City Museum
City Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Don't take the name so literally. We're about fun. Not your white walls, walk around, and be quiet museum. If you want to climb around, get active with your kids or are a big kid at heart, we're the place. If you get freaked out easily, you might not want to come. We're four floors filled with miles of tunnels, a full cave system, over 30 slides, a circus, an arts area, a large outdoor climbing space, Architectural Museum, a Cabin that serves adult beverages, a Museum of Mayhem, Mirth and Mystery, and a ton more. Also, there's the roof with a Ferris Wheel and a bus hanging off its edge.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Neighbourhood: Downtown
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See what travellers are saying
- Carole A4 contributionsSt Louis is a great city to visitWe walked alot. Our trip to St Louis was for two hockey games. We also walked to the Gateway Arch and Union Station. The city garden was unique and free. We stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott. Great trip.Visited November 2023Travelled with familyWritten 8 November 2023
- BrandonPittsburgh, Pennsylvania999 contributionsUnique Museum!The City Museum is one of the most unique museums that you will come across. There are a lot of crawl spaces so I'd recommend pants for your visit. There are so many things to do from unique talent shows to 10 story slides. So much fun!Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 24 November 2023
- A MDowners Grove, Illinois477 contributionsFabulous & UniqueI have to admit that I was a bit worried that my kids (teen and preteen) would not be impressed but I was wrong. Both went directly in the tunnels when we arrived and disappeared for 30 mins. They absolutely LOVED this museum and so did me and hubby. Every floor was spectacular in its own way. I have been to many museums but this one is perfect for kids because it is hands on. You can touch fish, climb into tunnels, explore caves and much more. There was also a circus performance and magic show. There are outdoor exhibits which looked so much fun even though they were closed to the bad weather.Visited December 2023Travelled with familyWritten 30 December 2023
- creyzin10 contributionsA Wonderland of Endless Delight Despite Closeures.The City Museum in STL is unlike any other "museum" – truly one of the coolest places I've ever visited. Having been a visitor since childhood, I'm thrilled to now bring my own child. However, recent visits have been a bit disappointing with the closure of attractions like the 10-story slide and various passageways. Despite these setbacks, the overall experience is still awesome, spending four hours crawling and running around. Bonus: the food courts aren't bad either!Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 6 January 2024
- Keaton W6 contributionsTHIS PLACE IS AWESOME!!!This is the eighth time that I have gone here. Amazing every single time! We never get bored. We park at 1499 Delmar Blvd Parking and would recommend parking there. The parking staff is very nice and the price is cheep. you only have to walk a little to get to the museum line. The line to enter is okay. they could probably make it better but its all right. The bathrooms are generally clean-ish. Would recommend wearing knee pads but we never do. For first time visitors don't pay extra for roof tickets, there is so much more to do. Older kids love crawling through the tunnels and younger one just loves to play in outside areas. The food is all right. Every slide is soo much fun! Fun for all ages! would definitely recommend to visit!Visited June 2023Travelled with familyWritten 7 February 2024
- Scott DSpring, Texas63 contributionsNot your grandfather's Museum!We were totally overwhelmed by how much fun this museum is and how much there is to see. We ended up staying 4 hours and could have stayed longer. Plenty of places to sit and just enjoy the people watching, the art, the experience. Already making plans to go back with grandchildren in tow - this is a marvelous place for young and old alike. We were fortunate to be there during their Halloween festivities that added even more fun stuff to the mix. Fantastic entertainment value for the money.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 7 March 2024
- A IBettendorf, Iowa53 contributionsFun, prepare to climbWhat a fascinating collection of oddities. This is an interactive climbing museum, ages 5 and up there are extremely physical and a little nerwracking parts. Parents must be in good physical shape to follow everywhere. It was very fun and creative. We did all the add ons and it was really fun, but exhausting physically. If you are going to attempt the giant indoor slides, make sure to wear pants.Visited June 2023Travelled with familyWritten 18 March 2024
- Cyndee NguyenTupelo, Mississippi33 contributionsAn adventure for the whole family!Oh what an adventure this was! The whole family can play together all day long! In addition to playing, you alse learn so much! If I lived in St Louis I would definitely get a season pass! Surprises were around every corner. Just a bit of a warning, your kiddos will probably come home with a bruise or two. There's plenty of climbing and with that comes the occasional tumble. My girls are 8 and 10. Both laughed and occasionally teared up on our visit here lol. But overall was a positive and exciting experience! They want to come back again and experience everything including the rooftop which was sadly closed when we came. It's a must if you visit Saint Louis!Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 18 March 2024
- BadgerFan8485Madison, Wisconsin8 contributionsSo cool!An absolute must when visiting St. Louis with kids. When we walked in there were people with headlamps, walkie talkies, and knee pads. We thought it was too much, but turns out it was not! It took all four adults to make sure we knew where the kids were because of all the tunnels. Such a cool experience. They have parking.Visited June 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 24 March 2024
- msquared023Toledo, Ohio243 contributionsGreat time- don’t go during spring break.We love this— we went four days in a row with our kids five and under. Spring break however has it a madhouse. Even with memberships, the line was a block long to get in- it feels like there has to be a better way to get the lines moving faster, and there were so many people there (wayyyyy more than I have experienced in years past), that not if, *when* you lose your kid down a tunnel onto a different level of the building, lol, it’s a little unnerving how difficult it would be to locate a staff member if you actually needed help. Seems like afternoon is the way to go if you want to reduce the lines to get in a bit.Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 27 March 2024
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4.5
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Wismickchick
Kenosha, WI157 contributions
Apr 2021
Our kids absolutely loved the city museum. The roof was unfortunately closed on the day we went, which was disappointing but the kids had fun on the other attractions. The reason why I gave this a rating of '3' was through the eyes of a parent. I don't think that it was worth the money because of the roof and many other exhibits being closed off (too many to count). We bought tickets for a certain entrance time thinking that it would limit crowds, however, when we got there at 3:00, it was extremely busy and chaotic. While the staff was doing their absolute best to have visitors keep their masks on, there were constantly people pulling their masks down while walking around. It was very unnerving as a parent. While that was not the fault of the museum, I think that it was easy for visitors to do because of the crowd of people there.
