Cementland: Murdered Artist's Vision Lives On, But For How Long?

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

Cementland was the vision of St. Louis-based artist Bob Cassilly. The sculptor is largely responsible for the City Museum in downtown St. Louis, it's described as "An all-ages architectural playground in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Explore tunnels, caves, slides, and rides — inside and out." In the early 2000s, Cassilly set out to do the same to an abandoned cement factory north of St. Louis.

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Those plans derailed after the popular artist was found at Cementland, the victim of a tragic accident where the bulldozer he was operating tumbled down a hill killing him. Some of Cassilly's family, however, had a hard time believing a tragic accident took Cassilly, so they hired an independent doctor to review the evidence.

The expert hired by Cassilly's family found that the sculptor had been beaten to death, then the bulldozer accident staged to cover it up. The St. Louis Medical Examiner, however, rejected the evidence by the family's expert and refused to change his cause of death, which is listed as accidental.

Unfinished, the family had hoped to continue to work on the project. However, in 2022 they sold Cementland for over $700,000 to someone who has an industrial use for it.

Even unfinished, however, Cementland may have served Cassilly's purpose. Or people sought out his old cement factory, partially finished, to have an adventure, snap some cool pictures or shoot a neat video. It had become one of those known places for urban exploration. Keep scrolling to see some pictures of Cementland.

You can watch the YouTube video from Free4All here.

Cementland: Murdered Artist's Vision Lives On, But For How Long?

Cementland, an incomplete public art exhibit that was the brainchild of St. Louis sculptor Bob Cassilly, still stands unfinished near St. Louis. Cassilly was found dead on the site in 2011, after a bulldozer he was driving flipped down a hill. An independent investigation undertaken by some of Cassilly's family found he had been beaten to death, however, the St. Louis Medical Examiner stood by the ruling of accidental death. The Cassilly family had hoped to continue Bob's work on Cementland but sold it in 2022 for $785,000.

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

Ghosts of the Once Great Lewis & Clark Tower

WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

Built in 1963, opened in 1964, and a landmark by the late 1960s, The Louis & Clark Tower north of St. Louis was a destination for those looking for a swanky meal in the building's 10th-floor Top of the Tower Restaurant. Couples on date night could also check out a movie, or go bowling, in the attached retail section of the building. By the end, condominium values in the building had plummeted, much of the retail space was being used by social services, and some units in the building didn't have water. The elevators didn't work either. By 2014 authorities stepped in and condemned the building, forcing the few who still called the tower home out of the building.

In 2020 Tom V shot some video of the now abandoned building including the Top of the Tower Restaurant and some of the apartments. You can watch the video here.