Few places in St. Louis have sparked more wonder, confusion, and creative chaos than the City Museum. But behind the swirling slides and sculpted dragons is a deeply personal story of a family, a vision, and a city that dared to imagine something different. This month, Unseen STL digs into the origin story of the City Museum—not as legend, but as lived experience—through the voices of Max and Maria Cassilly, and with never-before-seen footage that reveals the messy, magical process behind one of St. Louis’s most beloved landmarks.
Mark your calendar for Thursday, June 19th, and meet us at Leviathan Bookstore (3211 S. Grand Blvd.) for an evening of local lore and unexpected history. Doors swing open at 6 p.m., giving you ample time to explore the shelves and connect with fellow history buffs. The talk starts at 7 p.m., with a $5 cover helping support this fantastic venue.
The Talks
This month, we'll be taking a look at the history of the City Museum from the perspective of Max Cassilly and his wife Maria.
Max is the son of founders Gail and Bob Cassilly, and grew up surrounded by the art of his father and mother, and watched as his parents' work slowly evolved into the City Museum. Maria, who first worked at the City Museum before marrying Max, will also give her perspective. Combined with a conversation with Chris Naffziger, we will watch never-before-seen video footage taken by Mark Silverman as well as from other sources that reveal new insights into how one of St. Louis's greatest creative endeavors was born.
The evening will be divided into three parts:
Part 1: The early years
We'll first talk about the early years of Cassilly and Cassilly and the years working on projects such as Turtle Park and work on the rehabbing of Lafayette Square. We'll also talk about the various places that Gail and Bob used as their workshop over the years.
Part 2: The City Museum is born
We'll discuss how Bob and Gail bought the old International Shoe Building and how the City Museum began to be created inside its walls. Using footage of the construction in its early stages, we'll also discuss how various artists came together to make the Cassillys' vision come to reality.
Part 3: Assessing the Legacy
Finally, we will discuss the legacy of the Cassillys in St. Louis and how their art and the City Museum has influenced the city and other artists. We'll talk about how the City Museum has grown over the years and how its future will continue in the coming decades.
For more information see
https://unseenstlouis.substack.com/p/unseen-stl-history-june-2025
Also check out other Arts events in St. Louis, Workshops in St. Louis.
