So much fun! The first visit was nearly 10 years ago. That time was fun too…read more On my most recent visit, it was just as much fun. I think I had forgot just how many different holes and paths you could take. They've also added more stuff than I remember. They had a section roped off because they're adding yet another section. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy the place as much this time around but I did. This is a must-visit when in StL but be warned, you will be tired after playing on this adult playground. The only annoyance this time is that I seem to remember that you could pay one price and get everything. This time, there was the general ticket that gives you access to 3 floors but no roof access. No pinball access. You have to pay extra for those two things. I guess extra charges make sense but just wrap the price all in one. I feel like the floors and roof should be in one ticket. There were a few times that employees came out on the roof to run people off that didn't have the appropriate color of bracelet. If you love having fun, definitely do this when visiting StL.

I thought I had written a review of this a couple years ago but maybe I didn't…read more I think of this place almost EVERY DAY. Definitely whenever someone mentions St Louis or anything that I associate with St Louis. It's my favorite place in the world. I think another reviewer recommended wearing closed toe-shoes, comfortable clothing that you can move in - preferably long pants - as long as they have good pockets, because you don't want to be carrying a purse or bag. This is important. If you have a fear of heights - the City Museum might make you forget that you have a fear of heights. Because it made me forget that I do. I was climbing everywhere. It's amazing. I know how to weld, and all the welds look great and are finished smoothly so you don't get scratched or snagged. Impressive! We went there once when our daughter was 6, and again when she was 21, and I can definitely say that I had a better time when she was older (even though, obviously, I was significantly older as well). Because it does seem a little not-safe if you have a little kid with you. But even then I had absolutely loved it. I live 8 hours away but would literally clear my schedule for the next couple days, anytime, if someone wanted me to go there with them. Just let me grab my sneakers and joggers and I'm ready!

Elsah is a darling little historical river town on the great River Road…read more Yes, it is the small town that is home to Principa College, but there is so much more in this little town. The narrow streets are filled with uniquely designed homes and businesses. While you explore the streets, you can also dine at State Street Market on LaSalle, shop at Peace Works and stopping at the Village Museum is a must. So the next time you are headed up to Grafton or Pere Marquette State Park, I recommend you do a slight detour and check out the Village of Elsah.

Darling little historical town between Alton and Grafton. Perfect for a photography trip. General…read morestore & museum are fun stops to make on your walk through the quaint, time capsule of a town. Overall a fun & charming place to visit!

This little-known and hidden museum is located inside the supposedly haunted Mineral Springs Mall…read morebuilding in downtown Alton. Some say it is fitting, as Alton is known to be one of the Top 10 haunted places in the United States. The building itself was a hotel that opened over a century ago, and several paranormal sightings have been reported over the years. You can kind of get the idea once you set the foot in the place. Its only five dollars admission, and you get to learn a lot about, well, ways people tortured people for centuries. First off, this museum is not for everyone. There are some offensive and disturbing parts here, as one would sense. This is basically for the open-minded, and for those who have a keen sense of history. The museum is a bit small, but there are several things that await the visitor. The woman who operates this museum has apparently done so much research and collected so many artifacts about the 'torture' subject. You can definitely tell she had an enjoyable time doing this! The weapons/chambers/photographs are accompanied by several materials that talk about how people were tortured. The first paragraph usually explains how the device operated, and the history behind when it was used (like what time period and what country/continent). The always controversial topic of slavery (in most countries of all periods of time) is also explained here. I'd rather not give away too much. You may find the subject on torture interesting! When reading these, I had to put myself in these people's shoes. Whether they were the victims, or the people who lived under one supreme ruler who frequently used the torture devices on the folks under them. Some of these torture methods are still being used today in some parts of the world, sadly. If you make a weekend trip to Alton, check this place out. Unfortunately, the museum is not open during the week, just on Saturday and Sundays. Be sure to check the hours.

$5.00! This museum is for those who love "campy" things. I enjoyed it, in a way that I enjoy…read morevisiting Graceland without being an Elvis fan. If you are into this kind of entertainment than this is for you. Leave the kids at home though. Lovely lady will answer all your questions, and she drives a hearse! How could you not enjoy her museum knowing these facts?!

If you enjoy soda, and want a glimpse at a very extensive history of the bubbly beverage, you can't…read morego wrong here. There's representation from Coke to Pepsi, but even further down the list, including my favorite miss from so long ago, Tab. This appears to be a labor of love, with a very present owner/custor who offered to answer questions and showed off some recent acquisitions. They have a selection of international sodas downstairs and perhaps upstairs as well at the bar. We enjoyed the all you can play arcade, and trying some exotic sodas from afar. The music harkened from the heyday of the arcade parlor and definitely felt like a journey to another time. And they had my favorite from yesteryear.... Joust!

Looking for something different to do in the St. Louis area? This is your spot! The museum upstairs…read morehas tons of soda history and memorabilia that you have to see to believe! The arcade downstairs has classic games with unlimited play allowing you to master your skills on games such as pinball, Galaga, or skee-ball! If you're lucky, you might meet the owner and get to chat with him about the sodas they have available to try. With over 100 options from across the world, my family and I ended up buying over 50 sodas to try and take home. We couldn't pass up trying these. We will gladly be back as it was such a great place.

The museum is 20 years old & is being renovated. The theater was closed…read more We started by walking through Lincoln's early years starting in his log cabin. We saw his law office. We moved through his campaign & debate. We visited his White House & we were in the midst of the turbulent times he faced. We ended in Ford's Theater, his funeral & tomb. I didn't realize that the funeral train took 15 days and more people saw him as a dead president then as a live candidate. We spent time admiring Lincoln's 40,000 artifacts. Here we saw his personal items, Mary's clothes, the Emancipation Proclamation, correspondences, The New hologram film from the library was beautifully done. The gift shop was enormous and fabulous.

