# Ultimate Urban Playgrounds The City Museum was Formerly a Converted Shoe Factory By Meghan Young | Published 2015-06-03 | Life-Stages Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/city-museum References: [thisiscolossal](http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/06/city-museum/) & [citymuseum.org](http://www.citymuseum.org/) City Museum is being touted as the ultimate urban playground. Located in St. Louis, it was originally the [International Shoe Factory](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/600-hours-of-support). But after late artist and sculptor Bob Cassilly took over the space, it became a [sky-high jungle gym](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-boulder-park) that boasts "repurposed airplanes, two towering 10-story slides and numerous multi-floor slides, a rooftop Ferris wheel and a cantilevered school bus that juts out from the roof, [subterranean caves](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/atelier-xk), a pipe organ, hundreds of feet of tunnels that traverse from floor to floor, an aquarium, ball pits, a shoe lace factory, a circus arts facility, restaurants and even a bar," writes the Contemporist. A must-visit destination in the midwestern United States, the City Museum is constantly under construction as new features are added or improved thanks to a ragtag group of 20 artists known affectionately as the Cassilly Crew. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.3/10 - Popularity: 84% | Activity: 68% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Life-Stages](https://www.trendhunter.com/life-stages) > [Youth](https://www.trendhunter.com/youth) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Repurposed Industrial Spaces:** Exploring the creative and unique ways to transform former industrial locations into unconventional playgrounds and entertainment spaces. - **Interactive and Adventure-based Playgrounds:** Designing urban playgrounds that offer interactive and adventurous experiences, incorporating features such as slides, tunnels, and sky-high structures. - **Continuous Innovation in Playground Design:** Continuously updating and enhancing playgrounds to provide new and exciting experiences for visitors, creating opportunities for ongoing innovation in playground design. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Entertainment and Recreation:** Creating unique and immersive entertainment spaces by repurposing industrial locations for interactive playgrounds and experiences. - **Architecture and Design:** Incorporating innovative features and designs in urban playgrounds that promote adventure and engage visitors in novel ways. - **Construction and Engineering:** Providing expertise in transforming industrial spaces into safe and enjoyable urban playgrounds that comply with building codes and safety standards. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Sensory Museum Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sensory-museum.md) - [Structural Energetic Playgrounds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/archipelago-playscape.md) - [Generational-Lasting Dynamic Playgrounds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mike-hewson-2.md) - [Abstract Colorfully Vibrant Playscapes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wired-scape.md) - [Family-Friendly Interactive Museums](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/superpower-studios.md) - [Landmark-Inspired Sleek Playgrounds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/doha-modern-playground.md) - [First-Of-Its-Kind Playspace Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cloudbound.md) - [Nature-Inspired Indoor Playgrounds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sarit-shani-hay.md) - [Indoor Playground Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/indoor-playground-art-exhibition.md)