Pay The Extra For Roof Access

Climbing a winding, rusted staircase for an uncomfortably long time resulted in no relief after reaching the top. The only way down was through a small hole in the wall that dropped you into a 10-story swirly tube slide patched together from recycled metal materials. Looking down off of the edge the corrugated metal platform gave no reassurance that anything remotely safe lie below. The surrounding walls were covered in massive ancient pipe organs and the entire room was very reminiscent of a scene from "The Goonies". When it was my turn to go through the chute I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and pushed off into the darkness trying to not let out an embarrassing shriek as I was spun rapidly through this waterless waterpark from hell into an unknown pit below.

As my feet connected with a solid floor I tumbled forward on to a torn foam pad. I was in an underground cave dimly lit with red and blue lights and my friends were pointing and laughing at me. "You looked so freaked out!". "I was! That was insane!".

Most things in the City Museum leave you feeling this way. Opened by sculptor and general oddball, Bob Cassilly 18 years ago in St Louis, MO, the City Museum is made up of large oddities and unexpected surprises around every twist and turn of the massive abandoned shoe factory and warehouse turned mildly unsafe playland.

Walking through a small cabin from the 1800's attached to the entrance on our way outside to the adult sized ball pit made up of cage of full sized kickballs we were greeted by an enthusiastic bartender that talked us into mango smoothies half filled with vodka. "Is it really a good idea to climb around all of these metal contraptions after drinking?", we asked her. "Probably not.", she shrugged and smiled.

After hours of climbing through a massive habitrail attached to the ceiling, getting lost in the clothing thrift store, spinning like a top from a thick rope attached to a hook from a ceiling all while buzzed on sugary booze we finally came upon an elevator that would bring us to the rooftop for an additional fee.

After quick deliberation we slid our money over to a clerk through a hole at the ticket window and were soon on our way to the top. In the elevator we pondered how anything we've seen so far could possibly be topped. Then the elevator door slid open.

We gasped.

A working ferris wheel perched on the edge of the buildings rooftop. Insane. Unsafe. Perfect. Amazing.