What is "cementland"

Cementland is a public art exhibit under construction on the 54-acre site of a former cement factory just north of St. Louis, Missouri. The brainchild of sculptor Bob Cassilly, who also created St. Louis' City Museum, it contains giant concrete sculptures and obsolete machinery, and is to have navigable waterways, among many other features.

Much of the landscaping is built on dirt dumped by local construction companies, who used the land as a dump before Cassilly purchased it and now pay him for the privilege. Cassily was funding the construction of Cementland himself; the free material and income from the dumping helps underwrite what he says would "otherwise be an unaffordable project."

The site, outside the city boundaries in the village of Riverview, provides a view of the Gateway Arch. “In the afternoon, when the sun shines on the city, you get this nice reflection. You don’t see all the trash and stuff. It’s the best view of the city,” Cassilly said.

On September 26, 2011, Cassilly was killed at the Cementland site after the bulldozer he was driving flipped down a hill.

The site is currently closed to the public.