This was one of the better museums I've been to. My wife and I enjoyed it a great deal…read more The staff here is very friendly and helpful. The museum has a couple of good movies to watch, including "The Eyes of Lincoln". There's also a very cool holographic experience. The museum is celebrating 20 years now in 2025. The gift shop is cavernous and well stocked. You can skip the café, it's not worth it. They are supposedly open until three, but don't serve anything hot after 1 PM. Kind of silly. You can go through the museum in two hours or spend all day here. There is a ton to read and look at. So many amazing Civil War, pictures, and descriptions. This museum is truly spectacular and worthy of our greatest president! I highly recommend it.

Gorgeous mansion in a section of Quincy where you see a few blocks of absolutely gorgeous mansion-…read moretype homes that are amazingly maintained! Beautiful woodwork and furnishings. Some docent provided information, as well as self guided tour .

Beautiful place! Some original furniture & clothing pieces, other period pieces donated from…read morenearby. Very nice place to stop and learn some local history.

This was a great tour! We started off in the visitors center. Then we toured Samuel Clemens boyhood…read morehome. "Becky Thacker's" house was across the street, as well as Grant's drugstore where the Clemens family lived when they were down on their luck. The city has preserved everything well and is taken care of it for posterity and future generations. My wife and I very much enjoyed this tour. We also took the trolley tour through town, which we enjoyed.

The tour of homes and museum of Mark Twain in Hannibal is a must see. The tour requires walking and…read moresome steps a probably would be difficult with a stroller, wheel chair or young children (although there are some elevators along the route). We did the tour on a Sunday morning. There were very few other visitors. The tour cost $14/person, which I thought was reasonable. Discounted tickets are available for seniors and kids. There is a small interpretive museum at the start that sets the stage for Sam Clement's / Mark Twain's boyhood and life. Parts of the exhibit are interactive. You then visit the Clement home (Tom Sawyer) which is styled with period furnishings and descriptive plaques. Next are visits to homes that inspired characters in his books - Huck Finn's cabin and Becky Thatcher's home. Becky's home has displays and info about the characters in Twain's books, with stories of Laura, the girl who died inspired Becky. There are clerk's along the way to answer questions, some more engaging than others. The tour acknowledges and describes Twain's views on slavery as you enter his father's office and the pharmacy exhibits. The final stop is down the street at a second museum with large interactive artifacts and a floor devoted to art. Along the tour are four gift shops that carry the shirt, books and other Twain memorabilia. The tour took about 2 hours to complete and you can break for lunch in town. There were restrooms in the museums. I learned a lot about Twain and his family and how he became a successful author. The town has been well preserved and run by local businesses. We found free street parking, but I'm guessing that parking is difficult on a busy tourist day. There is more parking behind the museum. This is a great learning experience, especially if Twain was part of your childhood reading.

Both a History of Benton and Franklin County History both Good and Bad Worth the entry fee.read more

This 1905 Franklin County Jail Museum is a very interesting walk through Benton's history…read more Featuring one of the last public executions in Illinois of Charlie Berger, this museum has original noose, weapons, newspaper articles and other historical documentation. When you walk into the house, you enter a beautiful, classic early 1900s home. A very welcoming home with reconstructed living room and kitchen. Prepare to be surprised! It is only when you near the back of the house that you find the white, rusted heavy iron door. Open this door and you enter a cold, dark realm that even Tim Burton couldn't recreate. Perhaps a hundred years for rusting and paint chipping contributes to the overall gloom. These are the prison cells that inspire modern day fiction. All the windows have bars. And the view from the outermost window is of the gallows. These gallows have been recreated in the position they originally stood. There are multiple rooms of cells which you can enter and take photos of. Don't use the toilets, though. They are a bit old. :) Escape back into the semblance of normalcy of the house and head upstairs to take in additional Benton history. The normal bathroom is up there: very clean. When the Beatles FIRST came to America, this is where they played. The museum curator stated that she was a young girl when they arrived: "We had no idea who they were...They weren't known in America at the time, but we all hurried to get a look. We didn't end up seeing them though." There is civil war paraphernalia and an autographed photo of town local John Malkovich. I highly recommend this location! The curator is very knowledgeable and friendly. The location is a few miles off the nearby highway.

Piece for piece. Pound for pound…read more SLAM is free, yet the quality and quantity of the art works were amazing. From Monet to Van Gogh to african pieces. There are plenty of eras at this museum. Honestly, there are a lot of great works. There are free parking spots nearby as well as a garage, but you need to pay for that. Overall, beautiful space inside and outside of museum.

First off, it's hard to beat the setting which is right in Forest Park and the building itself is…read morebeautiful and historic. Walking to it already feels like it's part of the experience. Inside, the collection is genuinely impressive. There's a huge range from ancient artifacts to modern and contemporary art so it never feels repetitive. You can go from Egyptian pieces to seeing European pieces from Monet and Picasso in the same visit. One of the best parts is that general admission is free which makes it super accessible and easy to spend as much (or as little) time as you want without feeling pressured. The layout is spacious and easy to explore, although some sections feel stronger than others depending on your taste. It's also the kind of place where you can wander and really take your time. Great for both a quick visit or a longer afternoon. It's one of the best attractions in St Louis with a surprisingly deep collection. Definitely worth visiting especially if you're already in Forest Park.

Great experience!! Super interesting artifacts & the interactive exhibits were so neat. Definitely…read morerecommend!

I never knew this place was here. My kiddos truly enjoyed this amazing little gem! This is total…read moremust see! There is a video that you watch at the end of the tour and it is hands down incredible. When the young lady was telling us stories, I got goosies and tears in my eyes. I have even more respect for Astronauts and now my youngest son wants to join the Space Program.