I went here with my partner and a friend over the weekend and it was a blast! We went on a Sunday…read moreso there were a lot of kids there, but that's to be expected. It was $25.23 total for one ticket at the door, which is cheaper than buying online ahead of time ($20 ticket plus $8 fee plus tax). There was no line to get in which was surprising given we went at 11am on a weekend. The place was super cool! It reminded me a lot of Meow Wolf's Convergence Station in Denver with how crazy it was. There are more places for kids to climb around than adults, but we were still able to crawl through a lot of places. There was so much cool stuff to look at that there's no way you can do it all in one visit. We've already decided we want to come back to St. Louis just to go here again! I will say the attractions aren't terribly accessible to those with disabilities. There is a lot of climbing and not a lot of wheelchair accessibility. It's also loud and high-touch. There are plenty of bathrooms, and there is at least one water bottle fill station which I appreciated as a tourist. The gift shop is pricey but that's also to be expected. Parking in their lot is $15 plus tax (we paid $20 and got $2 back), other nearby lots are open but more expensive. If you're visiting St. Louis, you definitely need to go here! It truly is a blast for all ages and is the first true adult playground I've seen. It is so worth the price of admission!

A truly fascinating and one of a kind experience! There were so many things to do but we didn't…read morehave enough time to do it all. Bring a head lamp and your own knee pads (wrist guards, butt pads, elbow pads would also help if you decide to go all out and parkour your way through this place), as well as some sturdy jeans. One person in our group managed to tear the seat of their pants on one of the slides I didn't check out the food, but I found the drink prices pretty reasonable. They had a cute gift shop too for those of you who'd like to get a souvenir. If you plan on returning often, get their Gold Pass for free entry through December 2027 and discounts on parking, food, souvenirs, apparel, and more!

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?!

Very interesting displays of soda beverages!!! Also, the…read morepinball machines in the lower kevel were great fun! The old building is beautiful.

Bizarre nostalgic throw-back to sugar laced time before corn syrup drenched mixes arrived…read more I met a friend and his granddaughter in the basement to play retro-arcade games for a ser price fo a few hours. Kid and teenager me would have loved it... the sarcastic 10 year old wanted board games to improve her experience. After considering- I agreed. I would add some chess and checker boards and a few other board games. Or a few Atari games... The epitome was the McDonald's $1 double cheeseburger sign. I asked to order it: they didn't have cheeseburgers, all things are more expensive and everything is not as healthy. I am not wishing for cocaine Coca-Cola or other "medicine" in Dr Pepper. $1.50 for a can of soda is a big jump for a corn syrup from the nickel advertising of a sugar sweet memory. The epitome of the place was playing shuffleboard with the 10 year old. I was trying to play with a sense of touch. She was playing with the idea of creating a highlight reel of knocking my pieces off. I beat her because the idea of the game escaped her. To look back at Asteroids was a shock. Realized that it was just black and white, 2 dimensional game with only a few buttons to control it. Overall I walked still a fan of the glossed over experience. I remember being a broke kid wanting to play unrealistic games to escape from reality. Now I wish for the sugar rush I used to have.

This museum is so well done! The facades of Lincoln's boyhood home and the White House greet you in…read morethe main atrium. Volunteers are plentiful and enhance the experience throughout. There are two main movies that are outstanding. The special effects make learning about history very fun and engaging. Throughout there are life sized displays of scenes from Lincoln's life. Husband is the big history buff but I have to say, I really enjoyed the experience. It's well worth the stop. Parking is in a ramp across the street from the museum. We got the senior rate at $12, otherwise it's $15. We spent about couple of hours in the museum.

Well worth the time (give yourself at least 90 minutes) and the price of admission. The displays…read moreare well done and informative. The docents/volunteers are excellent, everyone that we talked to was warm, informed and clearly enjoyed their time with us patrons. The day we were there two musicians were playing period music. They were very good, and while it did get a little personally annoying, it did really put you in time and place for the subjects. Both of the relatively short theater presentations are worthwhile, so plan accordingly so you can watch both. There was one display depicting the slavery auction block. It is a gut punch to anyone with a human heart, regardless of your outer wrapping.

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.

The museum was a lot of fun. Extra fun if you've read some of Mark Twain's books. There shops after…read moreeach section which was just as fun if you like souvenirs.

We visited the museum and surrounding houses in old town. Where Sam Clemons was raised…read more Admission is $20 bucks, $15 for veterans and seniors. Self guided tour takes you through Mark Twains life as a child, into adulthood and his life as Mark Twain. The primary characters, their reallife references The family home, the family run pharmacy, the judges office and court, Becky Thatchers house are all within a few feet of each other and in the same couple of blocks on the street. Make it an easy walking tour and worth your time. There are a few stairs to the upper floors but otherwise its a fairly easy walk at your own pace tour that takes an hour or so to go through. This musuem is a tribute to the great Mark Twain and his writings, his life before success and the childhood surroundings of Samuel Clemons that formed the works of Twains writings. 4 Stars worth the time and support if you are a Twain fan, history buff, enjoy Americana or literature history in general. 01324

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.

The art museum is such a beautiful collection of ancient sculptures and artwork. It really lets you…read moresee what the different times were like and understand how talented the human race is at creation. We went during the Ancient Rome exhibition and it was breathtaking to see the size of the sculptures and learn about the families, royalty vs their servants, what type of armor and jewelry they would wear. Alongside the pieces of art that are normally there, I love the museum and think everyone in STL should visit.

Excellent collection for a small city. The museum is not too large but it has a good…read morerepresentative collection of European, American and ancient art. I was happy to find three Bierstadts. Impressionist room is excellent. Not a huge museum but definitely worth visiting!

What a wonderful experience. The staff here are truly dedicated to the museum and have a ton of…read moreknowledge to share.

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