Written 9 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EWWhite
53 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
Such high hopes- completely dashed. My 15 year old son and I were both completely pumped to tackle this attraction. We were both almost instantly sorry we had chosen it upon arrival. Due to the pandemic, I was expecting some type of crowd control or regulation of visitors. Let me just say, if my experience included what is the City Museum’s version of capacity control, I NEVER want to see it when we are not in a pandemic. People were EVERYWHERE. There is no way any sanitization of this museum could be managed. (& please don’t misunderstand. I work in an elementary school. I am not afraid of coronavirus- but this place appeared to have needed a good cleaning for a long time! It smelled musty and dank in almost every room we visited.) It is primarily dark with extremely poor ventilation. The staff I encountered were despondent and somewhat rude. They sincerely acted as if they loathed their jobs. When my children were young, this place would have scared me to death (it was even hard to keep track of my 6 foot tall 15 year old as he climbed up into darkness and disappeared!) I really wanted to love this experience, but I did not! If you like cleanliness, friendliness, and walking without bumping into people, I HIGHLY recommend you skip the City Museum.
Written 11 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
specialteacherokc
Lincoln, NE57 contributions
Sept 2022 • Family
My kids (ten year olds) really enjoyed this place. They spent five hours there, and I finally said that we had to go. I read several comments regarding lack of staff. Staffing was not an issue the Sunday morning that we were there. As a matter of fact, a wonderful staff lady, without us asking, volunteered to show us the 10 story slide as she recommended doing that first thing before the line forms. My kids and I were able to go down it two or three times each with no delay. We did not purchase tickets to the rooftop and I’m glad we didn’t because 1) if it’s the first time you’re visiting, there’s enough to do in the rest of the museum and 2) If it’s raining or wet from the evening before, it won’t be open right away anyway. It rained the night before we visited the museum, and even MonstroCity (included in regular admission) was closed until 1pm so that it could dry out. Once it opened, my kids had a hayday in MonstroCity. My husband, a pinball fanatic, wanted to get the Pinball Alley admission. He decided against it at the last minute and was really glad he did. The games are very, very old and in his pinball fanatic opinion, “Aren’t that good of games.” There was one thing during our visit that left us scratching our heads. We went to see the “circus” (a show that was slight comedy and some acrobatic acts) on the 3rd floor at 1pm. Right outside the circus doors is a concession stand with all your favorite circus snacks, and the smell is delicious! (Their popcorn was indeed yummy!) My son eagerly asked for popcorn to eat while watching the show. We agreed to buy the popcorn. As soon as we went inside, a staff member came in yelling, “Absolutely NO eating or drinking in the circus.” Sure enough, they have a sign posted inside the circus on a pole that says the same. This makes no sense. Not only does everyone assume snacks are expected because of the concessions right outside the door but also because isn’t that what people do at a circus—popcorn, cotton candy, etc.? Several people around us complained about the policy as well. It’s a bit misleading of the museum to tempt you to buy food that can’t be eaten. If that’s the case, they need a sign at the concession stand, a large easel sign, notifying patrons that the food they are purchasing can’t be eaten in the circus. I suspect it would seriously cut down on concession sales as most people wouldn’t buy circus concessions that can’t be eaten in the circus. I couldn’t see why food wouldn’t be allowed. It’s hardwood seating. No carpet. Easy cleanup if there were to be a spill. Some folks went ahead and ate their snack, ignoring the sign and staff. Anyway, we felt the circus concessions misled people. Parking: Don’t pay more than $10. There are several lots outside that say “City Museum Parking” making a person think it’s where they should park (for $25), but it’s not an official lot for the museum, a much further walk, and more than double the price to park.
