ST. LOUIS' CITY MUSEUM OFFERS PLACE TO ROMP AND RUN

ST. LOUIS -- Slip down the conveyor belt slide, and the bigger you are the faster you go. Crawl through the hollowed-out sycamore tree to the giant treehouse. Walk through the belly of a whale.

Wherever you go at the City Museum in downtown St. Louis, you are sure to find people at play.

Playing at a museum? That's unheard of, you might say. But not here. The City Museum is a place to explore the unexpected.

And that is exactly what you will find in the myriad of exhibits and games.

The museum was created and designed by a team of creative designers, and work isn't finished yet. Though the museum opened its doors in 1997, work is still in progress. For instance:

-- The log cabin just outside the entrance is so new that no one knows how it will be incorporated into the museum.

-- The giant sandcastle was built in the spring, but museum curators are still trying to figure out what to do with it.

-- Workers continue to create eels and giant fish from layers of Styrofoam, concrete mixture and drywall that will be used inside the museum parking garage once it opens later in the year.

-- Inside, a tilelayer works on mosaic designs that cover the concrete floors. Some of the floor designs are complete, while others are still being drawn and tiles laid.

But the museum's playful atmosphere makes it OK to "feel like a kid again," said Lori Fairchild, a volunteer guide.

If you are still trying to get one last adventure in before school year activities kick into high gear, the City Museum is the place to be.

Within the 100,000-square-foot building you will find a warehouse of fun. The sounds of children's laughter reverberate through the enchanted forest and secret caves on the first floor.

Children and adults alike scramble through the former heat exchange coils to come out at the conveyor belt slide. It is great fun, but beware: The bigger you are the faster you'll move down the slide.

Once you land safely, you can either crawl through tunnels or walk through the belly of a whale to get to the second floor where caves and the Enchanted Forest await exploration.

Or you can set boats afloat and follow them down the stream designed to look like a Missouri creekbed. The water then trickles through pools inside the caves and is recycled by the "Puking Pig."

Children aptly named the "Puking Pig," which is really a barrel that collects water and simulates a tidal wave. If you're hot from a day in the sun, stand underneath for a splash every 90 seconds. You can also take a look at the aquarium while you are there.

If you reach the second floor and can make your way through the maze of tunnels, there is always a chair in the Lizard Lounge where you can catch your breath. Pillars in the concession area are donned with recycled materials -- watchbands, seashells and cogs from the Boeing plant floor -- in the shape of lizards.

Most everything you find at the City Museum is recycled. You could find it all: the world's largest pair of underpants, 2,800 mouse cages or metal pans from the Washington University cafeteria, salvaged pieces of St. Louis architecture and "anything worth saving," Fairchild said.

An Architecture Museum exhibit on the third floor houses some of the best pieces of St. Louis buildings that were saved from junkyards or wrecking balls. There is the marble stone hedge at the entrance, the columns from Stix School and a windmill that lifts a 25,000-pound boulder of granite.

What is so amazing about the museum is that none of the recycled materials look like they would ever fit into a museum. But with such "everyday art," children helped create their own play place.

St. Louis area children were invited to the museum to paint conveyor rollers in bright colors. The rollers make a movable banister for the serpent staircase. But everything -- I mean everything -- has been recycled. What possible use could old watchbands have? They are used to make one of the lizards in the lounge. And tanning barrels from a shoe factory make for nice caverns and crawl spaces.

Despite all the tunnels and hidden spaces, the museum has never lost a child, Fairchild said. Parents are asked to accompany their children as they tour the museum, and staff members dressed in neon-green T-shirts are stationed every 50 feet or so.

When you tire from all the play, head upstairs for a look at artisans at work. The Art from Recycled Materials workshop lets children add their own artwork to the mobiles lining the ceilings. There are weavers, glass blowers and painters at work as well. You can even make your own paper or paint a papier-mache creature if you choose.

Plan to spend at least two hours at the museum. Prices are $6 for anyone over 1. Call (314) 231-CITY (2489) for information. You can take a virtual tour by visiting the Web site at www.citymuseum.org

IF YOU GO...

WHAT: City Museum

www.citymuseum.org

WHERE: 701 N. 15th St., St. Louis. Entrance is off 16th Street.

HOURS: Wednesday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

ADMISSION: $6 for children 1 to 100. Group discounts are available.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Fall (314) 231-CITY (2489) or e-mail citymsm@swbell.net