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There are museums that one walks through observing, quietly taking it all in. Then there are museums which feel as though the art is observing us. City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri is such a place. It is difficult to sum up this experience in a mere few sentences, as it is a feast for the senses. A hands-on, interactive world for all ages, the museum hosts delights to discover around every corner, nook and cranny of this old downtown building which used to be the International Shoe Company headquarters in the heart of St. Louis. Guests enter an urban undersea landscape of mosaics, and “grottos” that children (and smaller framed adults) can climb through and explore. These tunnels and pathways seem to jet out from hidden places, as nothing is as it appears. Plastic is not a material you’ll find too much of, as everything is recycled from what looks like a city dump flea market. Old industrial trash has been creatively transformed into another world. This continues on throughout the museum’s 4 floors, with twists and turns through an outside play place, “MonstroCity,” an aquarium, and an “everyday circus” which performs next to a vintage game room/nostalgic freak show. This is the part of the museum that lovers of kitch must see. The arcade, which is tucked away quietly on the 3rd floor, could be Ma and Pop Culture’s basement. Besides the games; there are vintage magazines and other nostalgic wares for sale next to an old trailer and remnants from amusement parks. There is also an amazing DIY portion of the museum, which allows projects to made on the spot to capture those creative forces that by this time, must be flowing. Lest you think this is all child’s play, the City Museum is open until 1 a.m. for us bigger kids. In a recent issue of Wired, the museum’s director, Elizabeth Parker, describes the night scene. "My favorite time to be here is at night. The lights go down and the place turns into something else entirely; it takes on a life of its own. It seems to become one organic life form, with intelligence, wit and a will of its own. People who come here at night have really interesting experiences." After witnessing the daytime mysteries and all of their wonder, I don’t doubt that for a second.
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