Written 15 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liz
Holland, MI4 contributions
Oct 2019
I used to come here when I lived in the city during college and always had a blast. I was so excited to now be able to visit with my children and share the experience I loved so much. Our 7 year old was very confused as to why it was called a 'museum' and kept asking so many questions before we went and I finally just told him, "you just need to see it". My husband and my son enjoyed climbing through the caves and all the little nooks and crannies. Even our 15 month old enjoyed going down the smaller slides and toddling around the more open areas. I cannot wait to come back when they're both a little older.
Written 17 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LDHtraveler
Belleville, IL1,315 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
We took 4 of our grandkids ages 2, 5, 8 and 9. We had the best time and everyone really had a good time. We got discount tickets on Groupon that saved about $20 and with the COVID restrictions the number of visitors was minimal. So no lines, not loud and just so much more enjoyable. If you’re never been it’s a place for kids of all ages for climbing, sliding, running and so much more. We highly recommend this place
Written 6 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kate B
2 contributions
Sept 2020 • Family
We had heard great things about the City Museum and were excited to be able to finally find time on a visit to StL to make it there. Maybe it was the situation with Covid or time of year, not sure, but at least half of what was there was either blocked off or empty. If that was the situation, fine but tell people that so they can reevaluate if they want to spend the money or not. Our family of 4 spent $75 for entry, were there only about an hour and pretty disappointed with the experience. We won't be back.
Written 18 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dr_Xaos
Palatine, IL1,298 contributions
Aug 2022
Family stopped at this location as we were heading through the St. Louis area. Some of our friends raved about going to the City Museum, so we were interested in checking the place out. This 10-story structure has so many wondrously bizarre aspects that words don’t adequately describe it. We were amazed by the various designs and decorative interpretations that the place has. Plus, most of the areas have many nooks and crannies to explore.
There were a couple downsides of our visit, though. First and foremost, the temperature on the day that we visited was around 101 degrees Fahrenheit. The interior does have fans and some sparce air conditioning, but it was very warm while climbing, crawling, and exploring. Second, the museum seems to be a popular attraction, which means there were a lot of other people there as well. Lots of space within the building to spread out, but there were pretty long lines for the more popular things (i.e., the 10-story slide).
Admission can be a bit pricey at about $20 per person. We spent almost 3½ hours exploring everything, so not an unreasonable cost for the amount of time and entertainment that we got. Would have probably stayed longer and enjoyed more of the museum if the heat wasn’t so unbearable.
There were a couple downsides of our visit, though. First and foremost, the temperature on the day that we visited was around 101 degrees Fahrenheit. The interior does have fans and some sparce air conditioning, but it was very warm while climbing, crawling, and exploring. Second, the museum seems to be a popular attraction, which means there were a lot of other people there as well. Lots of space within the building to spread out, but there were pretty long lines for the more popular things (i.e., the 10-story slide).
Admission can be a bit pricey at about $20 per person. We spent almost 3½ hours exploring everything, so not an unreasonable cost for the amount of time and entertainment that we got. Would have probably stayed longer and enjoyed more of the museum if the heat wasn’t so unbearable.
Written 22 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DrBob
Fort Dodge, IA6 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
Big fan of this artists creation from a former 600K SqFt shoe factory. Everywhere you look are beautiful mosaics, hand painted decor, slides, coves, stairways, and everyday items transformed into something people can get hands on with. Get there right when they open so you can experience the more popular experiences before the big crowds come a couple hours later. 5 floors of non stop fun inside, and outside will keep you busy for a long time. The 10-story slide was fun, but if you’re wearing shorts and have tennies on, you’ll keep stopping with friction of your skin or rubber shoes. These corkscrew slides were made for moving shoe inventories, not humans.
We skipped the extra cost for the roof access, didn’t miss that a bit. Not a mask in the place, that’s changing in St Louis for now on indoor locales, was nice while we were there. Definitely recommend this for young families, will wear everyone out, but watch the kids, lots of places they could become injured, they do have part of a floor for the very small kiddos.
We skipped the extra cost for the roof access, didn’t miss that a bit. Not a mask in the place, that’s changing in St Louis for now on indoor locales, was nice while we were there. Definitely recommend this for young families, will wear everyone out, but watch the kids, lots of places they could become injured, they do have part of a floor for the very small kiddos.
Written 24 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maya
Edinburgh, UK384 contributions
Jun 2022
I had been wanting to go to the City Museum for years so was really looking forward to seeing it for myself. It’s just as impressive in person as in pictures. You really could spend all day exploring and getting lost. The outside area was my favourite part, we did not spend the extra $7 to go to the roof. It’s already quite pricy.
