing that sets the City Museum apart from the rest is the abundance of kid-oriented activities.
However, the fun attractions also serve a purpose other than entertainment, as they help children improve their mobility and social development. Long-time attendee and member of the museum, Meghan Wieten-Scott, touched on the City Museum's impact on her son.
“Our son is diagnosed with ADHD, sensory processing disorder and anxiety, so it’s really good for him because he gets to get out and explore. It’s obviously very sensory-enriching so it’s been a really great experience for him,” Wieten-Scott said.
Wieten-Scott also explained why she and her family continue to return to the museum ever since their first visit in 2010.
“It is like no place we've ever been before … I like that it’s very freeing, [my son] can do what he wants and explore,” Wieten-Scott said.
Lucas Frillman, an employee who started working at the museum in summer 2022, detailed the benefits of the museum’s unique structure.
“The museum has access to all kinds of physical amenities. It’s kind of like a McDonald’s playspace but better designed,” Frillman said.
Additionally, several employees described the benefits of the museum’s activities and their effect on a child’s mobility and development, including Vickie Wells, who has been working at the museum for over 18 years.
“I look at the place as being like chutes and ladders. They're learning mobility and how to stabilize themselves as they move and play,” Wells said.
Having opportunities to run, climb, crawl and jump is crucial for a child’s physical development. According to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), between ages two and four, children learn how to run, balance on one foot and hop, as well as gaining fine motor skills. To facilitate these skills, the City Museum has a Toddler Zone specifically designed for kids of that age. Even older children can gain valuable skills at the City Museum by learning how to play with others and socialize.
However, with the benefits of the physical aspect of the museum also come many drawbacks. Since its purchase by Premier Parks in 2015, the museum has placed an emphasis on safety, taking extra precautions to ensure that attendees can be adventurous without risking injury. Frillman, who originally started working at the museum this summer, has noticed safety changes throughout the history of the museum.
“[Premier Parks] started making a lot more safety regulations. A lot of the slides out on Monstro[City] have been closed down for safety and maintenance concerns and I haven’t seen them open in the six months I’ve been working here,” Frillman said.
Despite this, the City Museum is a special place for both locals and visitors, and even a one-time visit will make members for life. With nearly infinite options to explore in its sprawling layout, one could spend a lifetime searching the museum’s contents and reaping the benefits of the physical activity it provides.
“Once you’ve set foot in the doors you can go in any direction and end up anywhere,” Frillman said. “I like to say that you can get anywhere from everywhere.”