Despite this, there are two major downsides. First is the sheer volume of people, specifically children, running round mostly unsupervised. We arrived just after opening and the place was already packed. The end of the day may have been better but we were only in St Lous for the morning,
They really should have timed entry tickets to limit the amount of people inside at once. You end up queuing up to go through many areas and to get on the slides. It would be a much nicer experience in the off season.
The second issue as many others have mentioned is the lack of air conditioning. With so many people and the summer heat outside it was boiling hot. There was virtually no different between being outside and inside; if anything it was more sticky inside! I only saw a couple large fans and they weren’t even switched on! The heat / humidity also makes the sides super slow. People kept getting stuck! I talked to someone and they said it’s much better in winter.
I would love to come back in the winter to properly get to experience the museum. I still rated it 4/5 but a 3.5/4 would be a more accurate rating.
Despite this, there are two major downsides. First is the sheer volume of people, specifically children, running round mostly unsupervised. We arrived just after opening and the place was already packed. The end of the day may have been better but we were only in St Lous for the morning,
They really should have timed entry tickets to limit the amount of people inside at once. You end up queuing up to go through many areas and to get on the slides. It would be a much nicer experience in the off season.
The second issue as many others have mentioned is the lack of air conditioning. With so many people and the summer heat outside it was boiling hot. There was virtually no different between being outside and inside; if anything it was more sticky inside! I only saw a couple large fans and they weren’t even switched on! The heat / humidity also makes the sides super slow. People kept getting stuck! I talked to someone and they said it’s much better in winter.
I would love to come back in the winter to properly get to experience the museum. I still rated it 4/5 but a 3.5/4 would be a more accurate rating.
Written 30 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MrsMTBeckwith
Southampton, PA99 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
As a 40 year old mom, I brought along my 10, 14, 15, & 16 year olds for a wonderful afternoon at City Museum and we honestly can’t say enough good things about it! Easily the best part of our Midwest trip, so far. For the 5 of us, including the rooftop entrance which has a Ferris wheel, it was less than $30 a person. There seemed to be a never ending variety of things to do. The cave system was very cool as it was done in the dark and had a ton of hidden crawl spaces. We tried both the outside treehouse/ plane area, as well as the rooftop area. Both were equally awesome. A suggestion I would make would be to wear sneakers, not sandals and pants, not shorts. You’re crawling around sometimes on concrete and your knees take a beating, but it’s so worth it! Definitely make time to go to this gem!
Written 12 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What is the youngest age that can fully enjoy the museum? I know they have things for 3 yr olds, but what’s the youngest ideal age to enjoy most of the museum exhibits?
Written 8 May 2024
We took a 20 month old and it was a bit too much for him. Still a good use of our time, but he couldn’t do much.
Written 16 October 2024
Can only come on Friday, Sat or Sunday. Which day is least busy? Is it better to come in the morning or early afternoon?
Written 22 September 2023
I would assume Saturday during the day is the busiest. But I would say outside of getting a snack/eating, it won’t matter. It’s a big place and we went on a busy Saturday and that was the only issue I had. (Even part of that was people “saving” and “using” chairs that could have had people sit on them when they weren’t using them. I can’t help rude selfish people.). Otherwise it’s so huge, the actual play area won’t matter how busy it is probably. Also my hack was to get bottled water at the gift shop and avoid the super long food and snack lines
Written 22 September 2023
The cafeteria is still to start operations
Written 31 July 2023
What day in November does the rooftop close?
Written 31 May 2023
Jeremy G
DeWitt, Iowa
Do you do MILITARY DISCOUNT ON Admission PRICES?? IF NOT That Is ok I Will move unto Another Place thanks!!!!!
Written 15 February 2023
The City Museum's website FAQ states that there are no discounts available at this time. You might want to call them directly to inquire, but the only savings available appear to be via their annual membership deals.
Written 16 February 2023
We typically eat at the cafe in the museum. Nothing fancy, but not bad.
Written 27 June 2022
what is the best to visit museum? {least crowded days]
Written 5 July 2021
During the week and arrive about 15 minutes prior to opening. I would ask for directions to the 10 story slide and do that first.
Written 6 July 2021
My children are 16, 14, 13, and 10. First- will my 3 teenage boys enjoy it? Second- everyone talks about the tunnels- can me, my husband, and our linebacker-sized son fit? Or avoid them? Thanks!
Written 13 June 2021
Your kids will all like it. Everyone will fit in most of the tunnels. There are some that are a tight fit but you will have to get on your hands and feet sometimes
Written 16 June 2021
I am wondering how to park a truck with a camper at City Museum in early June. I'm considering trying to refund my tickets now that I am realizing that we won't have anywhere to park and if we find something we are likely to have our truck broken into...
Written 4 May 2021
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